The plants in my 10gal are growing like mad under just a single 18" repti glo 2.0(i am putting 2 24" 2.0 on my new tank cuz it's deeper) . I think substrate has a lot to do with the substantial growth. I have a 1" Layer of gravel, screen, then 1" of sphagnum moss, then I sealed it over with top soil.
lighting is important, but substrate has to supply a good level of nutrients. that's why i chose the organic sphagnum. got a small bag at the garden section at wallmart for like $5.
the top soil just helps keep the sphag down and keeps a cleaner look aesthetically.
I was careful to get only organic substrate so that I didn't wind up with some unknown pesticides that would kill my crickets or fertilizer that could burn the animal.
look at it like this. Most of our captive plants are ground cover(moss) or stay close to the forest floor(broms) under much bigger plants(trees). search google images for "amazon forest" and look at how lush the tree line is at the top. our plants are all living beneath that in shade. that is why substrate choice is so important.
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