Light for a 10g tank

[irishspy]

Hi all,

Is it a sign of MTS that I want my second tank before I have my first? :grinyes:

While waiting for some equipment to arrive for my 40g, I was browsing through Petco and decided I had to have a 10g, too, to keep a betta and a few small cories. (C. Pygmaeus or C. Hastatus)

But, I also want this to be a true planted tank, with lush growth and red plants. Thus, I need better than the standard lighting that comes with a 10g hood. I'd settled on compact fluorescent lighting --the kind than screws into an incandescent fixture. I can find the lamps (the local Petsmart has them), but I can't find a simple incandescent cowling in my local Petco, Petsmart, or LFS. I don't want the full-hood treatment (I can get a hinged glass plate), just the actual housing for the lamps.

Anyone have a good online source for these? How about the bulbs, too? It's hard to find any in the right wattage (13-18 watts) at the right color temperature (5500k to 6700k).

Any other advice for good lighting for small planted tanks would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

walmart or home depot is a good place to find the bulbs.

 

[irishspy]

Thanks. I went to my local HD (and HD and Lowes online) but no joy.

 

[Cory Keeper]

for your corys, have you ever considered C [SIZE=-1]Trilineatus? they stay small too.
[/SIZE]

 

[southpaw]

I just bought a 10g kit from Walmart for $25 and it had the screwin type hood with it...then got me two 10w 6500k cfl bulbs for $6 in the lightbulb secton there...you could go with 13w ones too if you want

 

[irishspy]

for your corys, have you ever considered C [SIZE=-1]Trilineatus? they stay small too.
[/SIZE]

No, I hadn't. Thanks for the tip. :idea:

Looking in my references, they hit 2.4", which is a bit bigger than what I wanted in the 10g. Do they stay smaller in your experience?

 

[irishspy]

I just bought a 10g kit from Walmart for $25 and it had the screwin type hood with it...then got me two 10w 6500k cfl bulbs for $6 in the lightbulb secton there...you could go with 13w ones too if you want

Those are exactly the lights I've been looking for! :drool:

Trouble is, I haven't found any at the right color temperature yet. I have company coming over today for the Super Bowl, otherwise I'd set out again, but there's a hardware store near where I work I can check out on Monday.

 

[grannylvsfish]

I just bought a 10g kit from Walmart for $25 and it had the screwin type hood with it...then got me two 10w 6500k cfl bulbs for $6 in the lightbulb secton there...you could go with 13w ones too if you want

I just got a new light today also for my ten gallon tank. I bought the bulbs and they say 15 watt 6500K how can the 10 watts be 6500K to? I am so excited, the light strip was only 12.95 !!

 

[ZSandmann]

Southpaw that looks exactly like my 10 gallon setup and the plants love it. The only thing I am worried about is the condensation inside the hood, I am thinking of getting a piece of glass to sit on top of the tank if I can find one reasonably but with the 10 gallon hood I can't just take the lightstrip off as it is part of the whole hood. So I've been trying to work out what to do. Don't want to buy a new hood and glass top.