CFL? Incandescent? Help!

More_Cowbell

More_Cowbell

You're gonna want that cowbell
May 28, 2007
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Currently in the middle of move number 22...
Hello fellow Aquaria-People! I has a question... :)
I've decided to dive (as it were) into aquatic plants! (yay for me!) I've already bought (from aquadise)
Echino Tenellus
Cabomba Furcata
HC
and
Water Sprite
They'll be put into my ten gallon when they arrive.
I read that they were all low-medium light plants... I'm just so confused by the whole WPG thing!
My question is this: Which bulbs should I use? I have the standard wal-mart two bulb lighting hood for my tank, in storage I have a 25 watt incandescent bulb and currently I'm using a 15 watt incandescent and a 14 watt CFL. I want to switch to just CFLs before my plants get here (the light is so much whiter!), but if I used two 14 watt CFLs I'd only have 2.8 wpg... is that enough wattage for the plants I listed? Did I screw up by buying these plants?? Will I burn in hell??? :D
What if I used the 25 watt incandescent with the 14 watt CFL? That'd give me 5.9 wpg... but it might not be the right KIND of light! Quality vs Quantity?
Help!

Wow, that's a lot more than "a question"!
I'd really appreciate some advice, O wise masters of Aquaria... I'm totally confuzzled:huh:

Thanks in advance!
More_Cowbell
 
Do not use incandescents, use the CFL bulbs. If you can find some 20w CFLs that would be better.

Cabomba furcata and e. tenellus aren't exactly low light plants but they should be able to grow with 28w, just don't expect amazing color from them. HC will be extremely slow growing unless you provide CO2.
 
Forget incandescents, they're worthless.

With 28w of screw-in CFL, I doubt any of those plants would grow well, other than watersprite.
 
So... I should use CFLs? And I need more wattage for most of my plants, and I need to do CO2 injection... all do-able. I already have my DIY CO2 generator almost ready, I'm just waiting for the silicone to dry.
One other question: Will the 20watt CFL bulbs be too hot for my cheap-o hood? That's pretty much my only concern...


BTW, sorry for my retard math concerning using the 25 watt incandescent and 14watt CFL... it should say 3.9wpg, not 5.9! :grinno:

Thanks
 
2 20w CF bulbs will be fine for the hood. I've used that before over a 10g tank. You'll need atleast that to grow HC. Use the DIY CO2 as well, or it won't thrive IME.

Don't use incandescents....that aren't good for the plants and heat up the tank water more than needed.

If you can find 25w CF bulbs....get those. ;)

And you should dose ferts as well.
 
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