# Great CHEAPO Lighting for a 10gallon planted tank...



## Shawnts106 (Feb 27, 2006)

Ok, so you wana know how to get a nice looking small planted tank? Ill tell you!

In the quest to start my own, I decided a year or two back to set up a small 10gallon planted tank... I had some pool filter sand as a substrate, nothing special..pH was 7.2-7.4 and plants where Tiger Lotus and various Apongetons...

I had one of those cheap WALMART screw in bulb lighting tops... and played around with different bulbs UNTILL I came across these

they are from WALMART, just some mini compact flouresent bulbs... they WORK GREAT!!!

I have grew all kinds of plants under them in that size tank...

it just says on the little box that its for inhansing fish color... but the spectrum looks like 10K or so... not as good as 65K, but the 10K makes the tank look nice and clean/white... and the plants grow like crazy!


I have grew, tiger lotus, apongetons, crypts, rotala's, Altern. Renikii (red temple), hygrophillia, some stargrass, and maybe a few others... it really is a good bulb for a small tank!


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## craftyflalady (Jan 25, 2006)

I also use those bulbs on my smaller planted tanks! I agree, they do a fantastic job and look great!


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## Shawnts106 (Feb 27, 2006)

They do dont they!
YEAH, someone who has used them too!


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## Ben Mazur (Mar 21, 2006)

I'm thinking about doing that now that my tank is fully stocked. I jsut got my water tested and everything is zero but i'd like to have life plants. I had one but I found it to messy. I'll start again


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## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

those sound like the same bulbs I bought as replacements for what came with my tank.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

They work wee for small tanks. Very inefficient for larger tanks. They also give off a lot of heat and the reflectors in the hoods are aweful. Great for 10-15 gallon tanks though. I use them (and have) for a cpl of years now.


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