Surface Agitation

[lucky_dresden]

Hi

Just a small warning re surface agitation.

I have a rio 240 where the lights are quite close to water level. Before I planted my tank I used quite active surface agitation to get oxygen in etc.

After a year or so, however, I finally stripped down the tank and did a proper clean out. My water is medium hard and after a year of water bubbles bursting at the surface and water hitting the lights there was a very healthy build up of limescale on the bulbs themselves. This led to a gradual deterioration in the light level, didn't notice it as it was happening but the difference on changing bulbs was astounding.

Anyway wiping down and cleaning the bulbs is now part of my routine weekly maintenance.

Regards

Pat.

 

[PaulasPets]

Thats why I have a sheet of acrylic between the lights and the water, the acrylic is easier to clean than the lightbulbs...

Paula

 

[blue acara]

white spirit works at getting off the limescale, make sure to really clean off the white spirit after. flouresent bulbs should be changed every 6 months,-defonatly if you have a planted tank

 

[Araxen]

I just use a razor blade and the stuff comes right off.

 

[Callum]

i use an algae scrubber and some hot water

 

[scubadoo]

Thats why I have a sheet of acrylic between the lights and the water, the acrylic is easier to clean than the lightbulbs...

Paula

Which is fine, but note that the acrylic will absorb a fair percentage of your lamps light output - it'll be more than you think too!



BTW All - bulbs are what you put in the ground and flowers grow from them - the things in the top of your fish tank are called lamps.

 

[Egmel]

BTW All - bulbs are what you put in the ground and flowers grow from them - the things in the top of your fish tank are called lamps.

*cough*pedant*cough*

I did the same thing but with killrock on my tube and reflector, made a hell of a difference. Looks so much brighter now. I probably ought to get a new tube for mine as I've got the one that came with the tank 2nd hand (3rd or 4th probably) and I have no idea how old it is! However I'm a little strapped for cash at the moment so I think I'll just make do with the one I've got for as long as it works!

 

[PaulasPets]

BTW All - bulbs are what you put in the ground and flowers grow from them - the things in the top of your fish tank are called lamps.

bulb: An incandescent lamp or its glass housing.
(nobody probably uses light bulbs on their aquarium, but tubes...)

Paula

 

[scubadoo]

Poxy colloquial dictionaries - just 'cos its used by the populus doesn't make it right

Egmel - pendant describes the type of lamo holder, not the actual lamp

 

[raptorrex]

bulb: An incandescent lamp or its glass housing.
(nobody probably uses light bulbs on their aquarium, but tubes...)

Paula

a bulb is a modified flower stem wrapped in modified leafs used for storage of food, by the flower. a LIGHT bulb is an incandesent lamp!!! if you do a web search for the word "bulb" you get sites about flowers, the only links that mention light, the word bulb is prefixed with the word LIGHT So spot on scubadoo!

as for my LIGHTS i clean the TUBES every week as i do the water change. lol

 

[Egmel]

*cough*pedant*cough*

Egmel - pendant describes the type of lamp holder, not the actual lamp

Note the spelling difference!

 

[andywg]

Poxy colloquial dictionaries - just 'cos its used by the populus doesn't make it right

Eventually, it does make it right.

Does anyone use a dipthong when spelling faerie? Or do most people spell it fairy now. Same with Demon and Daemon. And what of the second person singular? (Thou, thee, thy etc.) Language evolves. The common usage defines what the word means to the common person.

Even newscasters on the BBC mispronounce "Controversy" now. Such is the way the language moves on.

 

[Lynden]

Eventually, it does make it right.

This statement is true. It is happening all around us.

By the way, how is 'controversy' meant to be pronounced? I didn't know it was being mispronounced

-Lynden

P.S. the typical slang that people use is called 'vernacular'. Generally, it's not the vocabulary that evolves, it's the vernacular. So much so, that some people can't understand what people are saying in old poems, plays, ect.!

 

[andywg]

By the way, how is 'controversy' meant to be pronounced? I didn't know it was being mispronounced

The accent should be on the second sylably (con-TRO-ver-sy) rather than the first one (CON-tra-ver-sy). The chagne in spelling of the second pronounciation shows how the change in accentuation tends to change the second 'o' to an 'a'.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Juwel don't actually recomend using lots of bubbles in there tank. Although most reps wil say it's fine to place an airstone at the centre of the tank, rather than at the ends where the end caps are.

If you do have lots of bubbles be sure to replace your end caps regularly, they only cost few quid for pack and will extend the life of your light unit.