wattage for CF lights

[Greg Nolte]

Anyone know the suggested wattage per gallon for compact flourecent lights?

I had MH and typically ran no less than 5 watts per gallon (though I had
more like 8).

CF lights are a lot brighter / watt. Right now I'm running about 2.5
watts per gallon and seems plenty bright enough.

[Adira]

Greg Nolte wrote:

> Anyone know the suggested wattage per gallon for compact flourecent
> lights?
>
> I had MH and typically ran no less than 5 watts per gallon (though
I
> had more like 8).
>
> CF lights are a lot brighter / watt. Right now I'm running about
2.5
> watts per gallon and seems plenty bright enough.
>
>

I read 3 to 5 watts per gallon somewhere recently.

--
Remember, wherever you go, there you are.

[Dragon Slayer]

Marc once said he gets a "cringe" when he hears the words "fresh water dip"

I guess that best describes what I fell when someone says that ridicules
"watts per gallon"

watts per gallon have nothing to do with proper lighting by no means. whom
ever started it should be taken out and castrated..............

depth of tank and type of light determine the amount of wattage you will
needed, not the gallon size of the tank.



kc

[Pszemol]

"Dragon Slayer" > wrote in message ...
> Marc once said he gets a "cringe" when he hears the words "fresh water dip"
>
> I guess that best describes what I fell when someone says that ridicules
> "watts per gallon"
>
> watts per gallon have nothing to do with proper lighting by no means. whom
> ever started it should be taken out and castrated..............
>
> depth of tank and type of light determine the amount of wattage you will
> needed, not the gallon size of the tank.

You are right, but some people find this too difficult
and they need much simpler rules of thumb like W/gallon.
It usually works, since tanks have standardized sizes.
And this is only an estimate, right?

Do not get me wrong - I am not trying to defend this rule.
I know its limits. First question would be watts of what?
Normal output? HO? VHO? Compacts?

BTW - I have 2x96W powercompacts over my 3' long 30g.
Does it mean having almost 7W/gallon I can keep the
most light demanding corals? :-))) I guess not...

[Richard Reynolds]

> watts per gallon have nothing to do with proper lighting by no means. whom
> ever started it should be taken out and castrated..............

now tell us what you really think :)

--
Richard Reynolds

[Stan Peterson]

You're right of course, but I think people are just trying to get some
"baseline" figure for wattage. I think a better measure for rule of
thumb would be to indicate wattage for surface area and depth of tank.

Like you said, volume means nothing. How much light would you need for a
tank that is a 2 foot square column 6 feet deep? (-;

Wouldn't bother figuring out the gallonage there.


Dragon Slayer wrote:
> Marc once said he gets a "cringe" when he hears the words "fresh water dip"
>
> I guess that best describes what I fell when someone says that ridicules
> "watts per gallon"
>
> watts per gallon have nothing to do with proper lighting by no means. whom
> ever started it should be taken out and castrated..............
>
> depth of tank and type of light determine the amount of wattage you will
> needed, not the gallon size of the tank.
>
>
>
> kc
>
>

[Dragon Slayer]

well Richard, i get really annoyed when i see someone with many years of
experience tell a newbie "yea, if you got x # of wpg, you can keep an
anemone. they dont care what type of lighting it is as long as you got this
many watts/gallon your good to go.

over on RC i see it so many times "can i keep this if i have "X" watts per
gallon?" and you alwasys see the "yes, sure you can as long as you have the
minimum of this you can"

so....................
i got the minimum wpg you said..........so why are all my corals
dieing???????????? its a 1000w MH over my 7 gallon nano reef i have it 8"
above the water and my 3hp chiller keeps the temp at a constant 78 deg, i
just dont understand why they are dieing. :(

and in my show tank, an 8' deep in wall with a gazillion watts of NO i have
the same problems................am i doing something wrong?????????

kc


"Richard Reynolds" > wrote in message
news:K_8db.24646$gv5.15976@fed1read05...
> > watts per gallon have nothing to do with proper lighting by no means.
whom
> > ever started it should be taken out and castrated..............
>
> now tell us what you really think :)
>
> --
> Richard Reynolds
>
>
>

[Marc Levenson]

Here's the rule, Stan.

If you can't take a picture of the tank that is viewable, you've got enough
light. ;)

Marc


Stan Peterson wrote:

> You're right of course, but I think people are just trying to get some
> "baseline" figure for wattage. I think a better measure for rule of
> thumb would be to indicate wattage for surface area and depth of tank.
>
> Like you said, volume means nothing. How much light would you need for a
> tank that is a 2 foot square column 6 feet deep? (-;
>
> Wouldn't bother figuring out the gallonage there.
>

--
Personal Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[Pszemol]

Like with every rule of thumb, it works only in an average case.
If you have unusual tank with the surface of 2'x2' and 6' high
this rule will not apply. But I guess the rule should work for
HO fluorescence light for a standard sized tanks from the store.
Do you agree Dragon Slayer or you can suggest better rule?

BTW - how would you rat light over my tank - I have 2x96W
36" compact fluorescent, my tank is a regular 36"x18"x12"?
Is it weak, average or bright?

[Adira]

Marc Levenson wrote:

> Here's the rule, Stan.
>
> If you can't take a picture of the tank that is viewable, you've
got
> enough light. ;)
>
> Marc
>
>
> Stan Peterson wrote:
>
>> You're right of course, but I think people are just trying to get
>> some "baseline" figure for wattage. I think a better measure for
rule
>> of thumb would be to indicate wattage for surface area and depth
of
>> tank.
>>
>> Like you said, volume means nothing. How much light would you need
>> for a tank that is a 2 foot square column 6 feet deep? (-;
>>
>> Wouldn't bother figuring out the gallonage there.
>>
>
> --
> Personal Page:
> http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html Business
Page:
> http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com Marine Hobbyist:
> http://www.melevsreef.com
>
>
>

so the 65 wat pc 10000k and 65 actinic on my standard 29 gallon that
are 4 inches off the water is not enough?

--
Remember, wherever you go, there you are.

[Dragon Slayer]

"Adira" > wrote in message
99...
>
> so the 65 wat pc 10000k and 65 actinic on my standard 29 gallon that
> are 4 inches off the water is not enough?
>


Enough for what? shrooms, zoos, ricordias and most softies? plenty. but
not clams/sps and higher light demanding LPS
i have a standerd 29 with 4x65 PC (3 actinic & 1 10KK) and i have kept
derasa clams on the DSB with no problems and quite a few LPS, but i wouldn't
try SPS or maxima clams.

thats what the bigger tanks with MH are for :)

kc

[Adira]

Dragon Slayer wrote:

>
> "Adira" > wrote in message
> 99...
>>
>> so the 65 wat pc 10000k and 65 actinic on my standard 29 gallon
that
>> are 4 inches off the water is not enough?
>>
>
>
> Enough for what? shrooms, zoos, ricordias and most softies?
plenty.
> but not clams/sps and higher light demanding LPS
> i have a standerd 29 with 4x65 PC (3 actinic & 1 10KK) and i have
kept
> derasa clams on the DSB with no problems and quite a few LPS, but i
> wouldn't try SPS or maxima clams.
>
> thats what the bigger tanks with MH are for :)
>
> kc
>
>
>

I don't care about clams, feather dusters etc. The mushroom coral
that grew from roots on the live rock I was given seems to be happy,
and it's on piece of rock at the bottom of the tank. I would like to
get a couple of anemones though.

--
Remember, wherever you go, there you are.

[Jimmy Chen]

> Anyone know the suggested wattage per gallon for compact flourecent
lights?

Nope, anyone that does do not know what they are talking about when it comes
to lights. For a tank that is 18-20" in height, 3x96w PCs is the general
recommendation for low light demanding corals.

> CF lights are a lot brighter / watt. Right now I'm running about 2.5
> watts per gallon and seems plenty bright enough.

"Foo Ya ..." is the phrase that comes to mind ... Our eyes are more
sensitive to red and yellow colors, but not as much to blue. So just because
the light "looks" darker to us does not mean that is how the corals are
going to see it.

jc

[Dragon Slayer]

"Adira" > wrote in message
99...
>
> I don't care about clams, feather dusters etc. The mushroom coral
> that grew from roots on the live rock I was given seems to be happy,
> and it's on piece of rock at the bottom of the tank. I would like to
> get a couple of anemones though.
>

feather dusters are non photostetic, they dont require light to live. you
can keep them in complete darkness and they will thrive if they have food to
filter from the water.

anemones are going to be a bit tough/impossiable with just 2x65 IMO.

kc

[Dragon Slayer]

"Jimmy Chen" > wrote in message
...
> .............. So just because
> the light "looks" darker to us does not mean that is how the corals are
> going to see it.
>
> jc
>


great point jc, i run 3 actinic to 1 daylight, i like the dimmer dark blue
look and my corals love it.
its more then plenty of light and its not overpowering to the room. (in
reference to my 29 that is in the living room)

kc