coralife hood with mounting legs...light escaping??

[malkore]

My wife has a 20gall tall, with a 65watt power compact hood, made by coralife. We put the mounting legs on it so it's a little more secure on the tank...however that raises it about 3" off the glass top. I'm wondering if that's allowing too much light to escape.

Should I extend the hood with some plastic or plexiglass so all the light gets focused down into the tank?
Granted, the tank IS pretty lit up. Also, I'm having her paint the back, as I feel some light is escaping that way which could be held in the back was opaque.

[GulfCoastAquarian]

Although some of the directed light might be missing the tank, I wouldn't worry about it much. If anything, the fact that the light source is sitting an additional 3" away from the substrate is impacting intensity more than anything.

[malkore]

ok. and FYI it should be '...the substrate is having an impact on intensity more than anything'

I have a degree in English and nothing is a bigger pet peeve than 'impact' being used incorrectly as an action verb...and the word 'funner'
nothing personal...I hear 'impact' used incorrectly on the radio...its a social trend that I'm fighting...and losing.

We're gonna get the back painted tomorrow, so light's not escaping out the back...though I don't know how much that will even matter.

[digger]

verbing nouns is my favorite activity. :lol:

[GDominy]

Originally Posted by malkore

ok. and FYI it should be '...the substrate is having an impact on intensity more than anything'

I have a degree in English and nothing is a bigger pet peeve than 'impact' being used incorrectly as an action verb...and the word 'funner'
nothing personal...I hear 'impact' used incorrectly on the radio...its a social trend that I'm fighting...and losing.

We're gonna get the back painted tomorrow, so light's not escaping out the back...though I don't know how much that will even matter.

Are you saying we don't speak the english goodly enough for you? ;-)

[m.lemay]

ok. and FYI it should be '...the substrate is having an impact on intensity more than anything'

Well actually it should be " The extra 3" distance from the substrate is having a negative impact on light intensity more than the light leaking out the sides would."

I hated english in school. I have a pet peeve for people who have the need to correct someone, even when the point of the conversation was easily understood by everyone.
I deal with a lot of immigrants at work, who happen to be very good tradesmen, but lacking in english skills. If they can communicate to me what they are thinking, the rest is just fluff and semantics. :P

Marcel

[malkore]

ya'll are a buncha meanies! :P

[Anonymous]

Im an English teacher, and seeing that this is the internet, Gulfs usage still gets the same message across as yours. By the way, who cares--were here about fish, not grammar.

[malkore]

:roll:

[digger]

Originally Posted by walpurgis999

Im

I'm

Originally Posted by walpurgis999

an English teacher, and seeing that this is the internet,

Internet

Originally Posted by walpurgis999

Gulfs

Gulf's

Originally Posted by walpurgis999

usage still gets the same message across as yours. By the way, who cares--were

we're

Originally Posted by walpurgis999

here about fish, not grammar.

Sorry, I'm not normally a gramar Nazi. I'm usually the one spelling incorrectly. Since you are an English teacher, I couldn't resist.

[m.lemay]

Ok: Thats enough on the english lessons. Lets get back to the topic..... Please.


Marcel

[GulfCoastAquarian]

Wut waz the topik NEway?

[malkore]

I'll steer us back on, cuz it's my topic

Ok, the plants still aren't pearling, but I've now got CO2 diffusing into the water. I'm concerned that the intensity is lacking, even though it's 20gallon tall, and 65watts of power compact with a pretty decent looking reflector.
The darn plastic 'hinge' for the glass lid is very dark, and I have to wonder how much light it's blocking. I can slide the light forward and back, but it still seems to create a shadow in the tank.

I don't really wanna rest the light on the glass top, as I'm sure it'll get bumped off...but if that's what I need to do to get enough light in there...well...then that's what I have to do.
the tanks supposed to be hers..and I feel like I'm doing all the work so far

[eds]

Just curious - why would it get "bumped off"?

Just not something that happens to my tank a whole lot...

[malkore]

we have a cat and a dog that get rowdy...and my wife isn't exactly 'careful' around things.
I'm probably just being paranoid.
I did turn the fixture around, and that has helped keep the hinge from blocking much light. The plants did start pearling a little last night, but it looked like it was just the hygrophilia doing it.
I may try ditching the legs over the weekend and see what happens.