What type of lighting is best?

1. with just one fluorescent bulb you will not have a good planted tank.

2. you have to get a better bulb to even have any chance. a standard fluorescent bulb is no good, you need a grow bulb atleast.

3. no that's a crappy hood, you need a fluorescent hood. A crappy compact fluorescent won't fit in that hood and if it does it's a small useless bulb

4. good looking planted tanks have almost no fish, specialized lighting, and Co2 injection systems. You can have a decent tank if you have the lighting, but with too many fish you'll have algae smothering the plants, and without good lighting the plants will just grow spindly and rot.

5. if you want fish, spend the money on a decent fluorescent hood because incandescent light is weak. get a good filter not a crappy aqueon one. get a marineland penquin or emperor or the cheaper aquaclear. and a good heater. If you buy crappy stuff, well you'll just have crappy stuff and dead fish.

incandescents suck. go with fluorescent. but even with that, you won't have that much of a variety for plants. make sure the bulb for that one is a full spectrum one.

If you go with a full spectrum flourecent you should be able to keep a wide variety of plants nothing that requires high light levels but low/medium light level plants will all thrive under flourecents