Lighting in a 10G

[TKOS]

I bought a used 10 Gallon tank and have put plants in it that (from what I can figure) are medium to high light lovers. Anyway the tank had 2 cheap old incandesant bulbs in the hood. I replaced one with a screw in flourescent light to give the plants a usable source of light. The bulb I bought says it gives 60 watts of light for 15 watts of power. Does this mean I have a 15 watt bulb (therefore 1.5 watts per gallon) or is it 60 watts (6 watts per gallon)? A little confused about this. Thanks for the help.

 

[kveeti]

15 watts for 1.5 per gallon.

 

[TKOS]

Thanks. Right now there is just the 1 15 watt bulb screwed in one side and the old incandescent on the other side. Should I buy another 15 watt and therefore have 30 watts, or is my tank too small for that much light?

 

[djlen]

You don't say what kind of plants you have. Many plants will do just fine with 1 1/2 watt per gallon. I don't know what your experience is with plants, but 3 watts per gallon is a lot of light, especially in a 10 gal. tank. My suggestion is to stay with the 1 1/2 watts and see how they do. Going to 3 watts would almost certainly necessitate going with CO2 injection, IMO, or you might have a problem with algae.
It would help to know what plants you have. Maybe if we knew that, we could tell you that 1 1/2 watts would be OK.
Len

 

[TKOS]

I think that I have Water Sprite and something called Cardamine lyrata. I have had one plant in the past and it died (possibly from my Betta munching on it). I don't really want to mess with CO2 right now, so I guess that I will stick with one bulb for now.

Thanks for the help