Ideas for 10 gal

[mistahoo]

The only problem with the screw in bulbs is that the lighting towards the center will be stronger and towards the edge will be weaker and lighter.

[troy tucker]

I have a small 10g with screw in CFL. It has Cabomba, Guppygrass, and frogbite. I can't kill the frogbite off. Anubias and Java fern does well in the tank as well. I grow out all the plants for my Geo tank in it.
Shrimp are cool and are fun.

[mistahoo]

I have a spiral CFL on my 1.5gal. Works great, but I plan to upgrade to LEDs.

If you want, you could do LED spotlights. I have two on my 10gal and it gives some pretty bright light. It's far cheaper than screw in spiral CFL bulbs and puts out just as much if not more PAR.

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[mnemenoi]

the lower 10 gallon in our little girls room has a pair of screw in cfl bulbs and does great

[morpheus]

I will probably start with the CFLs and if things seem to be growing well then there is no need for the plant striplight. Like i said some grew well, and others always died probably due more to nutrients as i read replies here. I never had any special bulbs, just CFLs. but there are CFLs for plants, so maybe just upgrade to those at a minimum.

[morpheus]

Is there a "best" substrate for a shrimp/plant tank?

I know shrimp generally will do fine in many different substrates, but right now it is larger pebble gravel. I have read things like Fluval Shrimp Stratum, sand, fine pebble, etc.

I will also need a sponge/cover for the whisper intake or else baby shrimp will get sucked in

just want to get the setup right the first time

[Chester]

I have a sponge cover you can have... as far as substrate since you are going to be putting them in with plants. I would do some kind of inert sand and then use root tabs... I also have like 20 pounds of grey sand that petco sells in 5 pound bags... i got them at 50 cents each so i bought them all lol... just let me know if you want any of that or the sponge cover.

[morpheus]

I have a sponge cover you can have... as far as substrate since you are going to be putting them in with plants. I would do some kind of inert sand and then use root tabs... I also have like 20 pounds of grey sand that petco sells in 5 pound bags... i got them at 50 cents each so i bought them all lol... just let me know if you want any of that or the sponge cover.

Great thanks a lot Chester. For a 10 gal I guess 2 bags would work and i will reimburse you for it, as well as the sponge cover.

[mistahoo]

Sand or gravel, it doesn't matter. I've seen some nice planted tanks with gravel. CFLs will work. The screw in LEDs I'm using are $2-3 each. 9w.

[morpheus]

Way back in the day, I used the liquid Flourish in my tank. Is that equivalent to using root tabs that embed in the gravel? Or not as effective?

[suicune]

flourish is for water column feeder, root feeder like sword plants benefit more from root tabs. I use both.

[LooksLater]

+1.
We use both, too.

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[mistahoo]

I use both as well. Keep in mind Flourish is micro ferts only.

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