Lighting WPG question.

[geofied]

Yes the CoraLife incandescent replacements will work just fine too if you don't have a nearby WalMart. BTW, WPG always refers to fluorescents, incandescent bulbs are much less efficient. Fluorescents often have a "compare to..." wattage that compares to incandescents, (14W puts out the same light as a 60W incandescent). Your 30W of incandescent would be like 7W of fluorescent, so 2x 10W bulbs would be tripling your previous light.

I was referring to Coralife Fluorescents (not sure if you meant that instead UCF). They are very comparable, just a different spectrum than the LightsofAmerica bulbs found at WallyWorld. And 2x's more $$$. Both are 10w, not sure why I thought the Coralife was 11w.

$8.99 here: http://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=710539+001

The Walmart ones are typically in the fish area hanging on a peg. I have only seen one type at our local stores, though I suppose yours may not carry it at all (or may be out).

Sorry, haven't been able to find a link to the LightsofAmerica bulb.

 

[geofied]

Sweet, thanks guys

Gonna goto the LFS to pick up some live black worms tonite, so I'll check out the pricing on their lighting there and then probably head down the street to Wal-Mart afterwards.

Does anyone have more info on the wal-mart bulbs, or are they the only 10w florescent bulbs there more often then not?

Oh, and Coralife (and likely others) make a bulb similar to the Colormax and LoA bulb that is a 50/50 bulb (50% White/50% Blue Actinic) they are designed for marine tanks. Don't get those if you see them at the pet store.

 

[gregm]

holy crap!

What a difference. The light is so much crisper and clearer.

Picked up two bulbs from Wal-Mart last night. One of them was defective though, so I'm exchanging it for another one this morning.

What a difference this made from the incandescent lights.

So this would be 2wpg now with the two Wal-Mart fluorescent lights?

 

[UCF-Planted]

by the definition of watts per gallon yes, but the guidelines don't really hold up for small tanks. I went to 2x 20W screw-ins and I'm getting amazing growth out of my amazon swords, java fern, and a leaf per week out of my crypts. I would say I'm in the medium light range now, and with the 2x 10W bulbs I used to use I would say I was low light.

 

[geofied]

Regardless of your status being now low-to-mid lighting, I think you will find as I have you can grow most plants, albeit a little slower in some cases with this lighting. I have five 10g tanks now with various lighting combinations and the one with this wattage is still a very respectable grower (and I have floaters that likely reduce the wattage a bit).

Also don't forget that in most 10g's you only have about 8g's of water, so your wattage just bumped up a bit:grinyes:

 

[gregm]

Thanks for the great advice guys. I can't wait to tear down this tank when the plants arrive next Monday (hopefully).

Right now there is just a giant piece of driftwood in the middle of the tank and then stems of anacharis and some apongeton.

I'll probably go toss in the other light that I picked up to replace the broken one for lunch. It was amazing the difference in light out put. It was a night and day difference.

The plants were already growing pretty well with just some liquid fert and the lighting that was there (the tank is right by our sliding door to the balcony, so it does get some natural light throughout the day if the blinds are left open). I can only imagine how the new plants will do :headbang2: