[bluetip]

Hi guys,

I've been thinking up of a large tank and wondering about costs on trying to keep electricity consumption to minimal. was curious, has anyone of you tried using CCFLs as lighting for your viv? It sound to be a very good solution to tank lighting especially beneficial to larger tanks.

People usually use these lights for PCs...think it might be high time for us enthusiast to see if we can use it for our light hungry vivs!

It produces 90% LESS heat than flourescent lights -> so if too much heat is the issue, this may be a God send.

It consumes far more less power as it can be run on 12V adaptors...from what I've read...and they last for a very long time.

What do you guys think? I really would like to learn more about them. I've done a bit of research and it seems plausible.

Cheers,

bluetip

 

[Guest]

In theory...

Sounds plausible. But the output of lumens seems very low for the lights that I can find. Aquarists are writing about using CCFL's for "moonlights", but I can't find any reference to using them where their output is high enough for plants. Any online sources that you have ?

 

[jhupp]

I use them for moon lighting on a reef tank. As for lighting on a viv, by the time you had enough to provide sufficent light for the plants the setup cost would out way any possible energy savings, of which I suspect there would be little. I have seen nano reefs lit with luxon-5 LEDs capable of supporting SPS coral, but agin setup cost were much higher then traditional lighting.

 

[bluetip]

thanks guys for the tip. I was just wondering how we could better control the heat emitted by the lights and second, the energy savings we could get. Am planning of lighting a 36" long, 30" high viv and the light requirements seem to be a lot. I was hoping of being able to do some additional effeciencies for such a large setup.

thanks

bluetip

 

[Dancing frogs]

Have you checked out the new T-5 HO flourescents?

 

[bluetip]

Was wondering, is there a big difference in the lumen output of a T5 High output and a T5 High Efficiency?

And further, is the lumen strength of a lighting setup as simple as adding the lumen power of each bulb? Example, if you have 2 1100 lumen power compact light, is it equivalent as 2,200 lumen?

thanks

Bluetip

 

[Dancing frogs]

If I remember right there is a difference...somewhere in I think it was GE's website they have the specs. The high efficiency is just that, and the high output has high lumens, but still good efficiency.
Adding bulbs is tricky, if you get them too close together, the bulbs will shade each others output some...this is one of the reasons the T5 HO is more efficient than the T5 biax(twin tube power compact). I think if you were to put each bulb in it's own parabolic reflector it'd be most efficient.

 

[bluetip]

Can you suggest a lighting setup for me? Here was what I was thinking:

Since the area above my viv is about 36" x 18" and its going to be 30" high, and I would want to add a lot of Tillandsias & broms in the tank, How many T5's do you think would be necessary. Here, in the Philippines, unfortunately, I can only find High efficiency ones, no High output ones. Would 3 21W tubes be enough you think?


thanks

bluetip