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introduction and CF question



I just subscribed to aquatic-plants after trying for several days.  
Guess the server was down.  During the early to mid-90's, I grew aquatic 
plants and participated in rec.aquaria before the reorganization, but a 
move to a new state and a growing interest in epiphytes drew me away 
from aquatic gardening.  I'm now planning to start again.  

A couple of weeks ago, I lost a 15-year old Syndontis angelicus: his 
tank dropped to 39 degrees F when we lost electricity for 6 days after 
an ice storm.  So, now I have a depressingly empty 20 gallon high that I 
would like to convert to a plant tank.  I've been reading the archives 
and the Krib to catch up with changes in technology, and I have decided 
to go with compact fluorescents from AH Supply.

My question:  Will a single 55 watt CFbulb be sufficient (possibly with 
the addition of a standard 20 watt tube cannibalized from an old strip 
light), or would two 36 watt CF bulbs be better?  I do want sufficient 
light to grow my old favorite Rotala macrandra.  The tank will have 
some fluorite substrate, CO2 injection, and minimal filtration (probably 
just a powerhead).

Incidentally, a big clump of java moss survived 39 degrees and 6 days of 
darkness just fine, but the black brush algae looks very unhappy.  I 
don't recommend this as an algae-control strategy.

Nick

---------------
Nicholas Plummer
nplummer at duke_edu
http://www.duke.edu/~nplummer/main.html