The Puffer Forum

Ok, I have This Canopy (click here) the lamp can be removed very easily. The switch is on the lamp cord itself. does that make any sense?

I just had to un-plant my tank due to low light levels and massive die-off pollution. I want to REplant some day, and was wondering if you could give me lamp suggestions.

This hood holds compact fluro bulbs. It has no ballast IN the hood itself, just the lamp itself. The bulb can be removed.

Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

Okay.. so reading between the lines here.. you have a what size tank, 20 high?

And the hood holds a singe, 24w CF light? Is it your normal screw in CF or is it one of those with the pins on the end?

If its a normal screw in bulb, you could probably just buy a slightly higher wattage one, the hood should tell you on it somewhere what the max wattage is.

if its more of the long, double tube aquarium type with the pins on the end, there's not much you can do as far as putting in a stronger bulb. You'd probably be better off sticking to lower light plants if you want to keep using this. I've grown crypts and anubias with one watt per gallon or even just ambiant lighting in the room, I actually have a 2 gallon tank going right now with anubias nana that has no light on it, it just uses whatever overflow it gets from the 29 that's next to it (with only 40wpg).

Or of course, get a completely different hood

the bulb has pins on the end and it fits in a ballast that clips onto the hood. the cord snakes out and the switch is on the cord.

The giant sword, onion and micro sword were doing OK on the wattage provided, (nothing spectacular but barely hanging on) just one side of the tank refused to thrive. Hence why I KNOW I need stronger wattage.

I'll flip er up to see what the max wattage that ballast can hold, Or I could see how much a totally new hood might cost. The one I have is just the one that came with the tank.

Swords generally prefer 3 watts per gallon, so yeah, you'd be seriously lacking in that department.

However, a giant sword and onion plant would probably get way too big for that small of a tank anyways? I don't know what variety your sword is, but most of the bigger ones would fill a 20 gallon tank easily, and my onion plants grew leaves 3-4 feet long. You might be better off just changing to a variety of crypts, there are so many different types, ones that stay short, ones that grow almost a foot high, etc.

I don't think you'll be able to put a larger bulb in there, the pin style CF's are pretty much rated for a single wattage.

It was a Giant Amazon, and the onion was a dwarf. I say was because they both slowly died and well..it wasn't pretty. between them, the mini sword, and the plants on the left side of the tank that just up and died, my substrate is pretty much..compost mixed with gravel. Not so great for the nitrates if I have no plants in there eating the nutrients..

the Giant Amazon sword did a great backdrop in the back of the tank. but I still had this stupid nasty bald patch on the left side which really ruined the looks of things, and left my DP's exposed and not happy. funny that's the side the heater is on too...

So Crypts, Java, and Anais?

I dunno I might just get a different hood . Might switch the upstairs hood with the one down here...might fit...*breaks out tape measure*