Help with lighting for a 10gal

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Sushisnake

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 25, 2012
Messages
38
Location
Innisfail Far North Queensland Australia
Hi all
I'm currently cycling a 10 gal planted tank. I'm using a single fixture T8 24" and have an Anubia on driftwood, some bunches of Hygrophila maybe Difformis but it isn't water wisteria and some bunches of Egeria Densa aka elodea.
I'm running a DIY Co2 unit and everyone looks pretty happy, but I'd like to carpet with HC and have a go at Ludwigia Repens and Ovalis.
I'm using an API liquid fertilizer and root tabs as well.
I was given a hydroponic light which looked like high noon in the desert in Summer- grew beautiful algae- way overkill! Caused me to panic, stuff my fishless cycle and start all over again :(
If I added some floating plants, like duckweed and amazon frog bit, could I use it? Or should I go for a second T8 or a single T5 HO to live with the T8?
This what the tank looks like so far.


image-1964437500.jpg
 
maxwellag said:
You're also going to need pretty good lighting. What do you have right now?

Right now I'm cycling the tank with an 18w 24" T8. It's sitting on top of the tank - 12" from the light to the substrate.
I was given a hydroponics fixture- 2x twin batton fluoros each at 55w. WAY too much light! I was wondering if I could use it if I added some Amazon Frog Bit to shade the tank?
I had a look at the lighting chart here in AA and noticed it states 2 x T8 at 12" will give me medium light, 3 x T8 at 12" will give me high light. I found a good deal on a twin T8 on eBay so I'm thinking I might stick with the T8s.
Reading the chart, I'd need to have a T5 HO something like 20" from the substrate, using 1 bulb for low, 2 for medium and 3 for high. Any closer and I'd be back in the way too much light world. :/
That's why I'm thinking of sticking with the T8s.
I can't put a pendant light fitting in. My landlord would shoot me.
Sorry for the long winded reply. I'm trying to let you know exactly where my head's at.
Does HC need medium or high light?
 
Sushisnake said:
Right now I'm cycling the tank with an 18w 24" T8. It's sitting on top of the tank - 12" from the light to the substrate.
I was given a hydroponics fixture- 2x twin batton fluoros each at 55w. WAY too much light! I was wondering if I could use it if I added some Amazon Frog Bit to shade the tank?
I had a look at the lighting chart here in AA and noticed it states 2 x T8 at 12" will give me medium light, 3 x T8 at 12" will give me high light. I found a good deal on a twin T8 on eBay so I'm thinking I might stick with the T8s.
Reading the chart, I'd need to have a T5 HO something like 20" from the substrate, using 1 bulb for low, 2 for medium and 3 for high. Any closer and I'd be back in the way too much light world. :/
That's why I'm thinking of sticking with the T8s.
I can't put a pendant light fitting in. My landlord would shoot me.
Sorry for the long winded reply. I'm trying to let you know exactly where my head's at.
Does HC need medium or high light?

It can be grown under either but for low growth perhaps high light may be best ?
 
Coursair said:
It can be grown under either but for low growth perhaps high light may be best ?

Thanks Corsair. Does my T8 idea sound right to you? Every man and his dog seems to advocate T5s - but I can't see much difference between T8s and T5 NOs- and after the hydro light, I'm afraid of T5 HOs! :-0
 
More light isn't always better. T5HOs on a 10g is a lot of light even with CO2. In all honesty, your typical hood with two 15w CFL bulbs (so not the T8 ones) will give you the light you need to grow most plants, especially if you get U-tube bulbs rather than spiral bulbs.

Not to mention that 10g tanks are 20" and most every line of decent T5HO fixtures start at 24", so you won't be able to find a fixture that doesn't look silly on your tank (and spill light into a room).
 
aqua_chem said:
More light isn't always better. T5HOs on a 10g is a lot of light even with CO2. In all honesty, your typical hood with two 15w CFL bulbs (so not the T8 ones) will give you the light you need to grow most plants, especially if you get U-tube bulbs rather than spiral bulbs.

Not to mention that 10g tanks are 20" and most every line of decent T5HO fixtures start at 24", so you won't be able to find a fixture that doesn't look silly on your tank (and spill light into a room).

Hey Aqua-chem!
I hadn't thought of CFL's - mainly because I've never seen a hood that uses them. I've only seen ones that take long fluoro tubes.
I'm in Australia, so most of the good online aquarium lighting stores are unavailable to me- even Amazon.
Would an ordinary lighting store have them?
 
Have a look in the Bunnings (if you have one near you) light section. They have all sorts of lighting goodies. I've got clip on desk lamps and a reading lamp on a stand that take cfls from there. They also have short (don't ask me how short) t8, t12 (?) and t5 fixtures for extra lighting in kitchens.
 
Mumma.of.two said:
Have a look in the Bunnings (if you have one near you) light section. They have all sorts of lighting goodies. I've got clip on desk lamps and a reading lamp on a stand that take cfls from there. They also have short (don't ask me how short) t8, t12 (?) and t5 fixtures for extra lighting in kitchens.

Hey Mumma!
Now I'm getting the picture! I kept imagining an aquarium hood type thing!
Ok. I have this twin CFL floor lamp:


image-1128428761.jpg

and this CFL clip on desk lamp. This one's a powerful little bugger- 20w 5000k. It's trying to grow Rotala Macrandra in a bowl (never let it be said I lack ambition).

I can't clip the desk lamp on the tank anywhere. Can I use the floor lamp? :)
 
Yep, you can use the floor lamp. Make sure you have the right bulbs to grow plants. If not you can just get some new ones at Coles or Woolies.

image-463149343.jpg

Here's mine to give you an idea. (Excuse the huge mess. We are having a garage sale and it's been dumped there until the day.) :p

Edit: there are 40L tanks in Aus with cfls in the hood. I have one. It's a blue planet from petbarn.
 
Mumma.of.two said:
Yep, you can use the floor lamp. Make sure you have the right bulbs to grow plants. If not you can just get some new ones at Coles or Woolies.

Here's mine to give you an idea. (Excuse the huge mess. We are having a garage sale and it's been dumped there until the day.) :p

Edit: there are 40L tanks in Aus with cfls in the hood. I have one. It's a blue planet from petbarn.

Thanks Mumma. I'm guessing I'm after 2 x 15w CFLs, each between 5000- 6700k.

I had a look at Petbarn.com.au No mail order and my nearest store is 5 hours drive away- one way. :(
 
Try to find 14w 6500k bulbs. I don't think I've seen 15w ones. I got some but I can't remember the brand name. I think there are 11w and 20w ones also.

I think you can order the tanks online. Seem to remember seeing them somewhere. Can't remember where exactly though, sorry!
 
I would be flabbergasted if you don't have CFL hoods available. They are cheaper than T8 hoods usually, both to make and to buy, and they predate T8 so there's usually some available second hand.
 
It's hard to find accessories sometimes. Unlike in the US you can't walk into a LFS or chain store and purchase replacement hoods for a lot of tanks. You guys have a lot of variety. Very jealous. Lol.
 
Mumma.of.two said:
It's hard to find accessories sometimes. Unlike in the US you can't walk into a LFS or chain store and purchase replacement hoods for a lot of tanks. You guys have a lot of variety. Very jealous. Lol.

+1 Mumma. I was so pleased I finally understood what you were telling me about CFLs I forgot to ask what plants you are growing in the photo? They look like they are about to jump out of there and go for a walk, they're so lush!
 
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