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New Member
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The biggest problem with incandescents is the heat. You would get a lot of heat from 40 watts using incandescent bulbs especially in a 10 gallon tank. Since a standard 10 gallon tank is 20" wide you would need a 20 " fixture single bulb (probably compact flourescent) since Im not sure you can find a standard flourescent single bulb fixture in the 20 " size with the wattage you want. I know they make a 24" standard flourescent double bulb fixture which uses 18" bulbs and standard flourescent is cheaper but the fixture would hang over both sides of your tank if you centered the bulbs. To use these types of lighting fixtures you would need an all glass versa-top in the 20" size. Also for growing plants you will need bulbs with full spectrum light or bulbs made especially for plants like Coral Life's Nutri-Grow Plant lamp which by the way comes in 18" length.
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Fishkeeping GURU
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The fact that it is an incandescent hood actually works in your favor. All you have to do is get those screw-in compact fluorescent bulbs (of the right size for the hood of course, and shoot for a K rating as close to 6500-7000 as possible, but higher than that would be better than lower if it isn't available). Then you could set up a DIY CO2 diffuser and get some decent gravel and probably easily keep medium light plants.
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New Member
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Last Login: 7/11/2008 10:46:38 AM
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| Thanks for the input everyone, it' hard getting solid advice because I'm 16 and fishstores won't take me seriously! I'm not sure about stvnw's idea though because the hood has two bulb sockets sticking out to either side. (bulb)===center===(bulb) like so... Hailey do fluorecent lights work in regular sockets? Also I can't have the long tube lights though, because of the layout of the hood... the lights that came with the hood are like these:http://yueqing-shi-shinaidi-electrical.tradenote.net/images/users/000/102/716/products_images/598094.jpg (not sure if I'm allowed to post external links).... Also, are there any bulbs you recommend in the 6500-7000k range that might be anywhere under 20 watts? As for the other stuff, I'm planning to DIY CO2 with yeast and all that. Also planning on buying Aquasoil, and using that. Looks like i'll have to recycle my tank (somewhat). Thanks for all the help again
20 gallon - melon barb x 3
krib x 2
planted
20 gallon - pending stocking
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Fishkeeping GURU
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I found something like these in the lighting section of Walmart. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5650619 They were close to 6500k (I think something like 6000k...I can't remember). They are a tad yellow, but they do the job. They had several different kinds in the right size (bring one of your bulbs to compare the base) with different K ratings.
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New Member
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Last Login: 7/11/2008 10:46:38 AM
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| is it safe to ut these bulbs on a hood above water? also, should I remove the plastic covering underneath the incandescent bulbs that diffuses the light, and probably keeps the bulbs from heating the water too much?
20 gallon - melon barb x 3
krib x 2
planted
20 gallon - pending stocking
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Moderator
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If I am understanding this correctly -- you have a hood with incandescent bulbs -- the kind that screw in. If that is the case, go to Home Depot, Lowes, etc. and get a compact fluorescent bulb that is designed to replace incandescents. The only problem may be that it is too large for the fiture -- but if you can do that you can have plenty of light on the tank.
***************************Be warned -- everyone at college has a weird roommate. If you don't have a weird roomate -- then you're the weird roommate.
Conan O'Brien, Stuyvesant High School.
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New Member
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| If you cant find compact flourescent bulbs to fit your incandescent hood, heres a link you can check out if you would like, for a 20", 40 watt, single bulb compact flourescent fixture. http://www.drsfostersmith.com go to the fish section and then lighting and look under single satellite compact flourescent fixture.
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New Member
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Last Login: 7/11/2008 10:46:38 AM
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Also regarding gravel, will a 3 liter bag of aquasoil be enough for a 10 gallon long tank?
Also is the regular or powder better.
20 gallon - melon barb x 3
krib x 2
planted
20 gallon - pending stocking
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