Reddit mentions of Marineland 32996 LED Aquarium Light, Natural Shimmering Light

Java moss is great for beginners, best thing you can do for it is provide regularly (weekly) water changes to the tank, which you should be doing anyway. To clean it when it accumulates excess food or whatever, just pull it out, swish it around in a bucket of aquarium water you've already pulled from the tank to dislodge any debris, then squeeze it gently and place back in the tank. I grow it and most of my live plants under [these Marineland LED bar lights.] (https://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Aquarium-11-Inch-Aquariums-Inches/dp/B004HSYGFQ)

Marineland makes a pretty small LED light Here is a link, you would just need to figure out a way to rig it in place in the hood. If you're not growing any plants you could get some of those stick on LED strips like these for example and place them in the hood.

I have an extra one of these laying around: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004HSYGFQ?vs=1

This would use less energy than the fluorescent I believe, but I'm pretty sure I need to limit my plant options.

It'a a Marineland LED.

I'll be having my lights on 6-8 hrs a day since my tank is right next to my room window and receiving semi-indirect sunlight for several hours while I'm at work. Currently using this LED Light I got from Amazon and my current plants are growing really well with that schedule.

I didn't even think about that. Although I'm about to set up another 5.5 gallon tank with smaller gravel, if I have to I can move him between the two?

The light is this from Marineland --> http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-LED-Aquarium-Light-11-Inch/dp/B004HSYGFQ/ref=sr_1_15?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1398378771&sr=1-15

It's honestly a little too small for a 10 gallon tank. I might be adding a separate light later on to make sure it covers the entire tank. I'll see if I need it. The blue works fantastically though. It has 2 led blue lights. I just wish it spread out over the whole tank on the white part. I still like it though, if it's not a bit cheaply made on the switch. If I remember I'll let you know a few months down the road if I still like it ;)

I bought this light almost 2 years ago and it has proven well to grow plants and algae for me. Your kit may already have the same type of led just in a different configuration so perhaps don't bother unless you want an upgrade and you can compare the two yourself. I only have one of those lights but its paired with a step up into the mid range of their lights IMO, the Marineland Advanced which I have a 48" on my 55 and 30" on my 29 with basic led filling the gap. If you do buy a new light you'll need a glass top for it, Finnex is another good brand with a few options for low to high light plants.

Substrate could be any good pea sized gravel and if you want to up the nutrient power you could go with a walstad type setup, a good way to start would be with a very thin layer of miracle grow organic potting soil. My 10 gallon was also set up the same way, the top layer of substrate is eco complete filled to not even an inch from the bottom of the tank and a thin layer of hand sprinkled mix of potting soil and ground up red clay. With a very thin layer of both dirt and gravel I can avoid swamp gas build and also the worst of the algae. You may want to avoid eco complete for cory fish they could cut their barbels up and depending on how deep you put the dirt and much you use they could potentially stir it up. I think you should be fine with just a small amount as long as you dont upset the gravel as much like during a water change.

I would suggest going with some hardy crypts and rotala rotundifolia/indica both fairly good beginner plants. If you do the switch over keep the media and whatever else is in the tank right now to help cycle the tank. The dirt will give off an ammonia spike but with all the beneficial surfaces and the same filter things should transition over nicely. I dirted my friend's tank last year and we kept the gravel bacterial mostly alive and also left his filters untouched, a week later there were no signs of ammonia and when tested they were tolerable with daily water changes. Ferns and mosses on wood to clear up ground level swimming space, floating plants even to soak up excess nutrients.

Good brand lights Marineland and Finnex, my 10 gallon gets by with high output t5, filters I like are aquaclear hang on the back filters and sunsun or eheim canister filters, DICI solenoids for co2 injection, Rhinox brass check valvues for co2 and IDS inline co2 diffusers. If you do jump into co2, the solenoid and co2 tank both ran me about $125 but I only need a refill every year and a half which is less than $20.

Its all in the dirt