Quote:
Originally posted by JohnM99
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't watts per gallon quite indirect? What we are actually interested in is how many lumens of useful light are delivered, not really in how many watts you had to burn up to generate them?
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That's for sure John. The watts per gallon is only a general rule for those that only know that PAR is what you try to break on the golf course. Since this is a newbie thread, I try not to complicate it with too much
weird science
For most of the newbie readers we are not talking about massive tanks (200 gallons+). Following the general rule of x watts per gallon will get them started without needing to take a course in physics. For those that want the most bang for the buck (or those that start out with massive tanks) it is a good idea to hang out on the Lighting Forum and get the latest lowdown on what's up.
I was kidding earlier when I did the table thing. However, even comprehensive (real) lighting tables tend to become outdated very shortly after they are published. Improvements in phosphors and in fill gasses for MH change the total lumens and overall K values of many lamps used in the trade. Fortunately we have people like NY Joe, who seems to have endless research funds, who try to produce threads that are up to date. Just a year of two ago PC was all the rage. Now it is T5. A year from now it may indeed be LED. Advancement in this hobby is pretty swift.
I encourage anyone with a big tank or that wants to get the most light for the least money to explore both RC and the www for the latest data on lighting. It can save a fossil....fuel.
Now about that Sphyrna zygaena you Newbies are just dying to add to your new tank....