Best Budget Lighting Upgrade for 20G Long?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

JakeH

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Mar 17, 2009
1,961
1
66
Houston, TX
Well, all my plants are looking ok & my levels are good, but I'm not even at 1w/G. Not planning on future CO2 or anything crazy, just plants for my Loach grow-out tank, but I think they would like more than 18w of 10,000k. I would also like the light to diffuse more through the tank... Its so shallow that I only have one intense band of light through the middle of the tank.
I have root tabs in a few spots & dose liquid ferts every week, but the plants aren't the priority so I cant blast them with a huge light. My plants are Java Moss, Java Fern, Amazon Swords, Anubias, Wisteria & I just picked up a really cool Japanese Marimo Ball. I think its actually some type of algae... Anyhow, can I improve the existing reflector? I'd like to keep the nice black hood. If not, should I just suck it up, buy a dual lamp fixture & go back to the glass canopy? All ideas are appreciated!!!!!
 
best bet get a incandescent hood and use cfl bulbs.

=Compact_Fluorescent_Light_Bulb.jpg
 
Would regular cfls work, or do they make certain kinds for aquaria? I could easily make a nice, cheap, light setup that way for my planted lowtech 20L too. I don't ever plan on doing CO2, or buying too fancy of lights.
 
mgamer20o0;3501252; said:
best bet get a incandescent hood and use cfl bulbs.

^ I agree...its cheap and efficient. I even bought the blue ones to offset the yellow color. It looks almost like regular flourescent lighting...
 
Really? Wow. Ok. So how much wattage would I be looking at? Would it be better to add a screw-type socket to each end of my current hood? The lamp is only 24" long, so I have about 3" of space on each end of the reflector...
 
Try this...You might like the color. Its not really blue blue...more of a office color to offset the yellow.

pond and stand 076.jpg
 
big_tank_boy;3501657; said:
well i already got a doubble compact light for mine like 3 wats per gallon and my plants are growing like crazy.......

What species?
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com