10g - Flourescent or CF lighting - max flexibility desired

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99RedSi

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 22, 2004
Messages
42
Location
Central Illinois
I'm reasearching lighting for my 10g aquarium and I'm a bit torn on what to purchase.

My initial plan is to have a fish/decor/silk plant tank but in the future I'd like to try a nano-reef, possible small plant tank or cichlid tank (shellies). However I am no idea which I'll try yet :).

I've had a 45g in the past (about 4 years ago) but I put CFs on it too soon without a dedicated C02 system and I just couldn't keep up with the algae :(.

So I want the most flexiblity with the LEAST amount of algae possibilities, especially for my initial tank (non-planted).


It's come down to this:

1) Buy an incandescent lighstrip and pop 2 6700K CF's in it.

2) Buy a flourescent lightstrip and be done with it.

If I go with option 1, I believe I have the MOST flexibility but my question is: will this stimulate algae blooms? or even algae problems?

If I go with option 2, can someone recommend a good bulb that will bring out the fishes colors?
 
I say buy a glass top and for now put an inexpensive incandescent strip over it with the pigtail fluorescents. I use them and I grow plants just great. For that size tank you can use Flourish Excel instead of CO2.

Later you can get a retrofit kit from AHSupply.com and turn the incandescent fixture into one with 2x13w CF. You can always do this with an inexpensive fluorescent fixture made for a 10gal as well.

You could even, for the time being, use one of those household under-cabinet fluorescent fixtures and just put it on top of the glass top, or, if there is room, get a desk lamp, fluorescent, incandescent or halogen, and set it next to the tank with the lamp over it. Then when you switch the tank over you will at least have a useful household lamp.
 
hey tankgirl have you seen the... i think redsea pigtails they look purplish pink and are called... uh... Colormax bulbs. any idea on those and their usability? the one i got are generic nd i dont like the temperature, the coloring is off
 
I don't have experience with those, but they must have a higher color temp, maybe 10K. Allglass makes a 10W CF that screws into an incandescent fixture, and is 6700K or so, so it is not yellow like some you can get at HD that have a low temp.
 
But the big question is this: will the extra light stimulate more algae!?!? (PC lighting vs. standard FLO).

What do you think?
 
Extra light will cause algae to spread faster than usual. You can keep this in check with regular water changes, algae eating fish, or some live plants to eat the nutrients. Moss is good for a 10g tank, it consumers a lot of nutrients and is easy to care for.

For coloring, try a 6700K (Daylight) or a 9325K bulb (GE Aquaray).

If you want a long term solution that will work good now and on a reef tank, check this out:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=CU01020

Two bulbs (one daylight combo, one actinic combo) on seperate switches, and a moonlight. You can use the daylight bulb now for the freshwater tank, then if you want to do the reef tank later, turn on the actinic :)

Night (built in moonlighting):

reef18.jpg


Dawn/Dusk (actinic bulb only):

reef19.jpg


Daylight (daylight bulb only):

reef20.jpg


Daylight + Actinic (both bulbs running):

reef21.jpg


It is like 4 lights in on :p Anyway, if you are seriously going to do a nano-reef later, this might be a good solution. I am a bit biased, I just went from a NO light setup to this on my nano and it is awesome and flexible :mrgreen:
 
Grimlock, I bookmarked the site but I'm just not ready to drop that kind of money until I actually go for the nano reef.

You answered my question: more light stimulates algae. So for now I'll go with the reg flourescent strip as it outputs less than the incandescent with 2 PC "twist-on" bulbs.

Thanks
 
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