Easy Forground plant

Blaxicanlatino

What an easy Forground plant?

I dont really understand watts. So if i have a hood with 2 floursescent 9 watt bulbs, is that 18 watts or just 9?

fish_4_all

It is 18 watts. But it sounds like they are incandescent. The ones with the wires inside and look like regular light bubls? If they are, they are pretty much worthless for any decent plant growth beyond the simplest of plants. I think I put this is the other post you made but any good flourescent light will help a lot for plant growth. I think the standard flourescent fixture is 18 watts which can grow a few plants. I personally use a 48 inch shop fixture over 2 ten gallon tanks side by side and I can grow a lot of different plants and it is not too bright. I think they have 24 inch fixtures that would work fine for a 10 gallon. Even on larger tnaks a shop fixture can work for an inexpensive light source.

Just make sure to buy quality plant rated bulbs. 6500-8500Kelvin, high CRI 85+ and as high of lumens as possible.

Blaxicanlatino

I have 2 compact flourescent light bulbs ( the kind that look like swirls)

fish_4_all

hmm, there are higher wattage bulbs out there. I have 20 watt screw in compacts. I acvtually plant to use them over one of my tanks as suppliment to my lighting or use 4 of them over a 26 bowfront.

There isn't enough known about the output for aquariums concerning the screw in flourescents. I would guess that this is a bout 10 watts of usable light that actually makes it to the plants for them to use. I know a members who uses them over a 10 gallon planted tank, the 20 watt bulbs and grows plants really well.

Blaxicanlatino

Its the long flourescent light bulbs are just so expensive. I cant find any that will fit in the hood of my 10 G

Ptrain

and what is "expensive" 100 plus dollars? because i was looking to buy one also

Blaxicanlatino

I say 15$ plus for a single bulb is too much

kritas

I also find it way too much for a light for a 10 gallon to be costing $50-$60 australian cash. Thats just bullcrap

Blaxicanlatino

Fa real?! Dats Crazy!!! 8)

okiemavis

Haha- I just spent well over $100 US on lighting for my heavily planted 10 gallon tank, and I couldn't be happier. There are retrofit kits that can be cheaper (check out AH Supply), and compact florescent bulbs aren't really THAT badly priced, so it's mostly just the fixtures that are gonna get you. The fact of the matter though is that lights are expensive, and you get what you pay for and a powerful, full spectrum light is priceless.

BTW, Blaxican, check out Crypt Wendtii, it's a nice foreground plant that does well in lower light. Also, Anubias nana is a good one. It may get a bit tall for a 10 gallon foreground, but it grows REALLY slowly and can be pruned. It's just about impossible to kill.