50w Or 25w

[vancouver]

I'm a total noob when it comes to plants... I'm the kind of person that just buys cheap plants and puts them in the tank and hopes they grow..

I've got some java moss, hornwart, and java fern... does it matter if I use 50w or 25w lights? they are incandescent bulbs... I'm assuming the 50w would be better for the plants... is that true? or does it really not matter..

The tank is 10g.. just a livebearer breeding tank.. don't have any special flourite or anything in it.. just 2 incandescent bulbs.

 

[vancouver]

planted forum has disappointed me

 

[netcode]

planted forum has disappointed me

lol chill son. sometimes not a lot of people are on or don't have any suggestions for you.

anyways back on topic. I think you should get a fluro fixture. incandesent lights aren't going to grow much of anything. my suggestion is go out and pick up a cheap fluro fixture for like 20 bucks can and throw in a cheap GE bulb or something similar for like another 3 bucks.


any other questions just ask. but give it time my friend

 

[Boxermom]

Incandescent are not good for plant growth. You can buy 20w fluorescent bulbs to put in the 10g tank which are much better. That's what I use in mine.

 

[vancouver]

I set up another livebearer tank today... it has an 18'' flourescent light in it.. so I've moved all the plants to that tank..

It's got some aqua-glo light in it now... the hardware store sells the bulbs for like $5.. they have one specifically for aquariums and fish..

Hopefully that will do

 

[netcode]

that will do fine. how many watts are 18'' fluros?

 

[Themuleous]

Probably 15w if they are T8 bulbs. And I will add to the others and say incandescent bulbs are rubbish for plants.

 

[vancouver]

bleh.. the bulb must not be very good...

The cambomba is the only plant still alive... the other plant I got has turned light green and is falling apart all over the tank.. I decided to take all the stems of that plant that are still kinda alive, and feed them to my silver dollars..

I think this will be a cambomba only tank

I'm going to grab a new lightbulb next time I go to the hardware store.. silly me bought the wrong size.. I didn't realize it was a thin tube, and I bought a wide one.

On a side note, couple guppies in the tank had fry.. I think the fry were all eaten by baby keyholes though.