what watt lightbulb should i get?

[RockabillyChick]

10 gallon aquarium
3 crypts
2 lillies
1 Aponogeton

what watt light should i get? the one i have now was the one that came with the light strip, which i bought used for $5 at a thrift store.

also, i cant seem to get the lightbulb out. its a flourecent light. i've pulled on it and it just will not come out. its also got this little cylander shaped thing with two prongs on it that fit into a little slot and twist to keep it in. when i hit the switch on the back, first the little cylander lights up and flashes around for a second, then the actual lightbulb comes on. would i have to buy another one of those cylanders, or would the one i have still work for a new lightbulb?

[indiginess]

did you try rotating the bulb? sometimes theyre a little stubborn.

the cylinder thing you are wondering about is the starter ballast. in simple terms, its the mechanism that excites the gas in a flourescent bulb. no, you shouldn't have to replace it until it stops making the flashes. my newest light fixture is over three years old, and i still haven't had to change the ballast.

[RockabillyChick]

yeah, i tried rotating it and it wouldn't rotate at all, its really stuck in there good. i'll get a new bulb first, that way if i break the old one trying to get it out, it wont really matter because i'll have a new one to replace it.

[Captain Hook]

The wattage will pretty much be set if it's a fluorescent. Roughly they are 10 watts per foot. 2 foot bulb = 20 watts (24").