Newbie to plants
- Thread starter jordank
- Start date
I'll assume you only have 1.5 WPG, since the ten gallon tanks can only accomondate that much, unless you redo your hood.
But anyways, most carpeting plants need high lights, such as the micro sword plant. If you can get at least 3.0 WPG, I would reccomend glosso. They are very good plants to carpet an aquarium with.
But anyways, most carpeting plants need high lights, such as the micro sword plant. If you can get at least 3.0 WPG, I would reccomend glosso. They are very good plants to carpet an aquarium with.
Hi Jordank, if you are at all handy you could retrofit your existing hood with a 36w compact fluorescent (CP) kit from AH Supply. They provide you with detailed instructions on how to install one of their fixtures. If you want something ready to go you are probably going to spend twice what a retro kit would cost. Unfortunately CP hoods for a 10g are not easy to come by.
On the contrary Karnaaj, a 2x13w bright kit would be perfect for a high light 10g tank. 10g tanks are about 18" long, the 2x13w is 17" long.
If you're not building your own canopy then the 1x13w retrofit of a standard canopy would provide you with a moderately lit 10g tank.
If you're not building your own canopy then the 1x13w retrofit of a standard canopy would provide you with a moderately lit 10g tank.
I wasn't referring to the kit, but a lack of fixtures for a 10g tank. Current USA has one but it would have been twice the price of a AH Supply kit and would have given almost 8 wpg.
Since the wpg rule doesn't apply to 10g tanks I would say that 2.6 wpg that the 2x13 kit would provide would barely qualify as a mid light tank.
Since the wpg rule doesn't apply to 10g tanks I would say that 2.6 wpg that the 2x13 kit would provide would barely qualify as a mid light tank.
I would say that 10g is really as small as you can go for wpg to apply. I used to have one running with about 24w NO fluo. with CO2 and all and had a great deal of success with rapid growth. Plus the AH kits have much better reflectors for your standard hood.
You're right though, it is really tough to find a retail hood for a 10g, I wouldn't even try, just build your own or get one of the pre-made enclosures from AH and put a glass top on the tank (they're cheap). Actually a glass top's a pretty good idea to start with, then you can just plunk on any kind of light you want, from a simple and cheap (but less efficient) fluo. fixture from Home Depot to a more elegant but more expensive PC kit from AH.
You're right though, it is really tough to find a retail hood for a 10g, I wouldn't even try, just build your own or get one of the pre-made enclosures from AH and put a glass top on the tank (they're cheap). Actually a glass top's a pretty good idea to start with, then you can just plunk on any kind of light you want, from a simple and cheap (but less efficient) fluo. fixture from Home Depot to a more elegant but more expensive PC kit from AH.