[AGA-mcm] [Fwd: Re: Update on supplies of the bulbs]

[Cheryl Rogers <cheryl@rightstuffwebsites.com>]

This guy is NOT going away....

Cheryl

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Re: Update on supplies of the bulbs
Date:   Thu, 28 Jul 2005 15:26:16 -0700
From:   John Apsley <japsley@msn.com>
To:     'Cheryl Rogers' <cheryl@wilstream.com>, <elaine@elainethompson.com>



Dear Elaine and Cheryl,

An update:

1). I have contacted Interlight, and they have agreed to import the
European CFL bulbs which carry the 90%+ color rendering index rating.

2). As you may know, most all compact fluorescent bulbs have at best a
82% CRI. This poor CRI rating is the reason why Floridadriftwood.com has
found the 6700K CFL bulbs stink. Many of the tried and true T-12s have a
95%+ CRI. That is the reason why the T-12/T-8 bulbs – used in the proper
combination – got such incredible results at lower wattages with people
like Wright Huntley, George Booth and Erik Olson. They all share that
they could illuminate a 55 gallon with only 80 watts, but get a great
plant growth result. What they were unwittingly doing was finding the
perfect red to blue match that came about by using the two different
sets of bulbs together. Triton and Ultralux were a great combo for this
reason, as were the Chromo50/GE SPX 50 (T-8) combo as per Erik. But in
either case, many of these reports came out of more shallow aquaria, not
the ones deeper than 18”. But the same principles apply.

3). With the CFL bulbs sold here in the U.S.A., you cannot accomplish
what you could with the old T-12s. The CFL bulbs typically have poor red
to blue ratios. Hence, bad red to blue ratios and poor plant growth.
This is made up for (but not that well) by using lots more intensity to
do the same thing these guys were doing with 1.5W to 2W/gallon with the
T-12s. The better way is to find two differing CFL bulbs, differing
meaning with differing Kelvin ratings, plus the right spectral power
distribution curves, and complement them together like the old pros did
in the 90’s. And that is what I am up to with Interlight and Big Als.
Both companies are fascinated by what we are onto. Both were stunned
that the CRI ratings were so piss-poor for the CFL bulbs…

4). I also have Big Al’s Online doing the research for us on the higher
Kelvin CFL bulbs. Will let you know the results as they come in.

Best,

Dr. John Apsley

7327 Silent Creek Avenue, SE

Snoqualmie, WA 98065



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