Does ANYONE have a 10G PLANTED tank???

stephanieleah

I'm frustrated. I just bought a 10 gallon tank for a few mosquito fish that I want to take out of my pond. I want the tank to be planted so it's healthier, and I want to use it as a QT. The problem is...the only lighting I can find is the MEGA lighting that costs $200. Everything that fits on a 10 gallon tank only has one florescent bulb.

Are there any single flourescent bulbs that will accomodate a planted tank?

Are there any hoods that have two bulbs for a 10g (20") tank???

I have to do some shoppig, I was just hoping I could get answers from the pros. Going to Petsmart and my LFS was such a joke today. I felt like I was talking to people that were high on something.

Angel079

Just for you: Here's the pictures of my 2 10g's planted (forgive the cloudiness on the new one, pic was taken right after set up).
I use screw in bulbs from the home store by 'Bright Effects' called daylight. Not only do my plants strongly agree with them judging from their speedy growth. What i REALLY like about these bulbs (and didn't realize til I had them) they're these energy bulbs and actually turn on (warm up) slowly, so its kinda like a mini sunrise over the tank where the light turns on & gets brighter slowlyyy rather then the other tanks with the florescent tubs that BAM are on bright light. I find this much more natural and they fit into any regular common fixture and I have 2 over each tank.
Edit: Since you asked about price there...mine are (bite me now) either $3 or 4 for a 2 pack here.

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05pwpdc5

The plants look great. I like how you've arranged them.

Mecal

my 10g is also planted. it has 1 long single light and seems to work fine.

stephanieleah

The water is still cloudy but I purposely emptied the filter of it's activated carbon in order to start the new planted tank without any chemical filtration. I hope my plants will do better. And I only boiled the driftwood once (usually I do twice so it doesn't color the water) because I wanted the water to be a little less clear, as this is what the fish to be housed are used to. In fact, they're used to murky dirty water and never being fed, so they're in for a treat, I hope.

I used Daylight fluorescent bulbs, 80W total, and I'm hoping this will be sufficient for plant growth. According to some people it should.

Tomorrow I will transplant some of my plants from my old tank to the 10G. And if the filter and everything are still working fine, then I'll add the fish too. (I took them out of the whiskey barrel pond and put them in a holding bucket until tomorrow and I didn't realize there are TEN! I thought only half dozen. Too many for 10G but given the conditions they're coming from, I still feel like I'm rescuing them).

An obsessive fishkeeper's work is never done.

Attached Images

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glosrob

I've a 10g tank that I am hoping to grow plants in so this was useful to me too :)

beetlebz

incandescent hoods with the screw in (fluorescent) bulbs are the best kept secret in fish keeping lol I used to think they were cheesy, now i have 3 of them :)

Angel079

Never had the twisted bulbs (only the long rounded one's you see up top) lemme know how they work!?

Love the DW, but what I really love is the lava rock, cause I been wanting one for the 2nd 10g and couldn't find one here lol

Lovely!!!!

kenbeme

are thoses just the new regulare power saving bulbs?

Kelso

Both of my ten gallons are planted, not heavily planted, but planted. I use a regular fluorescent tube in the one and those little energy saving looking bulbs in the other. Works fine!