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Compact Fluorescent lighting question
Yes this is my first posted question as a three month "lurker". I
write to you all because I know I will get good and fair advice.
Anyways, here is my question:
About two months ago I started my first 10 gallon planted tank. Because
of my very limited budget and my excitment to experiement, I placed it
in front of a large, south facing window with a shear, lacey type
curtain filtering direct sun. I wanted to supplement the lighting and
get a solid 10 hours of light, so I bought a cheap hanging light fixture
(the type used for heat lamps above chicks) and installed a Sylvania 20
watt compact fluorescent Soft White Deluxe El Electronic light. How do
these compare with tube fluorescents. The box states that light output
is 1280 Lumens with a color temperature of 3000K (what does this mean
for my tank?). The light looks great in the water.
F.Y.I...I have 2 otto's in the tank so far, Hygrophila difformis,
Sagittaria subluvata va. subluvata, and Egeria densa...so far I have
been battling first diatoms which the otto's took care of and now green
algae on the glass and extremely fast growing brownish thread type algae
in major clumps...I change 4 gallons of water a day and it still keeps
coming...I have yeast CO2 into an internal power filter and fertilized a
plain gravel bed with too many jobe's palm spikes (too much N and P in
the water column) and Root Tabs (0-0-3+iron). Ooops...can't seem to get
the algae to slow. By the way...water in Missoula, MT is as hard as the
rocks!..
Sorry to be so long...thanks for your time and I love the info. found
"in here"
Sean Meister.