need ideas for low light setup

[briansbelle]

i have a mr aqua 12g long that i want to do as a low light setup, i have great substrate(aqua soil) and want to keep this tank simple as my 11.4g is the high tech with co2 and leds.

want some lighting options that are low light, low budget and will work for moss, anacharis,and hornwort, and etc.

was reading something about using clamp on dome lights from lowes with simple cf light bulbs in 13watts. but that was for a 46g bowfront, 22 inches from the substrate.

my tank is only 8" in height.

thanks!!
belle

[cclaeys]

i am about 1000% certain that unles you hang that a good distance above the tank you are gonna have some serious high light...why not one of those home depot desk lamps, you could easily raise it

[briansbelle]

Thanks!

There is no room beside or behind my tank for a lamp.
What about a 2 bulb t5ho light suspended?

Thanks

[Hoppy]

A one bulb T8 light will work, if you keep it about a foot inches above the substrate. Otherwise, even that will be too much light for a non-CO2 tank. Don't even think about any T5 lights. Screw-in CFL bulbs will work, if they are very low in wattage, especially if they have no reflectors. If you have 2 inches of substrate in that tank the light will only be 6 inches from the substrate!

This might be one of the rare times when one of those cheap panels of very low power LEDs might work.

[briansbelle]

Ah ok. Makes sense.

Im going to look around on Ebay for a cheap light.