Noobish but urgent! 13w CFL bulb gives 60w of light?!

Keep in mind that 60W of Incandescent is not the same as 60W of Fluorescent light. The 'equivalency' aspect of the CFL doesn't apply to aquariums. The WPG rule was based on standard Fluorescent lighting. Your best bet would be to compare the lumen output of the CFL bulbs with that of a standard Fluorescent bulb of the same wattage.
 
Wattage = power consumption. Doesn't say a thing about output.
Lumens = light output. Neo candlepower if you will.
Together they can judge luminous efficacy.

Within a technology, wattage generally scales with lumens, but base output on the seperate rating. Flourescents may indeed be a lot more efficient but we're talking 10% efficient for incandescents vs 20% or so for flourescents. A good ballast might get you another 10% but there's no shortage of heat generation going on at both the ballast and the bulb.

Now I'm getting off topic again and it's only been three sentences.
 
DoctaQ said:
cfls probably arent as popular in pet stores because there isnt much money to be made on them. the hardware store sells them for a couple dollars what is the pet store gonna charge?

youre on the verge of a high light tank, i would suggest you dose other ferts or get a nice algae eating crew
Click to expand...
I have about 35 bladder snails and 3 flying foxes. They have since eliminated my hair and thread algae, and i use a scraper for the algae on the glass. I also have staghorn algae starting on my wisteria :(

Question!: isnt the cladophora algae the same as like a marimo ball? could i pick it all off my plants and ball it up and let it grow?
 
Zebulon said:
Wattage = power consumption. Doesn't say a thing about output.
Lumens = light output. Neo candlepower if you will.
Together they can judge luminous efficacy.

Within a technology, wattage generally scales with lumens, but base output on the seperate rating. Flourescents may indeed be a lot more efficient but we're talking 10% efficient for incandescents vs 20% or so for flourescents. A good ballast might get you another 10% but there's no shortage of heat generation going on at both the ballast and the bulb.

Now I'm getting off topic again and it's only been three sentences.
Click to expand...


add to this reflectors to get even more confusing.

generally the CFL are better than incandescent but they also suffer loss of light to the tank via restrike...

here we go ...sort of off topic ;)
 
You need some nerites, my friend, perhaps one per gallon. Bladder snails are not a good algae control at all. They would rather eat detrius than algae.

I also highly doubt that you have Cladophora, especially Cladophora aegagropila. However marimo CAN be flattened and attached to rocks and wood. But without introduction it is not going to appear. I propagate marimo and it does not grow on any of the other substances in the tank, plants, walls, or substrate.

Do you have photos?

Kristina
 
/flagellating the lifeless equine

the 13w is what you want, not the it says is the incandescent equivalent...
 
I made a light fixture for my 29 with 5 18w cfl. @3 WPG it rocks.
 
kyryah said:
You need some nerites, my friend, perhaps one per gallon. Bladder snails are not a good algae control at all. They would rather eat detrius than algae.

I also highly doubt that you have Cladophora, especially Cladophora aegagropila. However marimo CAN be flattened and attached to rocks and wood. But without introduction it is not going to appear. I propagate marimo and it does not grow on any of the other substances in the tank, plants, walls, or substrate.

Do you have photos?

Kristina
Click to expand...

I didnt think i did, i was just asking because i saw a few pictures of this algae i have and it seems to float and clump together on its own, kind of like a marimo ball. only my java moss attaches to anything.
 
The light output of a 13w twisty is closer to a 53w incandecent. 15w twisty is more inline. Light hoods made for incandescents are ment for the the long expensive tubuler bulbs to keep with the low profile. A 13w is about as big a CFL that there is clearance for unless you do some major mods. I had to modify my light hood to accomidate the 2 X 13w CFLs and there was no room left to spare.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom