# Can I use CFL's in my tank?



## Bosefus06 (Jul 19, 2011)

Hi everyone. For the past few months, I have been considering making the leap from plastic plants to the real deal. I have stumbled across this website quite a few times, and it seems like a great place full of knowledgeable and friendly people. So, I decided to finally join today.

Anyway, I have a few lighting questions. I have a 55 gallon freshwater tank with mostly mollies and guppies. My tank came in a kit with 2 hoods, both having an 18" T8 15 watt bulb. If you add those up, it comes to 30 watts on a 55 gallon aquarium. That's barely 1/2 watts per gallon. From what I have read, the watt/gallon measurement isn't very exact, but I still believe I have very low lighting. A month ago I made a Java Moss wall, but the moss is turning brown and dying. I know I have bad lighting when it's too low for Java Moss.

I don't have a lot of money to buy a nice new hood, so I figured I could build one. I was originally going to build two 3"x3"x24" wooden boxes to hold a few fluorescent tubes. But then I came up with another idea. I need to know if this would work.

1. Instead of a regular fluorescent tube, can I use a Compact Fluorescent Light, or CFL? I'm talking about the ones that replace standard incandescent bulbs. The CFL's that look like curly fries.

2. If I can use them, what wattage do I go by? For example, a 26 watt CFL replaces a 100 watt incandescent bulb. Does that count as 26 watts, or 100 watts?

3. Most of these bulbs are designed to be screwed into regular light sockets that are wired through the walls. Would I be able to run them off of an electrical outlet? I was thinking of just using an extension cord to power them. Will that be safe? I don't know anything about electricity, and I really don't want to burn down my house.

If anyone has some experience or knowledge about any of my questions, I would really appreciate any info. Thank you.


Bo


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## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

lots of people use CFLs instead of incadescents. the cfl wattage is what you would go by, not the equivalent wattage. 

I have mine in 5 or 6 inch work lights with silver, metal reflectors. I have the work lights plugged into a power strip.

in your case I would use the lights that came with the tank and combine them with a few cfl bulbs 6500K range is best.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

It will be hard to get enough light from CFL bulbs if they are mounted horizontally, but if you mount them vertically, in polished alumiinum reflectors, like: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/112294-hd-worklight-light-fixture.html you can easily light a 55 gallon tank. I would use at least 4 bulbs, 23-28 watt size. It looks better if you make a wood box to hold them, like that link shows, but you can also just put a horizontal board across above the tank and clip the lights to it. I like it much better when they are in a box.


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

I'd say get a four foot dual tube t8 shop light and call it a day. Why mess around with cfls?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

xmas_one said:


> I'd say get a four foot dual tube t8 shop light and call it a day. Why mess around with cfls?


This one, http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 works very well for an aquarium light.


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## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

Bosefus06 said:


> I don't have a lot of money to buy a nice new hood, so I figured I could build one. I was originally going to build two 3"x3"x24" wooden boxes to hold a few fluorescent tubes. But then I came up with another idea. I need to know if this would work.
> 
> 1. Instead of a regular fluorescent tube, can I use a Compact Fluorescent Light, or CFL? I'm talking about the ones that replace standard incandescent bulbs. The CFL's that look like curly fries.
> 
> ...


You might want to consider this cfl.
http://www.lightbulbemporium.com/eiko_05622ek_sp50_955k.asp


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## PUMPKINHEAD (Nov 5, 2010)

im using that light on my 33Long getting pretty good growth,including algae. i also am not running co2 and the light sits on the tank practiclly. I recommend this light (the one Hoppy linked)


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## fishy8807 (Nov 2, 2013)

Sorry I know this thread is a little old but, Would regular clip on desk lamps work? Or is it better to use the big shop ones? I understand those are more reflective, but does it make a Huge difference? I just bought 3 clamp on desk lamps and put a 13w 6500k CFL in each one to use over a med-high light planted tank... good idea or bad?


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## Toby_kourtney (Jun 29, 2013)

*Cfl*



fishy8807 said:


> Sorry I know this thread is a little old but, Would regular clip on desk lamps work? Or is it better to use the big shop ones? I understand those are more reflective, but does it make a Huge difference? I just bought 3 clamp on desk lamps and put a 13w 6500k CFL in each one to use over a med-high light planted tank... good idea or bad?


Depends on the dimensions of the tank. I have 2 13 watt cfl on my 20 high and I would say its medium light.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

The whole lighting theory is a pretty loose way to decide how much is enough. Lots of variables involved. My solution was to simply start and then adjust. Cfl's are not the best at throwing the light where you want it but then they are cheap enough to add lots more if needed. Better reflectors and better lights are great-- if you can afford them and need them. But in the meantime, stringing some CFL's along a cheap extention cord can get you by with many plants and will give you lots of experience when/if you get into it and find you want more. I used four 13W CFL rated at 6500 Kelvin on a 75 for quite some time until I got into pressure CO2 and needed/wanted more.


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## fishy8807 (Nov 2, 2013)

Thanks for the info guys! And its a 20g tall, I already have co2, I bought fluvals cheap little co2 kit and it works out nicely, going to be adding in a bubble counter and a smaller diffuser soon though, and yeah, all I had before was a 18000k bulb the local pet store said would be good for plants... apparently not so much now that ive actually been doing some looking around.. at least I dont have to buy any really expensive lighting xD I bought some dwarf baby tears and after a couple weeks theyve started to kind of melt.. so now that I have these with co2 and furts i dose every two days, i guess we'll see if they start doing better.


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## jimclassic (Dec 14, 2017)

PUMPKINHEAD said:


> im using that light on my 33Long getting pretty good growth,including algae. i also am not running co2 and the light sits on the tank practiclly. I recommend this light (the one Hoppy linked)


Considering a tank of 24x12x18 inch and 22 gallon, how much CFL and of how much watt would be required??

Thanks in Advance
Jim


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## Vinster8108 (Sep 1, 2016)

Another option to look at are LED flood lights (6500K). They well them on amazon pretty cheap. I've got two 20W LED floods over my 40 breeder


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

jimclassic said:


> Considering a tank of 24x12x18 inch and 22 gallon, how much CFL and of how much watt would be required??
> 
> Thanks in Advance
> Jim


Jim, It seems you keep asking this question on zombie threads. The quote you've posted is 7 years old. It's impossible for anyone to tell give you any kind of guidance because the only info you've giving is your tank size. What are you trying to grow? Are you going high tech or low? Adding fertilizer? CO2. The required light will vary greatly depending on what you're doing. Have you looked at the sticky in the lighting forum? There's a lot of info in there about CFL's. You're obviously doing searches (good!) for good info, but you're posting on multiple old threads at a time. A lot of the members you're quoting and asking questions aren't active anymore.
One of the nice things about CFL's is they're inexpensive and adaptable. You'll probably want to use "brooder fixtures". Fix those above the tank somehow. I imagine 2 will cover the tank pretty nicely. 23 watt bulbs will give you in the medium light range. (might require CO2) Most use in the 6500k area. Intensity in the tank is controlled by raising or lowering the fixtures, smaller bulbs, or diffusers.
What are you wanting to grow?


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## coldmantis (Aug 17, 2010)

I'm not sure when I took this pic of course the tank has been shut down long ago. Maybe in 2010 2011? If I remember correctly it has 3 15w 6500k Daylight CFL made by GE, the "fixture" is a box I made out of air duct material. There is 3 pig tail sockets in there and I built a switch for it so I don't have to unplug the cord when I want to turn off the lights. The tank is a 20g long with co2 I dont' remember if it was pressurize or diy co2. If you are going CFL for your tank I suggest 4-5 23w-26w CFL, I belive GE comes in 26w and Philips comes in 23w.


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