Suggestions for Low-Light 10g Long

[pisces70]

I have a 10g long tank that currently has 2 African dwarf frogs and a few ghost shrimp. I intend to add a school of neons at some point. I'd like to make this tank more natural-looking and add live plants.
I need to change the T8 fluorescent bulb (18 inches, 15 watts) to something that will benefit the plants. The choices at the LFS are Zoo Med bulbs: Ultra Sun 6500K, Tropic Sun 5500K, or Flora Sun 5000K...which bulb would be the best choice to keep low light plants? Keep in mind I can only use one of these bulbs due to the way the full hood is designed on the tank.
I would also love your suggestions of some hardy, low-light plants that won't get too big for this small tank.
The tank has sand substrate if that makes a difference in the plants I can keep.

Thank you in advance!

 

[dbosman]

Those lamps are close enough to each other that choice based on specs shouldn't matter.
See if they will let you test each in the store and find the one that you like the color of, best. My guess, would be the Ultra Sun.

Anubias, java fern, bocapa, and cobamba should do reasonably well.
Keep an eye open at garage sales, thrift shops, etc. for an incandescent hood or strip light fixture. In that you can run two Sylvania, 23 watt, daylight, "Now smaller than ever", spiral fluorescent bulbs. Those will let you grow just about anything that doesn't require high light, a fertilizer regime, and CO2.

 

[pisces70]

Thank you very much for the suggestions, dbosman. I didn't have cabomba or bacopa on my list of plants at all, thanks!
I'm going to try and stay with a low-light setup for this tank since I've never done one and I really want to try it out and see how it goes.

 

[jbradt]

How tall is this tank? I'm not familiar with a 10g long, but it can't be tall, and I would guess that the light you have will be plenty for a pretty good range of plants. I agree that the specs won't matter much if they're within the range you mentioned.

I would add crypt parva to that list. they are pretty bomb proof once established and stay pretty small.

 

[pisces70]

Thank you, jbradt. I'll add that plant to my list.
This tank is 24" long x 8 1/2" wide x 12 1/2" tall, it has a full hood with a T8 fluorescent light strip that fits just perfectly over the glass insert. It's my original tank, I got used way back in 1994 and it's still holding water!

 

[jbradt]

Thank you, jbradt. I'll add that plant to my list.
This tank is 24" long x 8 1/2" wide x 12 1/2" tall, it has a full hood with a T8 fluorescent light strip that fits just perfectly over the glass insert. It's my original tank, I got used way back in 1994 and it's still holding water!

That's not a lot if height. You're lights will likely be more effective than you think.

 

[ROYWS3]

That's not a lot if height. You're lights will likely be more effective than you think.

:iagree:

Most on the medium to small crypts would work, as would corkscrew Vals, dwarf Sag and maybe some of the smaller swords, E. Parva for example.