CFL better than fluorescent?

I recently lost my light hood due to an electrical short - a small fire
quickly put out. I had two T-8 fluorescents. Since I have this
opportunity to start from scratch, I'm considering going with compact
fluorescents instead of the old T-8s. Is there any advantage in CFL?
With the 96W lamp, I can definitely get more watts in the tank, but I
wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

B

Brian wrote:
opportunity to start from scratch, I'm considering going with compact
fluorescents instead of the old T-8s. Is there any advantage in CFL?

Much higher wattage in a smaller package.

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In article ,
Brian wrote:

I recently lost my light hood due to an electrical short - a small fire
quickly put out. I had two T-8 fluorescents. Since I have this
opportunity to start from scratch, I'm considering going with compact
fluorescents instead of the old T-8s. Is there any advantage in CFL?
With the 96W lamp, I can definitely get more watts in the tank, but I
wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

B

Sorry, forgot to mention - I run a South American tropical tank, plants
& fish, no CO2, 36" long 38 gallon (US).

B

In article ,
Brian wrote:

I recently lost my light hood due to an electrical short - a small fire
quickly put out. I had two T-8 fluorescents. Since I have this
opportunity to start from scratch, I'm considering going with compact
fluorescents instead of the old T-8s. Is there any advantage in CFL?
With the 96W lamp, I can definitely get more watts in the tank, but I
wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

B

Sorry, forgot to mention - I run a South American tropical tank, plants
& fish, no CO2, 36" long 38 gallon (US).

B

Brian wrote in news:bsheller-FBCA59.21583610092006
@comcast.dca.giganews.com:

wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

Compact fluorescent is more efficient and have a narrower spectrum, which
means you get more light per watt, not just higher wattage.

The bulbs also have a longer lifespan--about 14 months before the spectrum
begins to degrade vs. standard fluorescent's 6 months.

The only advantage standard fluorescent has is cost and accessibility of
replacement bulbs, but you are replacing them more often.

The one disadvantage you may encounter with compact fluorescent is that the
increase in lumens may require CO2 supplementation in order to avoid algae
growth--potentially anyway. I have run compact fluorescet planted tanks
both with and without CO2 with good results.

In article ,
Brian wrote:
I recently lost my light hood due to an electrical short - a small fire
quickly put out. I had two T-8 fluorescents. Since I have this
opportunity to start from scratch, I'm considering going with compact
fluorescents instead of the old T-8s. Is there any advantage in CFL?
With the 96W lamp, I can definitely get more watts in the tank, but I
wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

Yes. You can get more light per square foot with CFL. And they're more
efficient in the first place. If you avoid buying tubes at petshop
and get them from lighting distributors (warm white is FINE) they're
not terribly expensive.


--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

In article ,
dc wrote:
Brian wrote in news:bsheller-FBCA59.21583610092006
:

wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

Compact fluorescent is more efficient and have a narrower spectrum, which
means you get more light per watt, not just higher wattage.

The phosphours, and therefore spectra are the same across all tubes.

The bulbs also have a longer lifespan--about 14 months before the spectrum
begins to degrade vs. standard fluorescent's 6 months.

The spectrum doesn't degrade the total luminous flux does. The specrtrum is
constant.

The only advantage standard fluorescent has is cost and accessibility of
replacement bulbs, but you are replacing them more often.

The one disadvantage you may encounter with compact fluorescent is that the
increase in lumens may require CO2 supplementation in order to avoid algae
growth--potentially anyway. I have run compact fluorescet planted tanks
both with and without CO2 with good results.

Bah, use floating plants to cut down light if there's algae.


--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

Richard Sexton wrote:
In article ,
dc wrote:
Brian wrote in news:bsheller-FBCA59.21583610092006
:

wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

Compact fluorescent is more efficient and have a narrower spectrum, which
means you get more light per watt, not just higher wattage.

The phosphours, and therefore spectra are the same across all tubes.

*keyboard*

I guess the visibly different colors of different fluorescent tubes is
just an illusion?

Austin

In article . com,
AustinMN wrote:
Richard Sexton wrote:
In article ,
dc wrote:
Brian wrote in news:bsheller-FBCA59.21583610092006
:

wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

Compact fluorescent is more efficient and have a narrower spectrum, which
means you get more light per watt, not just higher wattage.

The phosphours, and therefore spectra are the same across all tubes.

*keyboard*

I guess the visibly different colors of different fluorescent tubes is
just an illusion?

No, it's a carfully controlled mix of phosphours. But it has noting to do with
tube size. For example warm white (2700K) is warm white in T12 or CFL. And Chroma
75 (7500K) is chroma 75 in T12 or T8. They don't make a CFL C75. But they could,
there's just no demand.

There are three major fluorescent manufacturors: GE, OSram/Sylvania and Philips.
Each tube will have a dode that tells you the size and phosphour composition. The
tube size will vary but the phosphour composition - which dictates the color of
light - can be found in many tube sizes.

Have a look at the GE website and downlaod their PDF of tubes and you'll see
much better than I can explain it here.


--
Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

Richard Sexton wrote:
In article . com,
AustinMN wrote:
Richard Sexton wrote:
In article ,
dc wrote:
Brian wrote in news:bsheller-FBCA59.21583610092006
:

wasn't doing too badly before. Any other advantages to CFL? Certainly,
the T-8 bulbs are cheaper. Thanks,

Compact fluorescent is more efficient and have a narrower spectrum, which
means you get more light per watt, not just higher wattage.

The phosphours, and therefore spectra are the same across all tubes.

*keyboard*

I guess the visibly different colors of different fluorescent tubes is
just an illusion?

No, it's a carfully controlled mix of phosphours. But it has noting to do with
tube size. For example warm white (2700K) is warm white in T12 or CFL. And Chroma
75 (7500K) is chroma 75 in T12 or T8. They don't make a CFL C75. But they could,
there's just no demand.

That's a far different statement from:

The phosphours, and therefore spectra are the same across all tubes.


There are three major fluorescent manufacturors: GE, OSram/Sylvania and Philips.
Each tube will have a dode that tells you the size and phosphour composition. The
tube size will vary but the phosphour composition - which dictates the color of
light - can be found in many tube sizes.

Again, far different from:
The phosphours, and therefore spectra are the same across all tubes.

Do you not know what "all tubes" means? Or perhaps it's "spectra" you
don't understand?

Austin