# lighting for 5 gallon tank



## Jill90 (Sep 4, 2011)

I just bought aqueon 5 gallon bowfront tank for my betta and set it up but the lighting is horrible. It shows as a ugly yellow color. The bulb is a 15 watt bulb and is long. I tried to find a new bulb at petsmart and my LFS but I could only find 10 or 25 watt, never a 15 watt bulb. I wanted something that would at least have a clear white color to the water but maybe some blue. I bought a coralife 50/50 10 watt mini bulb cuz the guy said it would work but it doesnt...and i cant find anything that would fit so I'm kinda lost on what to do. Help?


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

If it has a screw in fixture you can use a compact flouresant bulb you can get them at pretty much any store and they are not exspensive at all.


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## Obakemono (Nov 22, 2011)

Calmwaters said:


> If it has a screw in fixture you can use a compact flouresant bulb you can get them at pretty much any store and they are not exspensive at all.


Yes, good suggestion. I would get a twin pack of these:








Not my pic but I have these and they are nice. I will stuff one in my shrimptank.


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## Jill90 (Sep 4, 2011)

That says 13 watt though. Would that work if the one I have fits for a 15 watt? I guess I'm confused as to why the 10 watt would not work. I cannot find anything that I want that is 15 its all either 10 or 20 watt. Maybe the one I bought is broken?


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## Obakemono (Nov 22, 2011)

Jill90 said:


> That says 13 watt though. Would that work if the one I have fits for a 15 watt? I guess I'm confused as to why the 10 watt would not work. I cannot find anything that I want that is 15 its all either 10 or 20 watt. Maybe the one I bought is broken?


With CLFs that is the wattage that the bulb uses, not the lumens it emits. I just put one in my 5gal hood and it is bright. Lights the whole tank better than that 15watt it came with. The light color is 2700K.
I just read your post again. Can you post a pic of the bulb that came with your tank so we can see the bulb base?


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

It should be fine as long as the base is the same size.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

If this is an incandescent fixture, meaning it takes screw-in bulbs like the one pictured in post #3, the a 13 watt "daylight" compact fluorescent bulb will be adequate. This is almost identical to the one in post #3 but I wold get a daylight with a kelvin rating of 6500K. The one in the photo is very warm at 3000K, and 6500K will give you a cool white which is what you are after. I use GE daylight bulbs, but Sylvania and Phillips also make them. Just be sure it is 6500K, and 13w.

Your fixture probably has a watts limit, and this is due to heat from the old type of incandescent bulbs. The CF emit much less heat, thus saving energy, so they have a lower wattage. Watts is just the measurement of how much energy (power) a bulb uses to produce the light.

Byron.


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## Jill90 (Sep 4, 2011)

It is a screw in bulb. Here is a picture of what I have. The one on the right is the 10w I bought and the one on the right is the 15w it came with. They are both the same size base, but the bulb is bigger. 









Here is a different view.









If I can use the 13w your talking about would I have to buy it at a store such as home depot or lowes? I could not find anything in the fish stores. Thanks for all your help everyone!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

That Coralife should work fine. I would use it.

But to answer your question, yes, the CF daylight bulbs are sold in hardware and home improvement type stores. The original bulb on the right in the photo is a normal incandescent bulb "made" for aquaria, but not very good due to colour and heat loss.


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## Jill90 (Sep 4, 2011)

I thought that the coralife one would work fine, but it would not turn on when I screwed it in so thats why I was confused and made this topic. But maybe I just got one thats broken?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Jill90 said:


> I thought that the coralife one would work fine, but it would not turn on when I screwed it in so thats why I was confused and made this topic. But maybe I just got one thats broken?


Ah, I suspect that is due to the base not allowing the bulb to fully screw in. This can happen with CF bulbs too; I've had the same with Christmas lighting with the new CF floodlights not going into older fixtures.

Don't force it, the socket will likely crack and shatter. Return the bulb if you can, for this reason. Take the fixture to the hardware store and try the CF bulbs I mentioned previously. Some are made with a narrower base.


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## diane21 (Sep 29, 2011)

I added blue LEDs to my T-5 light fixture for moonlight on my 40Gallon fish only. Worked great, so now I am building a 64 LED lamp with 16 Blue LEDs for my 60 Gallon fish only tank. They are great for direct lighting, reduced heat, which also reduces water evaporation.I will try and post pics when I get it done.


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

I agree with Byron a normal compact flouresant should work.


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