In article , "Papa Smurf"
writes:

I'm new to the forum and I hope to learn quite a bit before moving on to
a larger tank. I recently purchased a Marineland 5 Gallon Hex tank for my
desk at work and all in all it seems to be an excellent tank for my needs
but it is lacking 1 thing, fluorescent lighting. This tank only comes with
incandescent lighting and it is only a 15W bulb at that. So, my questions
are, is there a proven way to retrofit the tank lid so I can place a small
13W compact Fluorescent bulb into it and what types of plants would be
suitable for a tank of this size? I am currently using a compact
fluorescent bulb of the type you would use in a household lamp and am afraid
that it would not supply enough of the right type of light to support plant
life let alone be safe for extended use in such damp environs. Any
information provided would be greatly appreciated and is eagerly awaited.

I have the same tank and I'm working on the same problem. I haven't quite
figured it out, but one surprise I found when I openned the housing to the
light fixture was that it is actually made for 2 bulbs. Those spiral halogen
bulbs fit in the socket if you remove the rubber ring that keeps moisture out.
The problem is that 2 bulbs won't fit in the hood and they would need to be
protected from moisture. I think I will have a piece of glass cut to fit in
the rim of the tank as a cover. I don't know how I will deal with fitting the
lights in this hood or somehow fashion another. Either way it won't be as
pretty as it was originally. Let me know if you have any other ideas!
Cris