Swapping my fluorescent tube for CFLs?

[coolfishguy12]

I recently bought a 10 gallon starter kit that came with a 14w 4200k Hagen Sun Glo T8 flourescent tube.



I was considering upgrading to an incandescent hood with two 23w 6500k Sylvania CFLs



Would the upgrade be worth it?

Has anyone had any experience with that type of Slyvania bulb?

[Link119]

Many times those large cfls dont fit in the hood. In my 10g hood even 13w bulbs barely fit and the hood also can get quite warm so personally i wouldnt recommend it. If i were you i'd probably get a t5ho fixture.

[coolfishguy12]

Originally Posted by Link119

Many times those large cfls dont fit in the hood. In my 10g hood even 13w bulbs barely fit and the hood also can get quite warm so personally i wouldnt recommend it. If i were you i'd probably get a t5ho fixture.

How well are the 13w bulbs working for you?

[Ryan87500]

Here is my hood with 4 - 18 watt cfl bulbs. This is on a 30 inch length tank.




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[Coursair]

I use mini CFLs in my stock incandescent hood. But don't exceed hood wattage limits.

That fluorescent should be ok.

You don't want too much light, unless you are willing to add CO2.

I have 20 watts total over my 10g. It's so shallow it's fine.


I use liquid ferts weekly and have root tabs for Crypts and Swords. I do add Excel as well.


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[wildroseofky]

Have you considered LED light bulb replacements? I switched my 10 gallon from two CFL 23 watt bulbs to two 5 watt LED bulbs like this FengYang E27 5W 150lm 6500K 27-SMD 5050 LED White Light Bulb (AC 220V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme So far the are working great. They do not give off as much heat as the CFL's. Shipping is slow from this place though. It takes a month for a package to get from the Netherlands to Kentucky but shipping is free.

[Coursair]

I have a clip on Archaea LED fixture on my Rimless 10g. PAR was equal to my mini CFLs.

This is a 2yr old (?) LED fixture. Some of the new ones are much better.

This is my Rimless 10g



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[coolfishguy12]

Originally Posted by wildroseofky

Have you considered LED light bulb replacements? I switched my 10 gallon from two CFL 23 watt bulbs to two 5 watt LED bulbs like this FengYang E27 5W 150lm 6500K 27-SMD 5050 LED White Light Bulb (AC 220V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme So far the are working great. They do not give off as much heat as the CFL's. Shipping is slow from this place though. It takes a month for a package to get from the Netherlands to Kentucky but shipping is free.

Looks cool! Do you know what kind of PAR you're getting out of that setup?