light

[aquaman]

hi all,

i'm new to planted tank and got some stupid questions hope u can enlighten me.

i notice when talk abt light, many of u use the term like FL, PL, MH ...etc what that stand for?

tks in advance

aquaman the new bird

[DEA]

FL = flourescent tubes, the kind you see commonly used in our housing estates
PL = compact flourescent, also known as PC or CF, these are U shaped tubes which are smaller for the same wattage as when comapared to FL
MH = metal halide, very strong and concentrated light, but very hot
MV = mercury vapour, strong and directed light, not as hot as MH, a lot cheaper

FL tubes are recommended to be changed every 6mths, but i find no harm in using them until they poof, unless you notice a slowdown in plant growth
ditto for PL
MH and MV, 15 mths, but similarly you can try using it past that time period and see how it goes

[aquaman]

oic xie xie noted[]