Re: RM...........here are some links to some good sites that have the proper bulbs

"g_i_n_k_o" <g_i_n_k_o@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:13na27la8cauo46@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> In rec.aquaria.freshwater.plants Reel McKoi
<dorundayREMOVE@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
> wrote:
> : OK, now were getting somewhere. Regular old shop lights with  a with
> : reflector. That is most likely the main problem. First off, the
> : reflectors on those lights are made to reflect light from a height so
> : yuo get decent light dispersion.
>
> The typical shop light reflector isn't that good, but it's not
> really much worse than the polished box reflector found in the
> vast majority of commercial aquarium fixtures.
>
> Ideally, something of a parabolic reflector for each tube works
> best at sending light straight down into the tank where one gets
> maximum penetration in deeper tanks.  A commercial (and very
> expensive) fixture that does an excellent job at this is the
> T5 HO TekLight.
>
> The typical polished rectangular box doesn't send light down into
> the tank, but tends to bounce it around until it hits one of the
> fluorescent tubes.  (The exercise of comparing a pseudo-parabolic
> reflector against a rectangular box via a geometry diagram is left
> to the reader.)   Manufacturers compensate for the bad reflector
> by adding more tubes to the unit.  These fixtures do work OK and
> the extra tubes aren't really much of an issue unless you have
> more than a few tanks which makes one much more interested in
> conserving electricity to reduce a very high electricity bill.
>
> I grow plants with highly efficient Tek Lights, and less effective
> polished box reflector fixtures.  Both do OK.  Medium light tanks
> are more forgiving, so those tanks get my old less efficient
> reflector light fixtures.
>
> As for algae and light, it gets tricker the more light you add
> to the aquarium.  So for beginners, I recommend starting out with
> medium light level plants with a medium light level fixture.
> A cheap shop light with a simple reflector will do the job for
> this.  It's not as effective as one with a parabolic reflector,
> but for medium light, it will be good enough.
>
> Bulbs are _not_ the primary cause algae, it's the water conditions.
> Adding more light just speeds up the growth of everything (desirable
> plants and algae).  Poor water conditions under medium light will
> require you to monthly scrape off ugly algae.  Poor water conditions
> under very high light will require you to daily scrape off ugly algae.
>
> My philosophy is that for the first year, it's better to take the
> cheap route and get some successes with easy-to-grow medium light
> plants than to take the expensive high risk route where it takes
> some real skill and experience to keep algae at bay.
===============================================
I'm starting to think it's the nitrates and phosphates that come right
from 
my tap!  And the rain water I'm using is catching dust and providing more 
algae nutrients........  a losing battle unless I go for some expensive
pads 
to remove these nutrients.
-- 

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6.  Middle TN USA
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