Question
Hello, I am the proud new owner of a mature venus flytrap plant! I would like to keep in indoors under flourescent lighting and need your advice...I really don't want to kill my babies!

For a single plant, would one of those small flourescent desk lamps be ok?  
I also have a 10 gal aquarium that I could put the pot into, would any tank top fourescent lighting be ok?  I mean can I just buy what's in petsmart sold for the fish? Or are the reptile ones better?  I am hoping to be successful with this one and eventually add other flytrap species.

I have read about people using several bulbs with strange names amd am a bit overwhelmed!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer
Hello Stefanie-- My experience with growing Venus Flytraps under artificial light is very limited. However, I can give you a little information and then I would refer you to the artificial plant lighting category here at AllExperts.com

Artificial lighting for plants includes two main issues: supplying the parts of the spectrum that plants use, and providing a sufficient intensity of light.

Plants use mainly the red and blue ends of the spectrum of light, and not so much the middle part of the spectrum that humans see the best. So artificial grow lights must accommodate both ends of the spectrum. Lights that are too blue may not have enough red for proper plant photosynthesis; lights that are too red may lack the blue end of the spectrum.

As a result, most growers under artificial lights use either targeted spectrum lights (like some of the more recent LED grow lights) which produce reds and blues (sometimes in different bulbs or light fixtures), or broad-spectrum lights which produce an acceptable level throughout the range of visible light, of which plants use mainly the red and blue frequencies. The "color temperature" of fluorescent and other lights is based on "degrees Kelvin." Natural sunlight is about 5300K (5300 degrees Kelvin). So most growers who wish to use broad spectrum fluorescent bulbs choose those with a color temperature of between about 5000-6500K.

There is also the consideration of intensity of light, providing an adequate supply of light to the plants. This can be accomplished in two main ways: more light (or more light bulbs), or closer light (placing the bulb or bulbs closer to the plants' leaves).

For more information about plants and grow lighting, here is one interesting resource:

Indoor Plant Lighting
http://retirees.uwaterloo.ca/~jerry/orchids/light.html#fluorescent

In addition, I believe you will get a much better and more thorough response to your questions about grow lights for Venus Flytraps (which have the same light needs as other plants) by addressing your questions about this subject to an expert in the Artificial Plant Lighting category here at AllExperts.com--

Artificial Plant Lighting at AllExperts.com
http://www.allexperts.com/el/Artificial-Plant-Lighting/

Best wishes,
Steve