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Old 11-16-2008, 05:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by midgetwaiter View Post
A few years ago I did a series of tests evaluating the UV output of different florescent bulbs over their useful lifespan. One thing that we found was a higher than expected variance in initial output which tended to narrow over time but was still significant. You can't get definitive results that account for these things without a very large sample size and some good statistical work. I don't think this will happen any time soon and even if it did it's tough to decide what actual impact some of the measures would really have.

One thing that will help people make better choices is an open discussion with manufacturers that goes beyond the marketing bullet points and really talks about their products. I think Aqua Digital and Fauna Marine deserve some brownie points for doing this the way they have with this and some of their other products.
I concur. And as I stated before, I would be more inclined to base my decision on a hobbyist's recommendation including, "Hey here's a picture of my tank and livestock, and here's what I think about product X" than I would on misguided "tests". I would know that the effects of product X can't be controlled for in that hobbyist's tank, but I wouldn't be basing my decision on the "measurement" of one single parameter (eg. PAR) that could, in all likelihood, be falsely reported.
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