Can I use a reading lamp for a planted tank?

[BeefyG]

For starters, I have only been keeping fish for a few months. It started with a betta for my daughter and now I have a 25 gallon and a 30 gallon tank. I probably am in the wrong hobby because I am about as cheap as they get.

That being said, I have a two tier stand with a reading lamp hanging over the top tank. After visiting HAW, I think I want to add live plants in place of the fake ones. If I add two 100W equivalent CFL lights to the sockets facing the aquarium, do you think it will be enough light? I'm not looking for enormous growth or anything. I would be fine if the plants grew really slowly. I just want them in there and alive. My other option is to build a hood with some sockets I took out of an old ceiling fan but I don't have time to do it right now.

The tank on the bottom has a single 15W flora-gro florescent bulb in a light hood. I have a clip on lamp that came with an aquarium I bought that I could put a 100W eq CFl in as well. I would have to move the stand out a bit to fit it though. Any better ideas?

I really don't want to spend 50 bucks on a good light fixture. I'm looking for cheap solutions...

I know the tanks shouldn't be in front of a window. I put them there because I had a pleco but no algae to feed him. It didn't work but I ended up leaving them there anyways...

Any response is appreciated

[mark razmandi]

i dont know about the light, but welcome to HFB and youll fit right in....all these ******** are cheap! lol

[BeefyG]

lol thanks!

[lilmissruffcountry]

Welcome to the box!...And there are a bunch of cheap people here too...lol...and a bunch of people that have stuff for sale for cheap too. You could prolly post a wanted thread...and find a cheap light that will work well, AND looks good!

[mahoro]

walmart has 2 version of their desk lamp that will be perfect for a small planted tank, one cost 20ish the other closer to 35ish, they are both full-spec, try those, homedepot also has the 6500k lamp for 20 bucks, looks like robo cop

[mahoro]

oh wait, somehow i mis-read it as a 2 and 3 gallon tank, for that size those lights will not do much at all, what you can do is get full spec cf lights that can screw into the stand...

[BeefyG]

oh wait, somehow i mis-read it as a 2 and 3 gallon tank, for that size those lights will not do much at all, what you can do is get full spec cf lights that can screw into the stand...

Are the regular cf lights like what you would grab off the shelf at walmart full spectrum? Or do I have to look for a specific one?

[Mzungu]

Walmart does have some of the screw-in CF bulbs that are for plants - they have "plant bulb" or something similar written on the package. Those work great. :)

[Somefishguy]

walmart sales 26 watt 6500k daylight bulb (the spiral bulbs with normal socket end). Those will fit the lamps you have. However they are 26 watt (not the 100 watt output is says, you always go by the true wattage.).

Now to get a low tech planted tank you will need like 1.5 watts per gallon of daylight lighting. So if you get three of those lights then you should have enough light to grow a few plants, but only a select few.

You could try anubias, java moss, and java ferns. I have seen amazing tanks using only these plants.


you will need to get the lights as close to the tank as possible to maximize the output

[BeefyG]

walmart sales 26 watt 6500k daylight bulb (the spiral bulbs with normal socket end). Those will fit the lamps you have. However they are 26 watt (not the 100 watt output is says, you always go by the true wattage.).

Now to get a low tech planted tank you will need like 1.5 watts per gallon of daylight lighting. So if you get three of those lights then you should have enough light to grow a few plants, but only a select few.

You could try anubias, java moss, and java ferns. I have seen amazing tanks using only these plants.


you will need to get the lights as close to the tank as possible to maximize the output

I bought a two pack of the 26 w daylight bulbs today. One didn't work ( I have bad luck with cfs) but the one that did work put out a LOT of light so I think it will work. I also bought some lilly bulbs to throw in there as an experiment.

Thanks everybody!

[Somefishguy]

just so you know, are you sure the bulb didnt work... did you try it in the socket that the working bulb is in? I as because of the shape of the bulb sometimes you do not get good contact in the socket... try the non working bulb in the socket where the working bulb is in... if it doesnt work exchange it

[mahoro]

walmart sales 26 watt 6500k daylight bulb (the spiral bulbs with normal socket end). Those will fit the lamps you have. However they are 26 watt (not the 100 watt output is says, you always go by the true wattage.).

Now to get a low tech planted tank you will need like 1.5 watts per gallon of daylight lighting. So if you get three of those lights then you should have enough light to grow a few plants, but only a select few.

You could try anubias, java moss, and java ferns. I have seen amazing tanks using only these plants.


you will need to get the lights as close to the tank as possible to maximize the output

don't go by the wpg, it doesn't work well with spiral bulbs, since most the light is bounced off other place, unless you mod it...

[BeefyG]

don't go by the wpg, it doesn't work well with spiral bulbs, since most the light is bounced off other place, unless you mod it...

Only the very tip of the bulb sticks out of the reflector cup and the inside of the reflector cup is white (I think) so the light is fairly focused. Is that good enough? What kind of mod? Would heat be an issue if I lined the cup with foil?

[BeefyG]

just so you know, are you sure the bulb didnt work... did you try it in the socket that the working bulb is in? I as because of the shape of the bulb sometimes you do not get good contact in the socket... try the non working bulb in the socket where the working bulb is in... if it doesnt work exchange it

I'll try it when I get home unless my wife has already exchanged them by then.

[kwc1974]

The problem with spiral wound bulbs is that you do not get the light focused where you want them to be. Even with reflectors the light will be cast into the bulb itself and therefore you will not get as much effency as with incadacent or straight flourecents. This is not to say that it is not a good bulb, just not as effecint as advertized.