View Full Version : 10g lighting question
tempest104
02-04-2008, 11:43 PM
I have a 10g with a 15w 10,000k T8 flourescent bulb, giving me about 1.5wpg (right?). I know that that allows me to grow low-light plants, but what does the 10,000k mean and does that make a difference in what types of plants I can try to grow?
Bk828
02-05-2008, 12:29 AM
10,000K means the temperature of the light in degrees Kelvin. Different kelvin temperatures give off different spectrum's of light. Plants prefer the low K temperatures.
tempest104
02-05-2008, 12:40 AM
10,000K means the temperature of the light in degrees Kelvin. Different kelvin temperatures give off different spectrum's of light. Plants prefer the low K temperatures.
So what would be the best K temperature to have to grow plants? Should I replace my bulb or will I be ok with what I have?
the preferred would be 6,700 or hagen flora-glo which will run you around $12-15. Or you can try and visit homedepot/lowes and find one there for cheaper.
charlie4486
02-05-2008, 1:20 AM
yeah go to home depot and get the phillips daylight bulbs. they work great.
tempest104
02-05-2008, 1:24 AM
yeah go to home depot and get the phillips daylight bulbs. they work great.
Yay! Thanks for the advice. Wish I had done more research before I got started. Would've saved me a BUNCH!
tempest104
02-05-2008, 1:27 AM
Oh, I don't have a reflector on my hood. Would foil wrapped around it work?
charlie4486
02-05-2008, 2:34 AM
painting the underside white actully works a lot better than foil. try that. it helped a ton with mine.
Fishy_Fun
02-05-2008, 7:19 AM
i have to agree with all of the above
tempest104
02-06-2008, 3:58 AM
Ok. So I was reading through someone else's post regarding lighting which led me to Walmart to buy a tank cover with two screw-in bulb fixtures and two daylight 6700k 10w bulbs (all for the low low price of $15.97 + tax.) My tank's a 10g so my wattage gives me 2wpg meaning I can plant moderate light plants, correct? Since I'm a beginner, which plants would be best for me to start out with?
mellowvision
02-06-2008, 4:17 AM
I've had great luck with dwarf sag... and also think you should give java fern a shot.
Bk828
02-06-2008, 11:14 AM
the ferns and moss' are probably the easiest to take care of since they require almost 0 care..
Lucky
02-06-2008, 11:31 AM
I have similar lighting conditions (2 15-watt bulbs in a 10 gal), and I have java ferns. So far (a couple of weeks), they've been doing beautifully - no problems at all.
I got them from the local Petco, along with a piece of driftwood with some knotholes and niches to put them in. They're sold in tubes. If you go that way, make sure they're as green as possible before you buy them - most of the plants are greener after a restock. Java Ferns are labeled as "Tropica" Ferns, though.
A lot of the stuff in the tubes isn't submergable, though, and will rot if you try, so make sure you know what it is beforehand if you pick out anything else there.
tempest104
02-06-2008, 1:57 PM
would my wattage be considered low light or med light? i read somewhere that wpg are different for a 10g vs 20g and up tanks. how much wattage would i need to have med light and at what point would i need co2?
When I had a 10g with the wal-mart lighting you mentioned above, I had homemade co2 injection and used a mix of aquatic potting clay and pool filter sand. All of my plants had to be trimmed on a weekly basis. I had plants such as java moss, java fern, amazon sword, and some others I can no longer recall.