# Light spread VS wattage



## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

Is light spread more important than the actual wattage?

I used to run 5 40w FL tubes over my 66G and my glosso grow like a mat. One time I delayed the trimming the mat is like 4 inches thick. Since I changed to a 260W PC (two 130W corallife aqualights, with legs), my glosso doesn't want to grow anymore. It looks much weaker and the stems tend to grow upward, and it's growing so slowly too.

Now I am thinking to "downgrade" to a 6 T8 FL tubes set up...


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

I feel light spread is very important, but the two don't mix, spread and power that is. You can still have 260W and spread them out evenly or use a different reflector that doesn't focus the light as much. I've seen similar effects where lower parts of the plants were being shadowed by the top parts of the plants when using 2 55W PCs on my 90 gallon. I changed it to 3 T8 tubes more evenly distributed and the lower parts of the plants no longer had any problems.

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio


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## Stevenl (Mar 31, 2004)

I see  . I have this feeling (spread more important than wattage) becoz I have a negative result on increasing the wpg & decreasing the light spread on my tank.

Too bad I can't change the reflectors on the lights. I will try move one of the light to the front...but that's a compromising resort...


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## qbal18 (Jul 19, 2004)

why not add yet another one of those lights you your tank, you wil have more coverage and TONS of light it may be over kill but it would be fun


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