Will Regular Florescent Bulbs Be Ok For A While?

[Starfishpower]

im looking into the lighting for my 55 gallon that i finaly am getting cleaned up and ready to use and im a little low on money. ill upgrade as it comes but until then (and it shouldnt be too long) i was wondering if i can use some shop lights with normal, that is non-aquarium, florescent bulbs in them. im not trying to plant it or anything thing yet, just illuminate the aquarium. its inhabitants will be either what presently resides in my 10 gallon right now - banjo cat, cory cat, 2 black kuhli loaches, and some feeder guppies that never got eaten - or im going to leave them in there a while and put 2 juvenile senegal bichirs instead. i found some really cute ones that are about 2" and id really like to get those. will they be ok with this lighting for maybe 2 months at the most? oh, and as a side question, i plan on using that backyard pond dirt stuff for my substrate instead of sand, its not harmful to an of these fish is it? im sure it isnt but i thought id ask just to make sure.

 

[Colin_T]

normal household fluoro globes are fine to use but they will make your tank water look a bit yellow. This is due to the colour of the light they produce. But they will be fine.

I normally don't like using dirt from the backyard for a tank in case it has herbicides or pesticide residue in it. There can also be a number of disease organisms in it if you have water birds living nearby. And if you put the old dirty aquarium water on the garden there might be parasites from the aquarium that are dormant and waiting for water.
If you do want to use dirt from the backyard and it is free of chemicals/residue, then bake it in the oven for an hour at 150C. This will kill anything living in it and make it safer for the tank.

 

[Starfishpower]

ok thanks. illl post some pics when i get it set up

 

[Starfishpower]

oh, im sorry, i didnt write that right i didnt mean dirt from a pond i meant dirt for a pond. you know how some ppl will have coi ponds or something in there backyard or what not for decoration and they of course will have live plants in it. hardware stores sell "pond dirt" to help grow the plants in them. its kinda like florite but less expensive because its needed in such large amounts they'd have to lower the price otherwise ppl would never be able to afford enough to even cover half the pond. i dont know the name of the stuff, ill check it out when i go today for lumber to build the stand.