2700K 23watt screw in bulbs for a NEWB!

[rhetor]

Hey fellers,

I have a 10g set up currently, with 2 emerald cories, 3 rosy barbs, and a baby convict cichlid who will be evicted once he gets too agressive (i have a 125g cichlid tank)

I'd like to grow plants in there. And i don't know a whole lot about how to do it! But i have done searches and read a lot of the FAQs here, great info.

I came across a lot of stuff regaurding the Walmart 6700k screw in CF bulbs.

I had some 23w screw ins laying around in my closet. They are 2700K according to the webpage information using their part#.

My questions are:

Is the light temperatue essential for the plants to grow, or is it just aesthetically pleasing? Are two 23w screw in CF bulbs in a hood enough light to grow some plants in a 10g? The plants will be fish fertilized!

I dont want CO2 or anything, too much for a 10g set up. Once i remodel the 125g though, it may be getting the all out system.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It's best to have bulbs between 6000k and 12000k. The 2700k probably won't be that good for plant growth. And if they are older bulbs, they will need replacing anyways. Also, U-shaped screw-ins are much better than the spiral bulbs, as they have a little less restrike.

 

[rhetor]

Thanks, Lonewolfblue.

I will go to the store and try and get the high K rated bulbs in the U-shape.

Do you think duals will be enough to grow medium light plants? I see your hood looks to be the same as mine for a 10g.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I have 3 different hoods for my 10G tanks. One is a regular florescent tube. The other 2 are screw-ins. One has the whole front of the hood lifts up, and the other is only a small door that opens on the front for feeding the fish, etc. Whenyou get the bulbs, go with the 20W bulbs. My plants do great with no addition of CO2. My tank with the 25W screw-ins needs CO2, or I get some algae. With the 20W bulbs, you can grow a very wide range of plants, even some that are lower high-light plants. And ground covers like clover and E. Tiandra does great with this bulb and no CO2.

the only difference in the hoods, the one where the whole front lifts up, the 25W bulb goes in too tight. I have a 20W in it, as I feel the 25W bulb may break the fixture off the hood and fal into the water. The other hood, with the small opening, fits the 25W just perfectly. The one with the small opening I believe I got at Walmart, and the other one I got at Petco, with the whole front that opens.

So my advice, if you don't want to do CO2, go with the 20W. It does a great job.

 

[rhetor]

Excellent! Thanks so much.

I think the hood i have is an Aqualife or something like that... had the box for a while but threw it out.

I'll have to get those bulbs and use the ones in there to save some energy elsewhere in the house.

Now all i have to do is buy some plants! Would love to get some ground cover too.

I need more gravel though first. Looks like a trip to the LFS tomorrow.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Check this thread. The 2nd set of tank pics is the one with the 20W bulbs and ground cover....

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=89169

 

[rhetor]

Wow!

You are an excellent resource, my friend.

Thank you so much for the help. I'll get those bulbs tomorrow!

 

[garth7]

Quick question to add to this post....

Most of those CF say they are 20 watts but boast to put out 100 watts of light. I have seen one bulb that provides 1600 lumenens. Is there a way we could apply this to the watts per gallon rule? If so how?

Thanks,
Doug

 

[rhetor]

Hmm..

i would look at the lumens output and wattage of a typical aquarium light, then create a constant using that. Maybe lumens per gallon is more applicable.

 

[garth7]

I think I will do that when I have time this week. I will let you know what I find out. Good call on the constant idea.

Doug

 

[Purrbox]

When the CF bulbs claim to put out the equivelant of 100 watts, they are being compared to incadescent bulbs. The reason that they look so good in comparison is that incadescent bulbs put out mostly heat with a little bit of light with that amount of watts. The Watts Per Gallon "Rule" was written with NO Flourescents as a base and NOT incadescents, so comparing CF bulbs to incadescents is meaningless.

 

[garth7]

Ah i c, so the actual wattage on the bulb is what you get.... The 100 watts mean nothing... its the 24 or whatever the actual use of the bulb is that counts.

Thanks!
Doug

 

[rhetor]

wattage is the amount of energy it uses. The key here is that they are more efficient in producing light from a given watt, than a regular incandescent bulb.