Too much light?

[Carnifex]

I have 2 40watt 6500k cfl bulbs over my 10 gal fresh. Is that too much light you think? It's not planted yet so i can't give descriptions of how plants are growing under it. Thanks for your input.
Edit: I don't know what I want to plant yet besides dhg for a carpet/foreground.

 

[Carnifex]

Anyone have an opinion?

 

[molliwopp]

I would of thought one would be enough. Are you planning to run co2 and ferts? If not id use one, otherwise it might be hard to hold back algea growth.

 

[Carnifex]

Hehe that's what i though too. I'll just take one off. No co2 yet, I'm kinda low on cash. I do want to use a co2 setup when i can though. I figured I could just dose with excel for now. As for ferts, I'm still trying to wrap my head around that chunk of info lol. I don't even know where to start.

 

[Rivercats]

Running 2 bulbs will work but since your going high light you will need to start dosing liquid carbon at 1ml liquid carbon to every 5 gallons of water, then in a couple weeks up the dose to 1ml liquid carbon to every 2 gallons of water. With liquid carbon you have to increase dosing when you have higher light, high bioload, and or a lot of plants. I've worked and experimented a lot with liquid carbon and I ran a very high light 220g 100% planted tank for over a year using only liquid carbon.

Something else you'll need to consider is you'll need a good fert dosing regime and I would suggest dry ferts.

 

[molliwopp]

Running 2 bulbs will work but since your going high light you will need to start dosing liquid carbon at 1ml liquid carbon to every 5 gallons of water, then in a couple weeks up the dose to 1ml liquid carbon to every 2 gallons of water. With liquid carbon you have to increase dosing when you have higher light, high bioload, and or a lot of plants. I've worked and experimented a lot with liquid carbon and I ran a very high light 220g 100% planted tank for over a year using only liquid carbon.

Something else you'll need to consider is you'll need a good fert dosing regime and I would suggest dry ferts.

My lfs has a tank run on liquid carbon and it real nice.

 

[Carnifex]

Yeah. Liquid carbon is the way I'm gonna go for now. I've only got a 10 gal. so it shouldn't be too difficult. On the downside, i broke one of my bulbs today. Now i've got one 40w and 2 10w 10000k 50/50s. That should still be ok, yeah? I'm prolly gonna order some dry ferts from greenleaf too. After I have money. **** money tree, WHY YOU NO GROW?!?! Ahem, anyway, is that liquid carbon dosage per day?

 

[Rivercats]

Yeah. Liquid carbon is the way I'm gonna go for now. I've only got a 10 gal. so it shouldn't be too difficult. On the downside, i broke one of my bulbs today. Now i've got one 40w and 2 10w 10000k 50/50s. That should still be ok, yeah? I'm prolly gonna order some dry ferts from greenleaf too. After I have money. **** money tree, WHY YOU NO GROW?!?! Ahem, anyway, is that liquid carbon dosage per day?

Are the 50/50 bulbs part actinic? If so they aren't good for plant growth as plants can't use the actinic light, but algae can.

As for the liquid carbon start by dosing 1ml liquid carbon to every 5 gallons of tank water. Once you have both CFL bulbs running you'll probably need to up the dosage to 1ml liquid carbon to every 2 gallons of tank water.

 

[Carnifex]

Are the 50/50 bulbs part actinic? If so they aren't good for plant growth as plants can't use the actinic light, but algae can.

Oh! Cool. Thanks for the info lol. I'll switch out the bulbs, just put them in cuz i had them laying around hehe. As for the liquid carbon, as soon as i plant the sucker i'll start dosing.