[Kay_333]

Even as my bank account is recovering from my last aquarium set-up (5.5g Fluval Spec Moderately Planted Betta Setup) I'm pricing out options for a 10 gallon African Drawf Frog Tank.

So far I'm thinking of getting the top fin led 10g starter kit since I've got the 20g at work and I'm liking the filter and heater etc. for the price. My worry is that the led's won't support plants. I tried planting the 20g but I had a snail that ate anything and everything before it had a chance to grow. Since she passed I've got a sad looking Java fern and a crypt that came back from melt with silk plants.

My question is, what can I do for lighting in order to make the 10g a planted tank (Anubias, Java fern, crypts, mini swords, etc.) My options as I see it are to spend 100$ or so on silk plants or find a relatively cheap lighting set-up and propagate my own plants. I'm in Canada, so lighting systems like Finnex are hard to come by and really expensive! Any suggestions would be appreciated! I plan to use clear plastic (like the kind used on greenhouse roofs) as a lid if necessary so an all in one lid/light system isn't required.

Thanks in advance!


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[The Big Buddha]

Clamp on light with a 6500k CFL bulb. Or an ikea pendant lamp with a CFL like this

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/80237310/

My store had them in a brushed aluminum color.

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[Nexgen]

Clamp on light with a 6500k CFL bulb. Or an ikea pendant lamp with a CFL like this

FOTO Pendant lamp - IKEA

My store had them in a brushed aluminum color.

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^ This is the cheapest and one of the best solutions. I use CFLs for my 10s and two for 20 longs. I raise and lower them to achieve my desired par.

 

[Kay_333]

I'm in an apartment so hanging from the ceiling isn't really an option. Could a clamp light like this work?
http://m.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/art/20370383/

And what kind of CFL would you recommend? Should I go find a plant grow light at the hardware store or will any household light work? How do you know that it's 6500K? I'm not too familiar with PAR... I've been trying to use the WPG rule though I know it's outdated. Is there somewhere you'd recommend to read up on PAR?

Thanks again!


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[steamboatpilot]

Same idea as others have mentioned, clamp lamp and hardware store bulb, but I have really been enjoying these bulbs Robot Check

Not sure the availability in Canada though. The 5000k lighting is a little warmer (yellower) than the 6500k CFL but they produce a great shimmer and I like the warmer look.

The trade off is clamp lamps are ugly, but if you can find a nice desk lamp that fits that is an option too.

 

[mooncon1]

Ive got a 10 gallon with a beamworks 4th generation hi-lumen 50 it has 1650 lumen 0.5wattx33 6500k.I am growing downey,fissidens,redmoss,crypts,buce,cobomba,mermaid weed and a few more plants.Ive got nothing but good things to say about it and the best thing when I bought it I paid about $30.00 for it.

 

[Nordic]

I have a 10g with a simple single 2' 18W biolux tube in, everything except stem plants seem to do ok, and no algae issues even after a few months.
Sure, I wouldn't try to grow a ground cover but still.

 

[Artemesia]

And what kind of CFL would you recommend? Should I go find a plant grow light at the hardware store or will any household light work? How do you know that it's 6500K?

I use household CFLs -get them at home depot, ace hardware, walmart and various other places. I usually look for them on sale- you just have to find the spot on the box where it gives you the info you need. They all have it but it's in a different spot on each brand, so you have to look for it. All the ones I've seen, there's usually a place that says something like "light appearance" or "color appearance" with a little line with 'cool' on one end and 'warm' on the other and an arrow pointing at the cool end of the line with the 6500K rating below it, if it's the right kind. Often they'll say "daylight" on the front of the box too.

Work great, I use them on orchids and houseplants too.

 

[Kay_333]

Thanks! Now to try and wait to save up and convince my boyfriend that it's probably the last new tank though that's what I said about the last three so...


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[The Big Buddha]

I would go to homedepot, grab a nice shelf bracket that will extend off the wall to the middle of the tank and zip tie the ikea light to it.
It won't look super ghetto, and you can easily adjust the height of the hanging light to suit your par requirements. I would start with a 10w 6500K CFL. All this is easily available in Canada. Just don't forget to calculate the total cost and compare it to a nice LED light. Sometimes saving 30$ isn't worth it. Where in Canada are you?

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