# Lighting for 5 gallon NPT set up?



## Lou (Jan 23, 2006)

I am setting up a 5 gallon tank but am having a bit of a time finding good lighting for it. What do some of you use for your NPT 5 gallon tanks? Is a standard single strip light sufficient considering how low the light is to the plants? Any thoughts and suggestions are truly appreciated.

-Lou


----------



## ashfaqe (Sep 21, 2011)

I had approximately 15watts of spiral CFL aimed at my 5 gallon NPT sitting on a counter. I say approximately because I have a 5 bulb floor lamp that I used as a cheap alternative for lighting my 29 gallon tank (didn't produce the greatest results) and I had 1 of the bulbs facing the side of my 5 gallong betta tank. I was able to grow some cabomba and stargrass and a couple other low demand plants in there pretty easily.

I have moved the tank since then and currently have this sitting on a pane of glass above the tank. I can't say for sure how that will work but it was a leftover LED panel from a kit aquarium. The only reason I'm using it is because I already had it. I wouldn't suggest paying that much for an LED strip like that.

My suggestion would be to get a clip on lamp and get a daylight spectrum spiral CFL...maybe 15-20 watts. That would be a super cheap way to get some good light in the tank. A shallow tank like that shouldn't need much light intensity to get to the bottom. You're looking at less than $20.


----------



## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

I agree. The spiral CF give great results on small tanks.


----------



## Lou (Jan 23, 2006)

Thank you both. That is helpful.

-Lou


----------



## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

Just remember to get Daylight bulbs at ~6500K


----------



## Lou (Jan 23, 2006)

Will do, thanks!

-Lou


----------



## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

I greatly prefer the look of daylight bulbs, to the yellowish cast of lower temp bulbs. But people with PAR meters tell me the plants don't really care. The orientation of the cfl makes a much greater difference than the color temp. A vertically oriented cfl provides much more usable light to the plants beneath than a horizontally oriented bulb. So get a daylight bulb, because they look more pleasing, but mount it vertically to please the plants. Then post a photo - to please the rest of us.


----------



## Lou (Jan 23, 2006)

Will do! Appreciate the feedback.


----------



## Lou (Jan 23, 2006)

Just an update, I ended up getting an Exo Terra 12 inch light that is usually used for reptile enclosures. It holds one screw in bulb and it has a reflector. I put a 20 watt 6500 K spiral bulb in it. I pulled plants from my 20 gallon NPT. So far no fish just plants and snails. I guess the plants like the light as the are pearling like crazy. I plan this tank to be home to a single male betta. Here's some pics to enjoy.


----------



## Lou (Jan 23, 2006)

Here's a brief update on this tank. Plants growing very well, have had to prune them quite a bit. Male betta is doing exceptionally well. He has been in for almost three weeks now and has just blossomed. Technically he is a full moon, double tail plakat. But my daughter just calls him Strawberry. Have also added about 8 pink ramshorn snails to help with clean up. They are pretty nice in their own right.


----------

