What light for 1ft tank?

[kniveswood]

What light should I get for my 1ft tank? This is my first attempt at plants and I plan to start with easier plants like Java Ferns. I do not plan to spend too much as well, maybe about $20.

And also, can someone tell me what does PL stand for?

[Simon]

[quote:b08a89bd78="kniveswood"]What light should I get for my 1ft tank? This is my first attempt at plants and I plan to start with easier plants like Java Ferns. I do not plan to spend too much as well, maybe about $20.

And also, can someone tell me what does PL stand for?[/quote:b08a89bd78]

PL - compact light..

check the link
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/phpBB...ic.php?t=11784

for a tank that size, I recommend getting one of those desktop lamps from Ikea, just change the bulb to suit your requirements

or else, you can visit Nature Aquarium opposite Thomson medical center, they might have lights for the tank

[azmi]

I got my lights from Nature Aquarium. They carry a few different types. I got one with 2 x 9 watts PL. The tank also gets some exposure to sunlight as I put it next to a window. Plants are doing OK

[joseph_zhou]

If u let ur tank expose to sunlight u will be asking for trouble man...algae will grow like crazy in a few weeks time.... or maybe sooner if u let them under the sun l\\in the day and on the lights in the nite, which is almost equvilent to 24 hrs of photo period... no other plants can grow so well in this type of condition other than algaes

[bclee]

[quote:acde524a98="joseph_zhou"]If u let ur tank expose to sunlight u will be asking for trouble man...algae will grow like crazy in a few weeks time.... or maybe sooner if u let them under the sun l\\in the day and on the lights in the nite, which is almost equvilent to 24 hrs of photo period... no other plants can grow so well in this type of condition other than algaes[/quote:acde524a98]

Sunlight is not always bad. I use sunlight together with my tank light for my low-tech tank. As long as you know what you are doing, it should be fine.

BC

[azmi]

Allow me to clarify about the sunlight. My set-up is a low-tech set-up with no injected CO2. Just a little experimental tank I set up using soil as substrate after I read Diana Walstad's book. So far I get some algae on the tank walls but very little on the plants. I just scrape off the algae once every two weeks , otherwise tend to leave the tank alone. Sorry if I have gone off topic. I'll start a new thread if anyone once to discuss further