[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Nuclear Lighting - how much is too much?



We've got an (ex) betta tank (10gal) here that has been languishing since
the death of the betta, with a guppy and 2 cories grazing off the algae
growing everywhere.
Well, this tank was originally set up to be planted - with 1.5-2" of shultz
clay soil conditioner, but we never got around to putting in lighting (it's
one of the incandescent hoods from wal-mart - with one bulb removed due to
heat issues) so the only thing in there are several crypts that have been
loving life in half-shadow (do crypts really need light at all?)
Anyways, today I was looking at the tank, and decided to try out something
with the lighting - we have one of those screw-in CF's on a desk lamp - it's
a 28W CF, replacement for a 100W incandescent - so I put that in the tank.
Had to remove the metal reflector to fit the bulb, but now the side of the
tank with the CF bulb looks like it's in direct sunlight!  Two would give
56W of CF lighting, for 5.6wpg <evil grin>
So, how much is too much?  I just checked the tank, and the vents ontop the
light were starting to melt a bit, so this much is obviously too much (well,
the hood did say 25W max, and the bulb is 28 ;)
But, with some nice light-loving plants (bananna plant, canboda, ludwiga,
etc) and lots of nutrients, would 4-5wpg work in a small tank?  I figure
just a powerhead for co2 diffusion... 2 yeast bottles maybe? - only run
during day.

Derek johnson
djohnson1981 at yahoo_com