# 5 Gallon Hex Light Problems



## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

Any suggestions/feedback/recommendations from Lighting Gurus would be much appreciated. 

I was setting up a 5 gallon Hex Tank and replaced the bulb with a CFB, specifically a 15 watt daylight bulb 6500K from Wal-Mart. I was giving the tank 10 hours light daily. I wanted to be careful not to have too long a photo-period for fear of getting an algae bloom which had happened with another tank.

Anyway all appeared to be going well, when I noticed that the ambulia were growing leggy and spindly. I figured that the light bulb that I was using was contributing to the problem by perhaps providing too much light in the red spectrum and not enough in the blue, but I am not sure. The only other thing that I can think of is that the lighting intensity was insufficent. I am thinking of placing mylar sheeting inside the cockpit housing the lighting to increase intensity and replacing the bulb with one that provides a more balanced spectrum in the blue and red spectrum. The problem is, I don't know if there is a suitable fluorescent bulb that can be used. The only other option is to supplement the existing lighting with another lamp containing a Compact fluorescent bulb that provides more light in the blue specturm to create a better balanced lighting.

Any suggestions.

Thanks
Regards


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Wpg rule does not apply to small tanks and the screw in bulbs are only half good if even that.

So you basically have close to no light over your tank.

My 5.5g has 28w of usuable PC light and its barely keeping anubias petite and moss alive and I have 2x18w that I plan to add over it for increased lighting.


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## Homer_Simpson (Apr 2, 2007)

eklikewhoa said:


> Wpg rule does not apply to small tanks and the screw in bulbs are only half good if even that.
> 
> So you basically have close to no light over your tank.
> 
> My 5.5g has 28w of usuable PC light and its barely keeping anubias petite and moss alive and I have 2x18w that I plan to add over it for increased lighting.


Thanks, that makes sense, so intensity would be the issue more than spectrum. I always assumed that Wpg rules do no apply to small tanks 2.5 gallons and below. I thought they applied to tanks 5 gallons and above :doh:


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## eklikewhoa (Jul 24, 2006)

Think it's 10g and below but I find the wpg rule thing not so good.


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## Gilraen Took (Apr 19, 2007)

How do you measure the Usable light? I've got a 5 gallon reef tank that has corals growing in it, with 30 watts of PC, how can I know how much is actually there?


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

If your Ambulia grows spindly - you don't have enough light.

Keep in mind the shape of those spiral bulbs is next to useless when used like this. Too mush restrike.

Mylar would help, a decent pendant reflector would help, a bigger bulb would probably be the easiest.

There's a 48W bulb that's cheap now. That'll light it up. Don't worry that it's not a daylight bulb. It's very very bright.










There's a twin circular 65W circline bulb around that would be good to but it'd take a bit of DIY rigging up.


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