I'm looking for some serious help. I just recently purchased a duo light fixture with one flourescent and two incadescents for a 30gallon planted anole tank. I'm still a newbie at this, so please no jargon, only layman's.
Anyway, I have had this tank now for about three months. I still don't have the creatures in there due to constant lighting failure. For the time being I have been using spare flourescent strip lights to keep all my plants healthy and alive. This tank is not a tall tank, just an ordinary 30g fish tank that I setup with a little pond area, filtering waterfall, and land area consisting of several types of plants. It's actually getting to be quite a jungle in there, but it is beautiful and I really want to put some creatures in it. I have siliconed pieces of wood to the back and several convinient ledges for basking. I even have some of the vine stuff going over the forest as well.
When I used a 60w incandescent a lot of the top leaves shriveled up in a matter of minutes. I checked the temperatures and they were over 100 degrees!!! I tried to use a 40w bulb and the temps went to the low 90s which I think is a little better. However, I think I would be more confortable at just 90 and no higher. I tried this several ways for the top, as in...all glass, all screen, half glass/half screen. My best results were with half glass/half screen. The temperature was 92 degrees and humidity stayed around 70% at the top, and at the bottom in the 80s with 80-90% humidity. I think this might not be so bad. However, this was achieved with 1 flourescent and 1 40w incandescent. Right now I'm not using this fixture as I still don't have a creature in there. It only provides 20w of flourescent. With my spare strip lights I am giving my plants 30w of flourescent. And still I don't really think that's adequate.
Will the plants suffer when I get a creature in there and lower the flourescent output?
Now for my biggest question and please please if you get techniqual explain it. I do know about the UVs, so you don't have to get too beginner on me. 
Is it possible to ONLY use compact flourescent lighting? Won't 65w of cf produce enough heat and light for both plants and creature, or is this WAY too much for a 30g?
See, in the only other setup I have I only use 2 flourescent strip lights for my treefrogs. That's all they need. The temperatures are great, the humidity remains high, and it's a full glass cover with ventilation. The flourscents sit right on top of the glass and frogs get right underneath the glass. They don't burn, but receive temps in the higher 80s.
To me it just seems more convinient this way...but I am looking for suggestions on this. I was also considering only using lower wattage incandescents, maybe even 15w or a little higher, but lower than 40.
Well, any help will be appreciated. Thank you in advance! And sorry this was so long.
Fernando
