Lighting Question

[NYfishguy]

I'm planing on upgrading the lights on my apisto tank and have a few questions. I am curently using the standard strip light that came with the 20G high tank. It think it's only 18W. Eventhough I currently have low light plants like anubias, java moss and crypts. They don't seem to be doing "well" especially the crypts. My plan was to order a 36 watt power compact fixture from aquatraders. Here are my questions:
1. Will 36 watts be enough in a 20G high for these plants
2. What other plants would I be able to use?
3. it comes with a free 50/50 combo bulb, can I use this or should I get the 6500K daylight bulb instead?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[regani]

A few things to consider:

The crypts are root feeders, if there are not enough nutrients in the soil, they will not do well. Root fertiliser tabs make all the difference here.

The fish may feel less secure/comfortable under high light. the current bulb may just be old and hence put out far less light than it used to (happens to all fluorescent lights where output goes down quite a bit over time) hence just replacing it may be enough.

Lights produce a fair amount of heat, the more Watts the more heat. This can lead to problems with high water temperatures, especially in closed hoods.

 

[NYfishguy]

I will definately try the root tabs. Brand new bulb so no problem there. Also tank is in my basement where it gets quite cold so the extra heat might give the heater a little break.

 

[plantsNfish]

If you don't care if it has a industrial feel a great cost effective way to light a tank is to use the clip lights available in black or silver (silver is cheaper) and just hang from the cord about 12" above the tank I would use two 13watt spiral CFL 7500K or higher bulbs. that will give you more than enough light. You might even need to increase the distance from the water than 12" unless you are using C02 or you will get algae real bad. Fertilizer is easy just grab a tub of Osmocote plus from Walmart or Home depot put 15 prills in each ice cube tray and put 1/4" water or so to freeze them and take the cube and plant a few inches away from the plants. You can also use the gel cap size 00 but the ice cubes work just the same and cost nothing. you will only need to do this every 3 months. =)