# Let there be light!



## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

Is there any sort of regular tube fluorescent light I can put in my hood that’ll give more light, but not blow a fuse? The box says 19watt bulbs...but I’ll want more like 25 watts at least.

The lights I got with my new tank are rather pitiful for keeping live plants. There’s only 38 watts, for a 60 gallon tank. Even if I only put 55 gallons in it, that’s still just barely over half a watt per gallon!
I know that the Halide lights are great for giving sufficient (in fact, quite a lot!) light, but they’re also a couple hundred dollars. 

I figure my plants will probably _survive_ with half a watt... the ones in my 10 gallon tank are getting just barely over 1 watt, and while they haven’t died, they’re not nearly as healthy and vibrant as the ones in my tank that’s getting 2 full watts.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Odds are no. Most ballasts can power stronger bulbs but you still have 2 problems.

Magnetic Tar ballasts (like the old ones used in all glass standard hoods that come with most fishtanks) are not safe to link or run pc bulbs.
For NO flourescent bulbs, increased power means a bigger bulb. For instance a standard f14T8 15 inch bulb is 14 watts. For a more powerful bulb in No flourescent, you'd have to buy a bigger bulb (longer that is) and this wouldn't fit into your fixture.

Your best bet is to purchase a PC retrofit from AHsupply or a new Power Compact fixture from somewhere like Big Al's or the like. You're probably wanting 2-2.5wpg over your tank which means 150 watts of power. There are many ways to accomplish this. But none are going to be cheap. Cheaper than MH but still not cheap.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

u can get some good lighting output for cheap but at your own risk from this place:

www.aquatraders.com


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## Huugs (Apr 25, 2005)

Out of interest why do you say 'at your own risk'?


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## Vivid-Dawn (Jan 18, 2005)

*decision*

I figure buying anything online is a risk  

Anyhoo... I decided I won't have as many plants as I first planned. I'm gonna make a little 'box' to hang on the side, and just keep a few sprigs up near the top. I think that'll get them enough light, without spending more money (that I don't have anyway) on new lights.

I mainly want it for keeping down algae and nitrates anyway. I hope a square foot of Anacharis will do that, decently.


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