Do old fluorescent lamps cause problems?

[fazgood]

I have always heard that they did and can see the difference but the effects are not easy to see, unless...
A couple of weeks ago I had one of the two lights burn out on my QT tank. They were due to expire as they are over a year old but since I am lazy and a cheapskate, I just replaced the one that died with the same 10000K 65W lamp and I left the other one in the fixture. Now for the quiz... Can you tell which side of the tank has the new bulb and which has the old? This tank is about 6 months old and is a white hydroponics tub.

Faz

 

[breutus]

I'll assume the one on the right is the new one since it is brighter but i have a feeling it must not be that easy...

as far as can they cause problems, I have always heard they can shift there spectrum as they get to old, and that it causes more algae growth

 

[fazgood]

DING : DING : DING

breutus, you are a genious! You can see the difference in bulb color but the cool part was that in just about 2 weeks, all of the green algae died off.

Faz

 

[breutus]

that supports theory i've always heard!


BTW i mean the theory that I'm a genius... notice the CORRECT spelling :lol:

 

[fazgood]

Genious

What one person calls another while trying to subvert the other's intelligence, often in a public forum.

The attacker may account for the superfluous "o" by claiming to be of French heritage, but no one will believe him and will enjoy the irony of misspelling "genius" while trying to undermine another's intelligence.

A petty member of the forum will point out the mistake and may create a new definition for "genious" at Urban Dictionary.
"You sound like a genious."


Urban Dictionary

OK, so I found that AFTER I misspelled it.

Faz

Argh

 

[breutus]

HAHA I thought you misspelled it on purpose to poke fun :lol:

shouldn't have given yourself away