Lighting for a planted tank--help, please.

[mattscheck4]

I want to start a 10-gallon freshwater planted tank (small, I know, but I'm not allowed to get another big tank). I've never done a planted setup, and I don't know exactly what goes into it. The hood that is currently on it contains the light, so I'm hoping to either get some low-light plants or get a bulb/bulbs for the light that will help things grow.

What I know: I need CO2 and better lighting.
What I want to know: What kind of lighting do I need? What kinds of plants will do well with that lighting (I'm hoping to get some kind of grass in there)? Anything else I'll need to know, please chime in.

Thank you!

 

[BigJim]

The first question is: What do you want to grow?

Determining what plants you want to grow will determine what kind of equipment you need. Low-light plants can do ok without fancy lights or CO2.

 

[mattscheck4]

I want my tank to look like a small version of this one, sans the red leafy stuff and with a bit more of the grassy stuff in the front.

 

[BigJim]

You could potentially mimic that tank using low-light plants if you're willing to forego the grass.

If you're set on the grass and carpet-type plants, you'll need high light, fertilizers, and CO2. I'm hesitant to give a specific wattage because the wpg rule doesn't work perfectly with smaller tanks. A 2-bulb 24" T5HO fixture with 6500K bulbs would probably be adequate. DIY fixtures using compact fluorescent bulbs are also an option.