SuperColey1
Planted Section
Does 0.6WPG LED count LLj?. lol That is medium!!!! believe me
I sort of agree with Truck but he is exaggerating quite a lot. I would suggest Good quality T8s are about 1.25x T12s
The simple equation here is pretty easy. Stand at the side of your tank get 2 rulers and place them from the edge of the tank where the water surface is up to the sides of the tube. How much of the circumference of the tube is within these 2 rulers? I would guess 30%. That is how much (rough idea) of your 40 watts is getting into the tank without reflectors.
Now think about reflectors. Top notch ones will retrieve almost 100% of the lost light however some of this light even with these top notch reflectors will hit the tube on the way back. So lets say we use standard curved easy to source reflectors we are now up to 70%, maybe not much more than this with the top top notch ones. More than double the light than without reflectors.
However we shouldn't ever look at this as double the light in comparison to the WPG rule. Think more of the WPG rule assuming that you are using reflectors and that it is taking into account restrike issues.
Therefore 1WPG with reflectors means 1WPG. 1WPG without reflectors means 1 / 70 x 30 = 0.42WPG.
So there you go If you do not use reflectors on 40W over a 33USG then you have 40 / 33 * .42 = 0.5WPG. simples init
I used to use 30W flourescent with reflectors and CO2 over a 33USG. You say low light. I say rampant.
I now use an average of 20W LED over the same 33USG and believe me it is definately Medium light
AC
I sort of agree with Truck but he is exaggerating quite a lot. I would suggest Good quality T8s are about 1.25x T12s
The simple equation here is pretty easy. Stand at the side of your tank get 2 rulers and place them from the edge of the tank where the water surface is up to the sides of the tube. How much of the circumference of the tube is within these 2 rulers? I would guess 30%. That is how much (rough idea) of your 40 watts is getting into the tank without reflectors.
Now think about reflectors. Top notch ones will retrieve almost 100% of the lost light however some of this light even with these top notch reflectors will hit the tube on the way back. So lets say we use standard curved easy to source reflectors we are now up to 70%, maybe not much more than this with the top top notch ones. More than double the light than without reflectors.
However we shouldn't ever look at this as double the light in comparison to the WPG rule. Think more of the WPG rule assuming that you are using reflectors and that it is taking into account restrike issues.
Therefore 1WPG with reflectors means 1WPG. 1WPG without reflectors means 1 / 70 x 30 = 0.42WPG.
So there you go If you do not use reflectors on 40W over a 33USG then you have 40 / 33 * .42 = 0.5WPG. simples init
I used to use 30W flourescent with reflectors and CO2 over a 33USG. You say low light. I say rampant.
I now use an average of 20W LED over the same 33USG and believe me it is definately Medium light
AC