lighting for a 10 gal...

[mr funktastic]

i currently have two 5 gal tanks. 1 planted with a betta and 1 with just plants. i have an empty 10 gal tank tank that i want to convert both tanks into. i will use the substrate from both of them(eco an black sand) to fill the 10. i will use the filter off the 5 also which is seeded by now. my only concern is that i wont have enough light. i will have 28 watts of T-6 light and 15 watts of t-8 light. this will give me 43 watts of combined light but on a 10 gal i dont know if i am hitting the high mark. i want to do a H.cuba carpet on this tank and grow other high light plants. i will be dosing some ferts and will have co2. i have various crypts right now and alot of java moss but will be adding trimmings from my other tanks into this one. sooo...... any advice on the lighting?

 

[Tong]

As a reference, I know Purrbox has 60 watts of CF lighting on her 10 gallon and she says its a highlight tank. I have 60 watts of T8 lighting on my 10 gallon and I think its a medium - high tank.

I would guess that your tank at 43 watts, most of which are T6, should be at least medium light and at best medium - high light. Others may know better, but I would guess you could grow most high light plants in medium light if you're injecting enough CO2.

 

[MSU Fan]

I'm sorry Funk, I don't mean to hijack, but if 43w of T6 is medium light, can anyone tell me what 40w of CF lights would be on a 10g? Is that still medium, or high?

 

[Purrbox]

I'm sorry Funk, I don't mean to hijack, but if 43w of T6 is medium light, can anyone tell me what 40w of CF lights would be on a 10g? Is that still medium, or high?

Depends on if these are those screw in bulbs for replacing incadescents or regular CFs. I would probably put regular CFs at medium light and the screw in CFs a bit lower since there is loss due to restrike.

 

[MSU Fan]

Well, these are screw in CF's, but there are not the spiral kind.

Here is a link to a similar bulb, although the ones I have are Lights of America 10w Aquarium bulbs (I can't find it one their site though...).

http://electrical.hardwarestore.com...win-tube-compact-fluorescent-bulb-654549.aspx

 

[Alshain]

Spiral and straight bulbs make little difference. Your converting a fixture designed for an incandecent bulb to use compact flourecent so there is some power loss, BUT I do not think it would affect light output that significantly to "downgrade" it to low light.

Do make sure your bulb is in the color spectrum that lights can use though. Most household bulbs like that are really low in the 3000 K range.

 

[MSU Fan]

Do make sure your bulb is in the color spectrum that lights can use though. Most household bulbs like that are really low in the 3000 K range.

I have emailed concerning that very piece of information, but haven't heard anything back yet. I am not doing anything until I have confirmation from them. Thanks for the help btw!

 

[mr funktastic]

lol glad my thread helped MSU i could put the fixture from my 5 gal on there givin me 28 watts of t-6 then i could put a incadecent hood with 2 screw in compacts.... i just really dont like the colour from the screw in bulbs. i will try it out for now with the 43 watts and see how things grow then move on from there. i am going to switch the tanks over tonight. i will post picks wehn u am done.

 

[czcz]

FWIW, I agree with Purrbox that we care more about restrike and other factors than the wattage rating on screw-in bulbs.

IME 20w screw-in CF over a 10gal will grow stuff (23w spiral in a swing lamp with some ambient sunlight does for me), but that even twice that wattage would be destroyed by a 26w AHSupply kit.

I think 28w T6 and 2 screw-in CFs is a great idea. I think combining lighting like this is the most effective way to experiment with a 10gal: investing in 20" lights is just unappealing.

The more I mess with it the more I think 40w CF (Current-USA fixture) over 10gals is pretty serious light. Adding 18w CF to that does let me grow whatever I want and can fit, though, and this is the first time I've never suspected light to be any sort of limitation. I still wonder about lighting upgrades to my other tanks.

HTH

 

[mr funktastic]

ok i will try the 43 watts to start with and see wht kind of growth i get then i will try the compact screw ins to see what kind of a difference it makes.