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Higher wattage is great, but then you get into new light fixtures and expensive bulbs and that's where I get lost. I was trying to work with what you probably already had.
You have an UGF? Some plants will just float at the top, some you can tie to a piece of driftwood and they will root over time. I don't keep plants, but this is what I know from being on this board too many hours a day
I would keep the plants away from the UGF if that's what you have.