Lighting for Planted Tank

[diptankguy]

HI,

I would really like someone to help me select a 18 inch Fluorescent Light for my 10 Gallon PLANTED tank. Below are some of the lights which i saw on the net, if you can suggest me the right one then it will be great.

1) Coralife Actinic Blue Lamps
2) Coralife 10,000°K
3) GE Aqua Rays Fresh/Saltwater Fluorescents - 9325° K bulb
4) others (please suggest)

Thanks
Dip

[Aquafreak]

Anything except the actinic blue, I find those just give you algae headaches

[carpguy]

The 10000k and 9350K are also on the cool side of the coin. Plant bulbs should ideally be in the 5000k-6700k range. Some folks like to go warm (lower numbers) or cool (higher numbers) but it effects plant growth and won't be as efficient.

If your looking for high light, I'd go to AH Supply (http://www.ahsupply.com) and check out their 36w kit. I inherited a 10 and was looking at retrofitting one of these into the NO hood it came with.

For low light I'd just look for a Triphosphor around 6000K +/- a bit, but its not really a whole lot of light (it'd be fine for a low light tank).

[Starry]

No matter what fluorescent bulb you get, it will only give you enough light to grow low light plants, and the selection won't be great. In the long run, you'll be happier if you invest in a PC retrofit kit. For a 10gal, look at the 2x13W at ahsupply.com

[cpr4cpu]

If you have the ability to build your own lighting, I prefer standard fluorescent bulbs over compact fluorescent or VHO bulbs for the obvious cost reasons, but also for temperature. I can keep a standard magnetic ballast cooler over the long run without any additional fans or holes in my hoods.

If you want a single bulb for your planted tank, I have used Life-Glo by hagen with good success, but still qualifies as low light when it comes to plants that do well under a single bulb (you want to target 2.5 to 3 watts of light per gallon)

[diptankguy]

I think i might be going for custom hood. And thanks Carp, i think i am going to go for 2*13 from AH Supply. Also would like to know from someone who might have already bought such a setting from Ah Supply. But i finally think that there is lots less i can do with my 10 gallon, but i will try to do the best i can find around.

Dip

[Booswalia]

I have a ten gallon set up with one of those plastic Hagen hoods that hold 2 incadescent bulbs.
I put 2 13 watt compact fluorescents in it, (the kind that spiral), and it works great. Mind you I don't have plants in there that require very high light, but what I do have is growing well.
Cobomba Carolina, Hygro Difformis, Java Moss, spiral vals and Ludwigia Repens.
(And don't anybody laugh at my spellings)
Shirley