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quick lighting question

i have a 10 gallon tank that i have 3 pots of vft's (6 plants total), 1 sarr pitcher, and 5 pots of vft leaf pulls in. i currently have 2-18" 15 watt flouresent lights (1 cool white and 1 warm white), and one 60 watt incandesent light (used more for the heat than the light). the tank is lined on 5 sides with tin foil.
the lights go on when i get up and go off when i go to bed (about 6a-10/11p mon-fri and 9a-1/2a sat and sun). should i use more light? the plants don't seem to mind, but i don't really have lot of coloration in them.
all plants have been purchased in the past 6 months. i'm not giving them a dormancy period this year.

your thoughts?

thanks,
technoracer
 
You could use a Compact Flourescent screw in bulb in your incandescent fixture (they now make them in Daylight color spectrum check at home depot/lowes) this will help more than the incandescent - which gives off the wrong color, not much brightness/lumens and as you already know makes heat-something you do want to avoid from your lighting choices.
 
i pretty much work out doors. this means i keep the house a bit warm in summer and a bit cool in winter, as i gt used to the temps. i only use the incandesent a few hours a day to warm the tank up a little bit (take it from 65 deg to 75/80deg). maybe i don't even need the incandesent?

you think i need more light? i could go buy another fixture. cool white/ warm white? grow light?

thanks,
technoracer
 
Hey Techno, I had Jaie post my article on terrarium lighting so hopefully this will give you a clearer picture of what kind of bulbs/fixtures are sufficient. I told them to leave the post open so people can ask questions there if they are still not clear on something.

Take it easy!
smile.gif
 
cool! i'll have to check that out.
my big question is, am i running enough wattage? is 30 watts enough?

thanks again!
technoracer
 
You might as well look into a Compact Flourescent bulb they give off lots of heat and on top of that the plants like the light they put out and they will save you about 50 bucks on your power bill in its life time.

I use a 23w Compact Flourescent in my set up 4 hrs a day it gives off the same light as a incandesent 75 watt bulb will. And the same heat as a incandesent . Compacts can get hot there not like the tube flourescents infact if I went to go touch mine now id burn my hand its so hot. I only run my Compact for 4 hrs becase in that 4 hrs my tank temp goses all the way up to 85f from 60F. I allso use a pair of shop lights 2-40 watt bulbs and a fish tank light 1 -30 watt bulb that stay on 12 hrs a day.The tank im useing is 20 gals.

I really think you need more watts 30 watts is nothing for a 10 gal tank a compact flouresent or more tube lights is what you should get.

I think you should aim for 75-100 watts min If the tanks in a low light room.
 
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