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well i know the watt rating of a light isnt always the brightness, like how a 10W flourescent is brighter than a 10W icandecent.. so i was wondering would a 110W PC light strip use 110W of power? or is that basically how bright it will be. if its power, how bright would it be?

i dont think i made any sense at all.. im really confused.

Let's assume that a lamp that draws 110W provides light! The question is really - what kind of light? The light spectrum is broken into different wavelengths as are lamps (light bulbs). Some are white, some blue and some have a red tinge. Each of the different wavelengths will present your fish and aquarium differently.

If you decide to purchase aquarium lamps either online or at your LFS, you will see two types of primary bulbs. AThey will have either a range of 5500K to 6500K for freshwater planted tanks and 10000K bulbs, a higher intensity for salt water tanks.

The key thought is that you can get about the same results from standard fluorescent bulbs purchased at your local hardware store!

Fluorescent versus compact fluorescent is a matter of choice and cost. Fluorescent fixtures and bulbs are less expensive than compact fluorescents (CF). However, CF lamps are considered to be somewhat brighter per rated watt and will require less replacement. Fluorescent bulbs should be replaced every three months. CF bulbs should be replaced when they burn out.

The following is a link to a Hagen website that provides details on the specs for their bulbs. Note that the specs include lumens, lux and Kelvin.
http://www.hagen.com/img/aquatic/addinfo/lightbulbspecs.htm

The definitions are:

Lumen - The unit of luminous flux in the International System, equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle by a source of one candela intensity radiating equally in all directions.
Lux - The International System unit of illumination, equal to one lumen per square meter.
Kelvin - a heat measure that defines the color wavelengths.

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Hi,
Power Compact Flourscents are simply flourscent bulbs that
are shaped in a U. The 96 watt PCF is the same as a
straight tube 96 watt bulb that is several inches longer and
used in strip lamps. The "trick" is that the bulb is
folded on itself and thus provides more light/foot, than
does a standard 22 or 24 inch long tube.

They are, however, flourscent bulbs and do weaken as they
age. They should be replaced annually to keep the maximum
quality light that they had when new.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

how much of a difference would i notice in the brightness of the CF as it ages?

so i should replace this annually, but what if i wait until it burns out? would the intensity go down?

Hi,
Replacing flourscents seems to be up in the air and seems
to come from two camps. The fish keepers, who have kept
primarely fish for years, and run the flourscents till
they just quit. And, folks who have had fish/planted tanks
for years and tend towards heavily planted tanks.

The fish keepers rarely, if ever, change them until they
die, while the gardeners change them every year.
Flourscents age, and with the age the intensity and
quality drops off with the aging phosphors. Most folks
will not notice the change over time and the differences
within the tank can be subtle. The idea is to replace the
aging bulbs before they do make a difference and thus, I'd
change them annually. The best way, for me, is to pick
a date that one remembers, a birthday, the day after
some big holiday (Christmas, Easter, New Years, Birthday,
etc.) and each year replace the bulbs that day.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

i guess ill use my bday, since it is also christmas and that would be when i get money.