# Lighting solution for 10 gallon



## mattmathis77 (Dec 12, 2008)

I am trying to put together ideas etc for starting a 10 gallon planted tank. I want to be able to grow mid to high light plants. And I want to have a nice carpet, probably Glossostigma. I will be using fluorite. And PPS-Pro dosing with dry ferts.

I want to get as close to "high light" as I can get with the 10 gallon. I made a fixture for my 70 gallon to go with the 48in T-10 40 watt fixture that came with it. It has 2x 32 watt T-8 bulbs, and together they light the 70 pretty well. So I guess I'll build a light for the 10 gallon too.

So, would 4x 15 watt T-8 bulbs on a 10 gallon be "high light"? or would I need to try for a higher "light intensity"? And if so, what would be the best route to get more intensity, without spending much?

Thanks!!!


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

mattmathis77 said:


> I am trying to put together ideas etc for starting a 10 gallon planted tank. I want to be able to grow mid to high light plants. And I want to have a nice carpet, probably Glossostigma. I will be using fluorite. And PPS-Pro dosing with dry ferts.
> 
> I want to get as close to "high light" as I can get with the 10 gallon. I made a fixture for my 70 gallon to go with the 48in T-10 40 watt fixture that came with it. It has 2x 32 watt T-8 bulbs, and together they light the 70 pretty well. So I guess I'll build a light for the 10 gallon too.
> 
> So, would 4x 15 watt T-8 bulbs on a 10 gallon be "high light"? or would I need to try for a higher "light intensity"? And if so, what would be the best route to get more intensity, without spending much?


mm: how do I start? (and btw I am not familiar with T8 lamps)

In a another thread I really PO'ed someone unintentionally and a long time member indicated that I was just trying to help folks so here goes.

You really have no idea of what you are getting yourself into here but you have really been researching the literature. Translating your experience with the less than 1WPG 70G to the 6WPG 10G will not work.

IMHO the 4 lamp setup is good but installing 4 switches would also be good (although not published much in the literature lighting duration and lighting intensity are not interchangeable).

You have latched onto the PPS-Pro dosing protocol because it is the "current thing" out there instead of the EI but please note that IMHO it is superior to the EI when used with the recommended dosages typically published.

Having said that if you put 1 ml of the recommended PPS-Pro fertilizer concentrations in your 10G tank with 6WPG you better have a very good algae scraper (ie. you get my drift) but the algae on the tank walls will be nothing compared to the algae on the slow growing plants.

If this were my experiment with a 70G and a 10G I would (and this is just what I would do) start with:
2 Teaspoons of K2SO4 (Potassium Sulfate)
0 Teaspoons of KNO3 (Potassium Nitrate)
0 Teaspoons of KH2PO4 (Mono Potassium Phosphate)
1 Teaspoon of MgSO4 (Magnesium Sulfate)
3 Teaspoons of CSM+B

Fill a glass vessel (like the size of a small jar of crystal bouillon) half full of distilled water and bring to a slight boil in the microwave; add the fertilizers; screw on the lid and shake vigorously; and keep repeating the bringing to a slight boil, screwing on the lid and shaking until the crystals appear to go away (you will need to this every time before you dose).

Dose the 10G with 1Ml of this solution (with the two exterior lamps turned on for 12 hours/day) and the 70G with 10Ml of this solution (with the lamps turned on for 12 hours/day) and report the results in a post after three days.

TR


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## mattmathis77 (Dec 12, 2008)

Thank you so much! It's nice to get the information so straight. It seems lately like the more I read the more confused I get. There are so many opinions out there, it's crazy. I decided to go with the high light in the 10 gallon just as you said an experiment. And I will do as you said with the dosing. I was all ready worried about adding nitrates when I all ready had nitrates, but everyone said to do it. I'll take all the advice you can give when it comes to dosing! 

Let me ask you something else if you don't mind...

I also want to grow plants in my 75 gallon tank, but it has been set up for years with fish and I don't want to do anything drastic to them in order to have plants in there. (I was especially worried about dosing nitrates into this tank!)

The 75 gallon has regular river pebble gravel, 1x 40 watt T-10, and 2x 32 watt T8's. So I have right at 1.4 WPG. I had all ready bought the Flourish, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Excel. (I'll switch to dry ferts when these run out.) 

If I added 2 more 32 watt bulbs for a total of 2.2 WPG would I have to have CO2?

Thanks a BUNCH!!!


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

mattmathis77 said:


> There are so many opinions out there, it's crazy. I decided to go with the high light in the 10 gallon just as you said an experiment. And I will do as you said with the dosing. I was all ready worried about adding nitrates when I all ready had nitrates, but everyone said to do it.


mm: you have asked a ton of questions here and I will attempt to respond even when a question was not asked.

Please note that each micro ecosystem varies and my words only represent my experience with mine but, although you will have to experiment with your micro ecosystems, my words are based on very hard earned experience and may provide "a reasonable starting point".

You have somehow "latched onto the nitrates" but the phosphate concentration will cause problems exponentially compared to the nitrate's concentration and hence DO NOT add phosphates to your initial solution.

Many folks (who have much more experience than I) have reported zero nitrates in a heavily planted tank but I have never observed this condition.

Also the literature indicates that 15 to 20ppm nitrates is necessary but my experience indicates that 5ppm is sufficient.




mattmathis77 said:


> I also want to grow plants in my 75 gallon tank, but it has been set up for years with fish and I don't want to do anything drastic to them in order to have plants in there. (I was especially worried about dosing nitrates into this tank!)
> 
> The 75 gallon has regular river pebble gravel, 1x 40 watt T-10, and 2x 32 watt T8's. So I have right at 1.4 WPG. I had all ready bought the Flourish, Flourish Iron, and Flourish Excel. (I'll switch to dry ferts when these run out.)
> 
> If I added 2 more 32 watt bulbs for a total of 2.2 WPG would I have to have CO2?


mm: unless I have lost it here you did not report the 40W in your original post and this significantly changes the "thinking" wrt your 70G.

If your 70G is working with your current ferts and "them running out" is important then continue but please do not attempt to derive conclusions based upon your observations of the plants in 10G and 70G tanks.

BTW Flourish and Iron are basically just micronutrients and Excel is basically just Carbon but this is perfectly OK as I have had a very nice planted tank with 1.5WPG and only dosing Flourish.


mm: the CO2 issue is "something else".

For now and IMHO I would leave the 70G as it is and begin experimenting as described in my previous post (which means putting the liquid ferts in cold storage) as a couple of months worth of experience now will really be useful to you.

TR

BTW: the various T# lamps except T5's will soon become obsolete.


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## Ricker (Nov 23, 2007)

I am sure Jones has helped out alot. On my 10g I just use 2 PC lights I bought at walmart it right now supports two high light plants but I cant remember names.


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