let there be light

[Lady Hobbs]

I don't know why I didn't think of this a week ago but today I added a light from my 55 to my planted 29 gallon. The bulb in the light I added is 19 watt. I never heard of a 19 watt! Anyway, this 29 gallon now has 34 watts of light instead of the 15 watt between the two fixtures.

Frankly, I don't know as I'd want to go anymore than 1.5 watt per gallon in this tank. I am really glad I didn't order that 65 watt now as I think it would have blinded these fish in this small tank.

But isn't 19 watt odd?

[sergo]

yup. is the ballast rated at 19 watts?

[Drumachine09]

The ballast is probobly rated for 19, but the actual bulb is probobly 15. sorry to bust your bubble.

[cocoa_pleco]

15's are common. 19's are not. Drumachines right.

[Chrona]

It's a 15 watt. The back of the strip in my old light said 19 watts too, but that's the ballast. Drum is right. There are no funky wattages unless you get into T-5 HO lights.


Fish do just fine under bright lights btw. Many people have over 5 watts per gallon on their tanks. And think about saltwater reef tanks with 10 watts per gallon of metal halide lighting ;)

[Lady Hobbs]

Oh OK. I have 30 watts in total then.

[Owen Stubbs]

Isn't there an issue with light that it is not just an additive matter, but something having to due with greatest intensity? IE, better to have a single 40 watt (wattage for example only) than two 20 watts?

[Drumachine09]

Isn't there an issue with light that it is not just an additive matter, but something having to due with greatest intensity? IE, better to have a single 40 watt (wattage for example only) than two 20 watts?
yup........

[Chrona]

Isn't there an issue with light that it is not just an additive matter, but something having to due with greatest intensity? IE, better to have a single 40 watt (wattage for example only) than two 20 watts?

Yep, which is why metal halide lights can do so much more per watt than any kind of fluorescents.