First Plant...Lighting question

[falcons_eye]

I got my first live plant for 10g. My tank has two screwed incandescent bulbs, my LFS guy told me that I will need fluorescent light (tube..white?). My question is can I use one of those energy saver bulbs (white light)? How much watts I need for 10g tank with just 1 plant. If I am successful keeping this plant alive, I might go for another.

10g tank
20in hood
two incandescent bulbs
Crypt (not sure exact name...leaves are thick/dark green/very bushy). LFS guy told me that this low-medium light plant, with no specific need for substrate.

Do I need to use fertilizer?

Thanks and have a great Christmas!

 

[Lotus]

Yes, you can use the screw-in fluorescent bulbs for growing plants. I prefer the ones from the Wal-Mart fish department, because they have a good spectrum, and they're straight rather than twisty (which causes less restrike/refraction). If you can't get those, try to get bulbs labeled as "daylight" or "full spectrum" as it will give better light for your plants to use. Your hood is probably rated for a maximum of 25 watts per bulb, but look at the usage on the package, not the rating of what the bulb is equivalent to. Note that you may not be able to physically fit some of the larger bulbs available on the market (like those that are equivalent to 100 watts).

You probably won't need a fertilizer, but an all-in-one product like Seachem Flourish will help a little.

 

[falcons_eye]

Yes, you can use the screw-in fluorescent bulbs for growing plants. I prefer the ones from the Wal-Mart fish department, because they have a good spectrum, and they're straight rather than twisty (which causes less restrike/refraction). If you can't get those, try to get bulbs labeled as "daylight" or "full spectrum" as it will give better light for your plants to use. Your hood is probably rated for a maximum of 25 watts per bulb, but look at the usage on the package, not the rating of what the bulb is equivalent to. Note that you may not be able to physically fit some of the larger bulbs available on the market (like those that are equivalent to 100 watts).

You probably won't need a fertilizer, but an all-in-one product like Seachem Flourish will help a little.

Thanks Lotus.
Does that mean I need 25 watts bulb? I think they are rated 13-15W of CFL = ~ 60W of Incandescent.
Can you help me to understand how much watts (real) do I need?

Thanks.

 

[Lotus]

You should probably aim for 10 to 15 watts per bulb. You should be able to use anything less than 25 watts in your fixture, but check what it says inside the hood.

Ignore the "equivalent" value on the bulbs, it's not really useful for working out what you need for the plants.