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how to dim/filter/reduce light output

6K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  Angel079 
#1 ·
I have a ten gallon tank that is currently holding about a dozen or so plant cuttings of various plants with various light requirements (acquired from a plant swap here that was amazing). Unfortunately, the only light fixture I have for this tank at the time (until the weekend when i can go out and get something else) is a compact fluorescent fixture that holds a 96 watt bulb (yikes!). Would it be better to use this and filter it (I have it on now being filtered through several layers of window screen which definitely darkens the light output). Or would it just be better to, I don't know, put a table lamp next to it for the time being. Or, since it's a quad tube, could I wrap three of them in foil to block the light (would they explode from heat?)? Or should I just fertilize the crap out of it to balance out all the light, which is ultimately going to probably burn the whole tank down? There is no livestock in this tank.

What do you think? I don't want to kill all these free plants!!! They are so beautiful!
 
#2 ·
Do you have any portable lamp (desk etc) that you can just add a simple daylight CFL too? Like the twisted one's you had bought before. Few days under that kinda light will fry your plants....
 
#4 ·
If possible, place it in a south or west-facing window, or an east-facing if you have bright sunny days where you are. Planted tanks with only daylight from windows grow very well.
 
#6 ·
That sounds good (for your plants)!
 
#10 ·
You have to look at all when talking CFLs; eg a 26W Daylight bulb is actually 100w light output and they have 1600 Lumens.
Over my 10g I have 2x14w daylights (not the twisted one's but the lil tube looking one's and in comparison these are dimmer).
 
#11 ·
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