Adding light wattages. Is it that simple?

[Korbin]

According to everything I've read so far, you can add the wattage of your different lights. For example:

 

32 watt light + 18 watt light = 50 watts of light on your tank.

 

But is it really that simple? It seems to me that a 32 watt and an 18 watt light together would have a different effect than one light rated at 50 watts.

 

So by having a 32 watt light and an 18 watt light on my tank, I now have 50 watts? The 32 almost completely drowns out the 18 (visually). It seems to me that:

 

32 watt light + 18 watt light = something between 32 and 50 watts

 

MKRAMER!?!! where are you?

[NaNO ReeFiN]

Well... I'm getting a 64watt retofit kit for my tank, which actually is 2 x 32watters... To me it's still 64watts.

[Korbin]

I know that the power requirement for a 32 watt + an 18 watt is 50 watts. And thats how much the bulbs are releasing into the tank. But does your coral see a difference between 2 smaller lights opposed to just one big 50 watt light?

 

I mean, does it have more to do with the intensity of the light?

 

I hope I'm using the right words here.

[Physh1]

Wattage is a generic term for power of lighting. Wattage is simply the amount of power it takes to fire the bulb and keep it lit. The real measure of a bulbs output is in Lumens.

 

You would need to compare the lumen outputs of all the bulbs to really know how much brighter one is than another.

 

BTW, Lumens are a measurement for the amount of light produced near the 550nm wavelength (wavelengths capable of affecting the human eye). It is possible for bulbs to have higher outputs in ranges we cannot see.

 

I've written a little lighting tech article that might help a little...

 

http://www.californiareefs.com/tanktechlighting.htm

 

Cameron

[tinyreef]

part of this has to do with the emanating source location (i.e. distance). assuming same bulb types and sources (6700K vs 6700K, pc vs. pc, etc.) then:

 

50w from a single point (i.e. one bulb) will be more intense than 50w emanating from a larger area (i.e. two bulbs) IF you're aiming at one point directly below. the single source may NOT be as 'intense' at the edges as the light travels farther (inverse relationship of distance to light intensity: twice as far = a FOURTH as much light received). there's a 'but' in there but i'm skipping it.

 

you still have to generate sufficient light output (microE) at correct wavelengths (color) to activate photosynthesis. your type of livestock will determine color (K) needs as mentioned in recent threads about clams and try and use the higher wattages as that's the simplest translation (rough) of 'intensity'.

 

you can go either way (2-bulbs or 1-bulb) in nanos as distance isn't as critical in nanos as the bigger tanks where the dimensions are measured in feet versus inches. are you sure you're not gobies in disguise asking this question? :

[Korbin]

Thanks for the replies.

 

no, tinyreef, I'm pretty sure that I'm Korbin.

[kimura]

Physh1: Thanks for that very informative link to lighting. It did shed more info on the definitions and details that I've assumed but now know.

 

Nice.....

[Physh1]

Originally posted by kimura

Physh1:  Thanks for that very informative link to lighting.  It did shed more info on the definitions and details that I've assumed but now know.

 

Nice.....

 

Glad it helped. There will be an update on it soon.

 

Cameron