10 Gallon Hood/Light
Ric, It appears that I missed this post of yours when I last replied to your previous one. I see no further reasoning in debating this issue further since its obvious that both of our methods will and has worked. My original part in this thread was intended as support for Lenny’s 3 WPG mention (which I still maintain), meant for the many ordinary hobbyists on the Group who grow ordinary plants via ordinary methods — and not for such specialty aquarists such as yourself who prefer to grow their plants via extraordinary (high-tech) methods, using nothing but the latest technology which, although advanced, is not really needed. For the benefit of the ordinary beginner hobbyists on this Group, I feel it best to keep matters as simple as possible if they’re only trying to grow plants in an “ordinary” manner such as using plain gravel as a substrate. The odds are they may not yet know what CO2 injection or laterite is, and if they were confronted with them, they may feel intimidated by these things if its suggested that these things are necessary to grow plants, when in fact they’re not needed. What is “simple” for you for your plants may not be as simple for the beginner hobbyist who is still trying to establish a well maintained tank for their fish.
Before I go any further, I would just like to point out that it was not my intention to go into how much “experience” either of us have, or how many tanks we maintain. I had stated that I wished you hadn’t gone there as any manner of this type of conversation can be viewed as being tacky in a braggadocio way (not my intention). My response to this was only to show you that no matter how much experience one may think they have, there is always someone else who may have more (and of course there are a lot more experienced hobbyists than I; always something to learn). Experiences are never the same though since there’s so much out there to learn, and I do recognize your’s with the high-tech portion of growing. Too, length of time (while a valueable tool) or the number of tanks maintained does not directly impact one’s knowledge or experience proportionately. Much of that can only come with intensity of enthusiasm one has to gain this experience — which cannot be measured.
The suggestion of Lenny’s, to use 2 13 Watt compact bulbs in a 10 gallon tank hood, as you’re agreeing with comes close to the 3 WPG rule anyway; actually 2.6 WPG (may need longer duration time). When this ruling was first established, there was no such thing as a “compact 13 Watt bulb;” the minimum size fluorescent bulb back in those years was 18 Watts, and the minimum size incandescent aquarium bulbs were 15 Watts — with 2 sockets in the 10 gallon reflectors (for a minimum of 30 Watts). While as we know, every tank is somewhat different from the next, this worked extremely well in growing plants for many, many decades with no more chance of getting algae than any of today’s unlearned hobbyists’ chances of getting it, when used along with the general recommendation of an average 8 hour per day duration. Ray
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
