"Scott Rogahn" wrote:

I just ordered an eclipe 3 sysstem from big al. My plan is to set this up
in my office with a betta, some java fern, and if needed one or two ottos.

Just one caveat. Don't plan on putting it near a conventional (CRT)
monitor, as the Eclipse pump motor is unshielded, and will make your
screen image vibrate like mad. Not good for the monitor, and certainly
not good to look at! Two, maybe three feet away should be fine.

The tank does no come with a heater; room temp is 75-77°F during the day in
summer and 70 -72°F winter. Air conditioners and heaters set back at night.
No sure of the temperature then.

I agree with Donald both about the motor helping to heat the water,
and also the value of a 25W heater to keep the temp more stable. You
can get these heaters online for around $12 (US). I actually saw one
in PetSmart the other day for only $15 - I was amazed.

The eclipse 3 system comes with a 6 watt fluorescent bulb. I know this
works out to 2 watts per gallon, but it is still only 6 watts. Is that
enough for plants? I regularly remove water wisteria from my tank, and
would use that in the betta tank if I could.

Depends a lot on the plant. I have the same tank, and I never had any
luck with any plant, but I have not tried a low-light specific plants
like Java Fern or Anubias. Wisteria definitely didn't like the Eclipse
3 lighting.

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