watts for carpet

[eiginh]

What are the minimum watts per gallon (wpg) needed for all or most carpet plants in 10g? I talked to an LFS owner and he's got many planted tanks along with great carpet plants. He said the minimum should at least be 5 wpg but I read elsewhere that 3 wpg is good. I plan on having glosso/HC "Cuba"/ something minuta. I already have 36w PC catalina light fixture.

 

[Biollante]

5 Watt Per Gallon-Whoa Up Cowboy!

What are the minimum watts per gallon (wpg) needed for all or most carpet plants in 10g? I talked to an LFS owner and he's got many planted tanks along with great carpet plants. He said the minimum should at least be 5 wpg but I read elsewhere that 3 wpg is good. I plan on having glosso/HC "Cuba"/ something minuta. I already have 36w PC catalina light fixture.

Hi,

I think you have plenty of light with the light fixture you have.

Biollante

 

[Philosophos]

You can grow most carpeted plants with good spread and low light, so long as you toss in a good level of CO2 to go along with it. What you have now may be a bit on the intense side, but that's something you can figure out as you go.

-Philosophos

 

[Biollante]

Light managed Many Ways

Hi,

Shade cloth, floating plants, raising the lights many ways to lower intensity.

Biollante

 

[Tom Barr]

30 W of T8 cheapo bulbs grew anything I ever wanted in a 10 Gal, 2x 15 W under counter type lights.

A single 14 W T5 bulbs with a good reflector would do the same BTW.


Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[eiginh]

I think I can grow these plants too but will it be short and compact or will it be tall? Atm the fixture is 2 inches above the tank from the legs, I'm thinking of just laying down on the perfecto glass top.