Fluorescent lamp height from water surface

H

hadjici2

AC Members
Jun 24, 2005
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Hello people,

how much distance would you leave between 3 25 watt fluorescent lamps and a 120 litre tank?

I don't have any fish or shrimp yet and I don't intened to if the temperature remains at 35 degrees celcius. I only have plants...

Thanks in advance....
 
Use a glass cover over the tank to keep moisture out of the light fixture and set the lighting on top of the glass. It will increase water temp a bit, but not to the detriment of the fish, IME.

Len
 
djlen I am affraid I cannot do that because without a cover the water already reaches 35 degrees celcius!!! Which tropical fish or shrimp cannot survive! I am thus seeking of ways to decrease heat so I can keep some fish as well...Therefore some clearence for air must be left between water surface and lamps.....also note that there will be no cover on the tank....just lights above the tank.....
 
My setup vary from lights resting on the tank frame (with a glass cover between the lights and the water) to suspended over the tank (without intervening cover glass) from 4 to >6" between the water and the tubes. Some of those do have thin plastic shields between the tubes and the water.

Why is you tank so warm? Is the room that warm? Three each 25W tubes will not heat the tank that much.

Have you tried evaporative cooling? A smallish fan directed across the water surface will generally cool the tank several degrees, at the cost of top-ups frequently/daily, and preferably using RO water.

I don't think that I would attempt a tank at that level without a chiller.
 
The room temperature is around 37 degrees celcius......My lights are now sitting on top of the tank, meaning that the lights are longer than the tank thus they are placed on top of the tank with their edges touching the edges of the top of the tank, they are a few cm's above water surface....I don't know why they are so hot because I have no cover, no sun reaches the tank, no heater, the filter is sittuated under the tank in a caboard which is a little bit hot downthere due to the transformers of the flueorescent lamps but i dont think that has a huge effect on the temperature......
 
as close as safely possible. light intensity drops very fast. something like 10%/foot of air and like 10-20% per inch of water. not sure on exact numbers but its fast
 
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