Lighting.....

[frantz]

Does anyone know a really good website or book even dealing with aquarium lighting? It honestly confuses me because I don't really know the science behind it. I'm looking for something more than just a list of bulbs to pick. Thanks!

 

[johniii]

You are on the lighting sight here

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[cr500_af]

The reason you won't find much reference material is that the lighting side of this hobby is changing RAPIDLY. By the time somebody published a book it would be outdated. As for websites, unfortunately most of them are trying to sell something so it's impossible to take their data as truth.

 

[frantz]

any recommendations on what to study to get a handle on it? I'm a bright fellow (generally). I grasp that temp is the wavelength and i assume watts is the intensity (as well as power usage). Without a par meter how does one figure what one needs? For my tank in question I have a standard 120 with the 6 bulb aqualife. Right now I changed half the bulbs which is when I realized the originals were 54w (aqualife) and I put in 28w (corallife) bulbs. Specifically will having mixed wattage mess the ballast up at all? The blue actinic corallife bulbs I got are much bluer than the factory 420/460 bulbs. What exactly is actinic and is 420/460 the temp range of the other ones? The tank looks much better with the actinic bulbs but I'm mostly concerned with the health of the coral. I still have 2 daylight bulbs to replace. Should I replace all 6 with something else and use the low wattage ones on a future frag tank? You're help is greatly appreciated!

 

[lilrobb]

The 28W is a Normal output T5, the 54W are the High Output ones, I think the modern ballasts handle both, but you just cut down 50% on your lighting output...

Frantz;739102 wrote: any recommendations on what to study to get a handle on it? I'm a bright fellow (generally). I grasp that temp is the wavelength and i assume watts is the intensity (as well as power usage). Without a par meter how does one figure what one needs? For my tank in question I have a standard 120 with the 6 bulb aqualife. Right now I changed half the bulbs which is when I realized the originals were 54w (aqualife) and I put in 28w (corallife) bulbs. Specifically will having mixed wattage mess the ballast up at all? The blue actinic corallife bulbs I got are much bluer than the factory 420/460 bulbs. What exactly is actinic and is 420/460 the temp range of the other ones? The tank looks much better with the actinic bulbs but I'm mostly concerned with the health of the coral. I still have 2 daylight bulbs to replace. Should I replace all 6 with something else and use the low wattage ones on a future frag tank? You're help is greatly appreciated!

 

[rdnelson]

LilRobb;739103 wrote: The 28W is a Normal output T5, the 54W are the High Output ones, I think the modern ballasts handle both, but you just cut down 50% on your lighting output...

Not aware of a ballast that will do both but I could be wrong. Either way, on the face of the ballast it should give a listing of the lamp types it can operate.

 

[frantz]

its doing both right now... so will that damage the ballast or shorten the life of the bulbs or both?

 

[lilrobb]

rdnelson99;739134 wrote: Not aware of a ballast that will do both but I could be wrong. Either way, on the face of the ballast it should give a listing of the lamp types it can operate.

Check the IceCap660 - operates ANY fluorescent lamp and even mixes thereof...

 

[johniii]

Frantz;739136 wrote: its doing both right now... so will that damage the ballast or shorten the life of the bulbs or both?

If it is overdriving the bulbs it will greatly shorten their life. I would think the ballast would survive.

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