From: anbo@wuee1.wustl.edu (Albrecht Jander)
Subject: Re: Why not glass? (Was Re: Light Hoods)
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis Mo.
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 13:47:26 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.044309.15989@mr.med.ge.com> bednarek@picard.med.ge.com (Dennis Bednarek Mfg 4-6971) writes:
>I (anbo@wuee1.wustl.edu) wrote:
>: In article <1992Aug12.062214.9349@mr.med.ge.com> bednarek@bonfire (Dennis Bednarek Mfg 4-6971) writes:
>: >harlow@waikato.ac.nz writes:
>: >: I've finally getting things worked out for my first tank. I've decided on a 35
>: >: gallon tank with a Fluval 203 filter (BTW, out of curiousity, how much is this
>: >: mail order from the States?). But the sticking point is lighting, or more
>: >: particularly a light hood. I can't find a aesthetically pleasing one--the best
>: >: I've seen are plastic manufactured by Marin--and since I'm not too fond of
>: >: artificial wood grain it looks like my only option. So what does everybody
>: >: use? Have you made your own? If so, how?
>: >: 
>: >: Thanks for your time,
>: >: 
>: >: Stephen
>: >Steve
>: >I built up several hoods for 30 and 55 gallon tanks using hardwoods (oak, and
>: >walnut) for the frame and visable parts.  For the interior lighting I used
>: >commercially available lighting fixtures available at the local hardware 
>: >store.  Total costs were under $1.00 US per gallon tank size.  Also I strongly
>: >advise a piece of plexiglass (not window glass) between the lights and the
>:                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>: Why not?
> 
>I do not know how true it is but I had been told that glass has certain 
>light filtering properties especially in the ultra violet end of the light
>spectrum.  All my tanks have live plants and a minimum of daylight, therfore
>I did not want to loose any more ultra violet light than was absolutly 
>necessary.  
>
>I am not an optics expert but maybe there are some out there that could
>confirm or deny the "old wives tale" that prompted me to plexiglass.  I 
>know construction would be much simpler with glass and would appreciate
>some comments on this from experts.

It's true that glass does not pass (some) UV.  Ever try to get a sun tan
from begind a window??  I didn't realize that plants were interested in 
these frequencies, though.

Albrecht

>: 
>: Albrecht
>: 
>: >water.
>: >Good Luck
>: >Dennis
>: >
>: >--
>: >
>: >  
>: >###############################################################################
>: >### What were the Raven's last imortal words????????????????????????????????###
>: >###############################################################################
>: >   Please note that any comments are not my employeers or even mine at times.
>: >
>: 
>: 
>: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>:                         Peltier was a cool dude!!
>
>--
>
>  
>###############################################################################
>### What were the Raven's last imortal words????????????????????????????????###
>###############################################################################
>   Please note that any comments are not my employeers or even mine at times.
>


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                        Peltier was a cool dude!!
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