CFL lighting

[pleechford]

I need to get bet better lighting for my planted 10g and someone told me to use CFLs so I did and now my tank has that nasty off white yellow look. Are there different types of CFLs I can get to make my tank look alot better and more natural?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yes. Walmart sells them in their pet section... they're more u shaped than curly like the ones for home fixtures. Those are nice and bright white. Since most of the household bulbs don't usually list a color temp, it can be hard sometimes to find those with the crisper white color.

 

[pleechford]

Yes. Walmart sells them in their pet section... they're more u shaped than curly like the ones for home fixtures. Those are nice and bright white. Since most of the household bulbs don't usually list a color temp, it can be hard sometimes to find those with the crisper white color.

Okay that sounds great!!! Thank you for letting me know! I'll be sure to head over and check it out!

 

[pleechford]

Yes. Walmart sells them in their pet section... they're more u shaped than curly like the ones for home fixtures. Those are nice and bright white. Since most of the household bulbs don't usually list a color temp, it can be hard sometimes to find those with the crisper white color.

Also I have an old incondecent hood and I know my old CFLs fit an it worked but I do not know if it can handle the wattage. Do you think a incondecent hood can handle CFLs?

 

[jetajockey]

Yes incandescent hoods can handle CFLs, they actually draw less wattage than the incandescents do and run cooler.

If you can't find an aquarium specific bulb, just look for the kind labeled around 6500k, 'daylight' or 'mid day' rather than 'warm' or 'soft white'.

 

[pleechford]

Yes incandescent hoods can handle CFLs, they actually draw less wattage than the incandescents do and run cooler.

If you can't find an aquarium specific bulb, just look for the kind labeled around 6500k, 'daylight' or 'mid day' rather than 'warm' or 'soft white'.

Okay sweet! Can I start adding plants that require high light or is it still considered low light?

 

[adeebm]

Still fairly low light. You probably won't be able to sustain swords and the likes.

--Adeeb

 

[pleechford]

Still fairly low light. You probably won't be able to sustain swords and the likes.

--Adeeb

Okay. I have a t8 8000k fluorescent right now will it be much of a improvement from that?

 

[aqua_chem]

On a 10g, two 13w CFLs would probably be up to medium.

 

[pleechford]

On a 10g, two 13w CFLs would probably be up to medium.

Okay thanks!!

 

[jetajockey]

On a 10g, two 13w CFLs would probably be up to medium.

Agreed, possibly even high, I've used 2 CFLs bulbs over a 10g to create a greenwater algae farm on demand, so it does have plenty of potential.

 

[aqua_chem]

I have one 10w on my 10g now that I'm entirely unimpressed with. The other side also has a 10w bulb, but it throws off quite a bit more light.... Point being, it will also depend on the bulbs you buy as to how much light you have. Either way, it will at least be a "healthy" amount of light.

Try and get the bulbs with the loops rather than the spiral ones if you can. They work a little better and fit into hoods more often.