Re: [GSAS-Member] AH Supply 4x96 Bright Kit Versus Aquticlife T5 High Output 72" Lighting System

["Paul M. Wallace" <pwallace@u.washington.edu>]

Dear Jeff,

The big difference is that the AH Supply is a retrofit so you must have a hood 
or box and enough skill to operate a wire cap where the others you list are 
fixtures.  In the world a fixtures, slim is in so you may have a lot of bulbs 
crammed into a very attractive enclosure but there is just not enough room to 
get the photons pointed up back into the tank.  In the club, I know of a 4X96W 
fixture over 180 gal.  Great results with CO2 and an FX5!

On my own 180 gal tank I have the same problem of finding a light that allows 
good growth and covers 6'.  I was thinking VHO (yes, that VHO) as 6' bulbs from 
UVL now are available with 180* reflectors (VHO AquaSun Bulb).   I found a 
Icecap 660 on the reef forum that will drive this $25 bulb at 160 W.  These 
bulbs also drive 4' T8 at 80W (20W/ft) which is where the tank is now (2XT8 
Mbuna tank.  Now UVL is selling T5 V-HO lamps.  I think 4X 3' bulbs (with clip 
on reflectors) will be the next upgrade.

Now, a random snippet from internet suggests "The two major causes of 
Blue-Green Algae is poor water quality (nutrient rich water), or dim (low)  
lighting. "

Perhaps the 4 bulb would actually be ok.

-Paul

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Jeff wrote:

> Thanks for a great meeting and auction last night; I have a 6' long 125g
> planted tank which I have been lighting with two GE "Plant and Aquarium"
> bulbs for about a year now; The plants do ok but I want better; Algae growth
> has been controlled by switching to a ten hour light cycle (when I had four
> 48" bulbs in the tank the algae was out of control ie entire bottom of
> aquarium had thick dark green algae); My question is this: Are the AH supply
> setups that much better than say the aquaticlife or marineland setups? AH
> makes some pretty bold claims on their website ie "2.5 times more light";
> Are metal halide lights really necessary or are they overkill? It is a
> community aquarium so I want my fish to look their best as well as the
> plants;
>
>
>
> Has anyone done a talk on Freshwater stingrays at a meeting? Is there anyone
> in the club whom raises stingrays that would be willing to give a talk? I've
> been fascinated with them for quite some time but have been holding out till
> I get a much larger aquarium to house them;
>
>
>
> Thanks for all your help, Jeff.
>
>
>
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