Dave Smith
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Smith" <idleweed_at_tusco.net>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 6:55 AM
Subject: Re: NANFA-- lighting
> Hello Todd,
> I am going to go with the Ultras. I know that 500K gives good lighting
> but I wasn't sure about plant growth.
> I have all the glass to build a small eight inch aquarium just for
> photography but haven't put it together yet.
> I just put this four foot fixture over my aquarium and do not like the
> color so I wanted to find out other peoples ideas before I bought new
bulbs
> (can't afford to waste money). I want to take pictures in that aquarium
also
> if I there is enough light for it.
> I am using it for shiners, minnows, and daces. I had a couple of
darters
> in the tank but didn't think they were getting enough to eat so I set up a
> ten gallon for them.
> So far I have southern redbelly dace, black-nosed dace, creek chub,
and
> three other species I don't know what they are. One may be a bluntnose
> minnow. I also have an unknown rock bass type (big mouth but no red eye).
> I am still catching some fish in the headwater streams around here.
>
> Dave Smith
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Todd Crail" <farmertodd_at_buckeye-express.com>
> To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 9:50 PM
> Subject: Re: NANFA-- lighting
>
>
> > Hey Dave,
> >
> > I've found that the GE Daylight Ultras are the way to go. They're rated
> at
> > 5000K, have a crisp _white_ (not yellow!) color. No idea on the CRI,
> just
> > liked the way they looked. All the natural colors of the fish show
_very_
> > well under them too (orange is orange, not glowstick orange... blue is
> blue,
> > not greenishbluishsorta... etc). I've also found that salmon pink and
> > yellow colors show very nicely as well (for example, would you ever have
> > thought a johnny darter would have GOLDEN pelvic fins? Or a mudminnow
> would
> > have an opalescent BLUE anal fin??? Beautiful! :).
> >
> > The best part... They're only about $6-$7 each (I get mine for $5 at a
> local
> > General Store). Any lighting "wholesale" place will have them, so I'd
> check
> > there if you can't find them at any of the usual retail places.
> >
> > There are other alternatives, such as the different Coralife lines, the
> URI
> > Aquasun, etc... But you'll pay at least twice as much. Looking here in
> the
> > Foster and Smith catalog, they have the lower end Coralife lines (as
> opposed
> > to the URI) for twice as much... And shipping for lights is horrible.
So
> > you can only guess what they'll be at the LFS.
> >
> > Oh, and the plants jam on them too. I haven't had any difficulties in a
> > variety of planted tank setups.
> >
> > As for photography, I'm still figuring out the ins and outs of
flourescent
> > photography. I can get a decent shot every now and then if a specimen
is
> > over some white sand and light is reflecting about (for example, I have
> two
> > of the GE Daylights over one of those 33 long aquariums). But, usually,
I
> > have to play with the contrast and brightness in Photoshop to get a pic
to
> > look just right. Usually, they're too dark, and I wouldn't have any
shots
> > if I didn't have the good macro lense because I have to shoot right _at
> the
> > glass_ to avoid the flash showing up in a picture. If I do it manually,
> > without the flash, I get a _lot_ of blurry shots (I'm an on-board
features
> > kind of guy ;). So it's a balance of many evils to get the desired
> effect.
> >
> > I'm seriously considering setting up a metal halide "box" just for
> > photography. I have all this old reef equipment laying around... Might
as
> > well get some pleasure out of it ;)
> >
> > Sunlight is still best. I still have my 2 1/2 gallon that I'll take
> outside
> > if I want to get a good shot. I can keep the specimen in there for a
few
> > hours, feed it, get it all comfy and then shoot it with natural light.
> Same
> > song and dance streamside. For now... Here's about all the aquarium is
> > gonna offer :)
> >
> > http://www.farmertodd.com/nanfa/111503tank/
> >
> > Todd
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "David Smith" <idleweed_at_tusco.net>
> > To: "nanfa" <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> > Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 5:51 PM
> > Subject: NANFA-- lighting
> >
> >
> > > Hello all,
> > > I installed a four foot flourescent fixture above my aquarium and
> need
> > > advice about tubes. I want to take photos and I also want to grow
plants
> > > (photos are most important but would like both). I know that the
closer
> I
> > > get to 5500 Kelvin the more like daylight the light is but will a
> > > flourescent at 5500 Kelvin also grow plants well. Is there some other
> tube
> > > or combinations that I should use for this? Thanks for any help.
> > >
> > > Dave Smith
> --
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> http://www.nanfa.org
-- > /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily > / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes > / Association" > / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association > / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word > / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to > / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to > / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. > / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org /----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org