# What is a good low wpg lighting for low-tech 20L?



## Barbels (Jul 15, 2004)

I'd like to try a low-tech 20 long tank with some easygoing plants, squirt-ferts and low lighting.
And no Co2. Nothing fancy. I learned my lesson the hard way.

What wpg should I use over a 20L to try to keep things simple and maybe avoid algae problems?

Thank you.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

A 15 watt T8 bulb would be perfect, or alternatively two spiral 13w CF bulbs would work.

What issues did you have with CO2?

Hehe, squirt-ferts


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## Barbels (Jul 15, 2004)

http://www.bigalspets.com/aqualight-t5-dual-lamp-fixture-freshwater-2-x-14-w-24.html

↑ So this should be okay?

My bad experience was a fully stocked, planted, pressurized Co2 75 gallon dream tank gone horribly awry. I researched like mad and tried very hard to learn all I could about Co2, fertilizers, lighting, etc. And off I went.
Algae came, ran their course and went. But when bba came, it came to stay until it destroyed everything.

I was clueless and I'm not too proud to admit it. I was spending no time enjoying my tank and all of my time slaving over that hideous stuff. 
I've always had a fishtank in my life. And I miss it terribly. This time around, a low-tech, low-light 20 Long with some easygoing plants and one happy Betta (and maybe some Pencils) would be a sweet, sweet dream compared to that last nightmare.

I realize there is no guarantee that a low-tech tank is immune to bba, but a smaller, sparsely inhabited tank is a whole nother can of worms. I can't wait to get started.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Yes that light looks ok.

That is too bad. I had a similar experience with BBA where it blanketed every surface in my tank and there was no green showing from the leaves at all (worse than I've ever seen it in any tank or picture ever).

I tried everything from fizzing my water with CO2 to lowering the light intensity. The only thing that worked was to do 2x and 3x overdoses with Flourish Excel. I spot treated portions of the tank every day until I killed it all off. From then on it didn't come back even after I stopped dosing excel. 

I do not know why but I can only assume that after it was nuked to hell it thought twice about trying to take over my tank.


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## Barbels (Jul 15, 2004)

Zapins said:


> The only thing that worked was to do 2x and 3x overdoses with Flourish Excel. I spot treated portions of the tank every day until I killed it all off. From then on it didn't come back even after I stopped dosing excel.
> 
> I do not know why but I can only assume that after it was nuked to hell it thought twice about trying to take over my tank.


♫♫♪♫Music to my ears!♪♪♫♪♪ Every time I hear another Excel miracle story, I get real happy.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Barbels said:


> Every time I hear another Excel miracle story, I get real happy.


Well then you need to read this thread:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algae/3806-flourish-excel-got-rid-all-my.html

29 pages of happiness


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## Barbels (Jul 15, 2004)

Zapins said:


> Well then you need to read this thread:
> 
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/algae/3806-flourish-excel-got-rid-all-my.html
> 
> 29 pages of happiness


Shazam! Thank you so much!


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