Wanting to add another light

[iamaj]

I have a 20 gal hex tank. It has plants, right now it has aquatic clover, java moss, anacharis (sp?). Im going o get 3 marimo moss balls, another java moss clump, and a java fern. All are low light plants.

Right now i have a 18 watt fluorescent light on it. My clover is doing great, my anacharis died during a bad spike in the water, but i did get some cuttings so i have some little ones growing. I think its barely enough light but i would like a tad more. Right now i have .9 watts per gallon.

The only way to put on another lid is to cut the hood and replace it with a piece of plexi and a light. I was thinking a indicasent (sp?) type fluorescent light. Would this be good enough in a aquarium application?

 

[Guest]

How long is the light fixture you have? If it's the standard 18" fixture that comes with a 20 hex the best thing you could do is head over to www.ahsupply.com and get the 2 x 13 watt kit they sell with the reflector. That would bump you up 1.3 watts per gallon.

 

[Allivymar]

Just want to say I have 2 Marimo balls and I lurve em! They are so neat lookin and require very little care other then good lighting, a rinse in the tank water to remove any debris which might have accumulated and an occasional roll to keep em from getting flat on one side.

 

[iamaj]

i think the fixture is 20" long but with a 18 watt light. I bought the lightstrip a little over a month ago it has a screw in light before. I was looking at the AH stuff, i was thinking of still using my new strip light a 1x13 behind it. I would make a plexi top for it to set on. I think my plants will do fine with out it, but i dont see where it would do nothing but help them.

But the easiest method i could use would be the screw in fluorescent types, how well do you think they would work?

 

[Guest]

Don't use Plexi-glass under a AH Supply light. They will melt it. You need glass under them.

As for the screw in bulbs, they would be better than nothing but not much. They are not very officiant producers of light due to their design. And with little to no reflectors behind them they would at best only get about 20-40% of the light produced into the tank.


If your current strip light and tank will handle a 17.5" reflector then get the 36 watt kit from AH Supply.