Lighting for a 10 (now with dosing)

[JDogg]

ok i am looking to do a planted Dwarf Puffer tank...

10 gallons

plan to put in a couple of amazon swords and some clippings from my 75.

the current light bulb is a 15 watt t8. (15*1.5/10 = 2.25wpg) now i know that is not right.

i am would light a medium-low tank, with no co2 and little dosing (maybe dose with pwc) but i am willing to upgrade to make the swords happy.

with i have enough light? this light has grown fanwort, hornwort and elodea just fine...

thanks

 

[dapellegrini]

Is this a brackish tank? It has been over 10 years since I had puffers, I can't keep them straight, but I think they all "prefer" brackish...

There is a minimum light threshold that you have to achieve in smaller tanks, but I am not the best to explain that, since I don't really understand it either. I would think that 20-24watts would be more in line with what you are trying to do...

 

[JDogg]

Is this a brackish tank? It has been over 10 years since I had puffers, I can't keep them straight, but I think they all "prefer" brackish...

There is a minimum light threshold that you have to achieve in smaller tanks, but I am not the best to explain that, since I don't really understand it either. I would think that 20-24watts would be more in line with what you are trying to do...

DP are fully FW

 

[Purrbox]

Yep. Dwarf Puffers are indeed strictly FW. About the only ones that are. The rest are either brackish or SW.

For an inexpensive solution, you could pick up a incadescent fixture and use a couple of screwin CF's. I'd say that either a pair of 15watt or 20watt bulbs would be right in line with what you are planning to do. There's a fair amount of light lost to restrike with these bulbs, which is why I'm recommending a bit higher the Wizard~Of~Ozz's guide suggests.

 

[JDogg]

Yep. Dwarf Puffers are indeed strictly FW. About the only ones that are. The rest are either brackish or SW.

For an inexpensive solution, you could pick up a incadescent fixture and use a couple of screwin CF's. I'd say that either a pair of 15watt or 20watt bulbs would be right in line with what you are planning to do. There's a fair amount of light lost to restrike with these bulbs, which is why I'm recommending a bit higher the Wizard~Of~Ozz's guide suggests.

ok so you are thinking that 2 20 watt CF will give me medium-low light, enough for the swords and just about any clippings from my 75?

do you think something like THIS would produce a decent spectrum for plants?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Just need to make sure it's of the proper temp for plants. See if you can find if it's full sunlight or 6700k. If not, go to Walmart, they have the 20W screw-in 6700k bulbs in their regular bulb section, and are U-shaped like the pic in the link you posted. I use 2 20W bulbs in my 10G and I can grow quite a lot actually, and have not added CO2, and zero algae. Currently I'm growing E. Tiandra for ground cover, R. rotundafolia, wisteria, and sunset hygro. It's doing great. Thinking of trying Asian Ambulia in it next. Also, all crypts do very well in it too. As well as java ferns, and many other lower light plants.

If you can't get to a Walmart, or don't have one, I can pick them up here and send them for just the cost of the bulbs. Let me know.

 

[rkilling1]

ok so you are thinking that 2 20 watt CF will give me medium-low light, enough for the swords and just about any clippings from my 75?

LOL, I am running (2) 25 watt walmart bulbs (thanks to LWB) on my 28 gal tank along with a 15 watt t-8 and can grow anything including glosso. So, yes I would agree that would be plenty of light.

do you think something like THIS would produce a decent spectrum for plants?

they are 6700 K lights, but for that price, I would just go to walmart.

 

[JDogg]

they are 6700 K lights, but for that price, I would just go to walmart.

yea i will check walmart, i have one about a mile from work. the link was more of a "is this the kind of bulb i want" thing to make sure i understood the type of bulb.

Walmart...bad for buying fish, great for everything else

EDIT:
once a week...
1/8 tsp NO3
1/8 tsp K
1/32 tsp PO4
also CSM+B

might also dose excel on every other day

is this a good dosing for this light level... i think i am starting to understand dosing at medium light with CO2. but that is not my goal, i want this tank to be a little more low maintenance...

EDIT #2
picked up some bulbs...they are 20 watt - 75 watt equivalent daylight 6500K bulbs...

they are not like the ones in the picture, they are the spiral kind :?

are these the right bulbs?
will they fit in a incandescent aquarium hood?
if not does anyone know where to get a bulb like the one i link to above?

 

[JDogg]

bump

 

[rkilling1]

are these the right bulbs?
will they fit in a incandescent aquarium hood?
if not does anyone know where to get a bulb like the one i link to above?

I don't know if they will, they should, maybe, possible, could possiblly fit ??, but I believe the restrick is even worse on the those. check Home depot and lowes also. many on-line sites sell U shaped ones. Worst case you pay for the ones you listed earlier or LWB or Myself send them to you.

 

[JDogg]

are these the right bulbs?
will they fit in a incandescent aquarium hood?
if not does anyone know where to get a bulb like the one i link to above?

I don't know if they will, they should, maybe, possible, could possiblly fit ??, but I believe the restrike is even worse on the those. check Home depot and lowes also. many on-line sites sell U shaped ones. Worst case you pay for the ones you listed earlier or LWB or Myself send them to you.

they did fit, but like you said i am worried about the restrike, i can get to Home Depot tomorrow, after walmart i did try Menards (like Lows for the Upper MidWest) they said there that they do not think you can get u-Shaped screw-ins, but obviously if you and Wolf can get them at walmart they must make them, will you are willing i will pm you tomorrow if i can not find them at Home Depot, can you pick a couple up, i would of course pay you back, + shipping but let me check home depot first

thanks

 

[rkilling1]

I am currently off of work, so I have all the time in the world to do whatever I can for my fellow aquarist. (assuming that my Walmart has them is stock) Just let me know. (might want to put in an order for some stem plants if I am sending you those bulbs also)

 

[Lonewolfblue]

The spiral ones have more restrike than the U-shaped ones. They will work, but they are not as good as the others.

 

[JDogg]

well i am striking out on the non-spiral light bulbs.

thanks rkilling1 for checking you walmart, but it seems that walmart is going all spiral :?

i have seen a couple of places online that carry them, so i have that option.

but does anyone know where i can pick some U-shaped Compact florecent bulbs? like THESE

i have see bulbs like THESE if there was a way to turn them into screw ins... :?

any help would be great!

Thanks

EDIT: maybe i will pick up some shinny metalic spray paint and paint the inside of the hood, and try to capture all the light i can...

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I went to Walmart tonight and found that they no longer carry those bulbs.

 

[SparKy697]

The spiral ones have more restrike than the U-shaped ones

Can you explain restrike?

I'm familiar with this term but I believe in quite different way. We refer to restrike time as the amount of time a mh lamp will take to cool down so that the starting circuit is enabled again. I'm sure this is not what you are referring to.

 

[fish 'n' fries]

Ikea has them (U-shaped CF that is)...don't know if there's one near you or if you can get them off their webpage...

 

[JRagg]

The spiral ones have more restrike than the U-shaped ones

Can you explain restrike?

I'm familiar with this term but I believe in quite different way. We refer to restrike time as the amount of time a mh lamp will take to cool down so that the starting circuit is enabled again. I'm sure this is not what you are referring to.

I'm pretty sure they're talking about light from one part of the bulb hitting another part of the bulb and not making it into the tank. Basically, the bulbs don't put out as much light in the direction of the tank as you want.