PhishFor20

I just got a lid for my tank that has incandescent lights....the guy said that incandescent was better than fluorescent, and the incandescent was 10 bucks cheaper so i kinda just grabbed it and bought it...whats better? I kinda want to have a good amount of plants in my tank, i have 2 25 watt bulbs for it...should i return this all for the fluorescent?

sirdarksol

Incandescent is not better than fluorescent, except in the matter of cost. Fluorescent uses less energy to produce the same amount of light, and they don't produce as much heat.
However, you can get compact fluorescent bulbs in order to get fluorescent power out of an incandescent setup. They sell compact fluorescent bulbs specifically for planted tanks, too.

PhishFor20

So is it going to heat my water to much then?

sirdarksol

If you get the compact fluorescents, no. But if you have two regular incandescent bulbs in the sockets, I would guess that it would. Might not be a big deal if your house was set to 65 degrees like mine, but if you've got it at a temperature that a sane human would set it to, your tank might get too warm.

lilsoccakid

u cant really tell until u try it out, just watch carefully

PhishFor20

how many watts should i get for the compact flourescents?

sirdarksol

I think they only make one wattage for aquarium-ready ones. I'm not sure, though.

COBettaCouple

Check online at www.drsfostersmith.com www.thatpetplace.com or www.petmountain.com maybe for a good light selection and an idea of what's available.

PhishFor20

thanks, i just returned it and got the florescent one, i'm all about saving energy

miker

Good Choice Jim particularly if you are planning to keep live plants, but watchout for Algae.

COBettaCouple

True, switching to FL will mean seeing algae where you didn't before. It can usually be wiped off with a paper towel and isn't too hard to keep up on.