Tank lighting question

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SpeedEuphoria

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So I'm pretty sure that I have a 18" 15w T8 8,000k bulb currently on my 10G, from the info I've found from others and All glass's site. My hood says 19w max on it, and I think I only saw one bulb available for it that was more than 15w and it was 18w. Not sure if thats even worth getting? I'm not looking to do much other than that unless I can find a cheap DIY setup using my current hood/fixture. Now I have seen some other options, like new hoods for ~$40-60 or a makeshift with new glass cover and "heat lamps", for now they are too much $$$. Just wondering if there are any other options for dirt cheap? Like something cheap to use for a better reflector? Mine is just white plastic, how about using alum foil on that? I may try it.


EDIT: I made an aluminum foil reflector, it can be removed if it doesnt work, I covered most of the fixture, even parts that were just black, it makes the light look more white instead of pink. Just wish I had some way to measure Lumens. I guess I'll just go off plant growth. Well after taking it apart its simple inside so maybe in the future I will make something worthwhile. Like convert that fixture to use 2x compact fluorescent bulbs, one on each end, that would be cheap I think. I have tools, a welder, extra wire and some metal to make some supports for them, then just wire it. Or are "U-shaped" fluorescent bulbs any good or available?

Currently I dont think I'm even close to having algae, I've had the light on for 13hrs for awhile.

Now the question is how much light can you go w/o needing co2 and ferts?(how would you know before trying it and having issues?)

Are ferts recommended for all lighting levels

Do you just keep adding light(hours) till you have algae or plants die off?

Then how can I tell if the plants are dying from too much light or not enough?
Or do they die form too much light which really means that they dont have enough food to use while in light? meaning the need for ferts
 
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For a 10 gallon aquarium, the cheapest way to upgrade is to get an incadescent fixture and replace the incadescent bulbs with the screw in compact flourescent bulbs. You should have no problem running a pair of the 20 watt bulbs without needing CO2, and may even be able to use a pair of the 25 watt bulbs. I don't remember whether or not the people that have use the 25 watt bulbs were running with or without CO2.

Generally if you have plants you'll need to do at least a little bit of fertilization. What you need to dose and how often is determined by the amount of light and the density of plants. For instance if you heavily plant a low light aquarium that doesn't have much in the way of fish, it is possible for the plants to consume all the Nitrate and Phosphates and making it necessary to dose them. Generally in low light aquariums a good trace fert and some potassium after each water change is sufficient (maybe a bit more often if you're doing water changes more infrequently).

The recommended light duration is 8-12 hours. Plants need some time to rest too, which is why it isn't a good idea to go much over 12 hours. Algae is an indicator of an inbalance and won't always occur just because you've got your lights on too long.

When plants are labeled for various lighting levels, that is generally the least amount of light that they can grow under. Practically all of them will do well with more light. It's more a matter of ensuring that they have enough nutrients to keep up with how fast you are pushing them to grow with the lighting. You can tell by examining the deficiency symptoms what they are suffering from. It is a bit of an art, but with time you'll know at a glance what your plants need.
 
For a 10 gallon aquarium, the cheapest way to upgrade is to get an incadescent fixture and replace the incadescent bulbs with the screw in compact flourescent bulbs.

Generally if you have plants you'll need to do at least a little bit of fertilization. What you need to dose and how often is determined by the amount of light and the density of plants.

I looked up a ton of bulbs, ballasts, ect..
I did find that compact flourescent would be cheapest and easiest for me to retrofit in my current hood, or maybe finding one thats like that. I was looking for the long loop CFL's, not the spiral ones and had a hard time finding any that were over 5,000K. I'll have to go to the hardware stores and check stuff out.

What's the recommended fert/supplements for planted tanks that have shrimp?
 
What's the recommended fert/supplements for planted tanks that have shrimp?

Depends on which shrimp you're keeping and who you talk to. For Cherry Red Shrimp, most people find that they are pretty hardy and as long as you are fertilizing reasonable amount (amounts that could actually be used by the plants) then they'll be fine. Ghost Shrimp, Amano Shrimp, and Bamboo Shrimp could all probably be treated the same as Cherries and be fine. Once you get into the rarer and more sensitive shrimp like Tiger Shrimp, Crystal Red Shrimp, Bee Shrimp, etc. then most people agree that these should be kept in a low to medium light aquarium with as close to no fertilization as possible. There are some that belive you shouldn't fertilize at all with any variety of shrimp. Your best bet is to read up and make a decision based on what you are comfortable with.
 
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