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Light levels?

Wally

Member
Joined
21 Mar 2012
Messages
34
Would 4 54watt T5s over a 1500x50x60 400ltr tank be classed as medium light.I have worked it out in US gallons and it comes to 2 watts per gallon.I am up grading from T8s to T5s and am a little confused as there are many recommendations and just as many contradictions.Would this light level be sufficient to grow Rotala wallichii?
 
It is more than sufficient light, potentially too much for a managable system. You can grow most plants with half that lighting in T5 with reflectors as George is always saying.

Does your lighting system allow you to turn two sets of light off in case you need to? Either that or can you raise and lower it above the tank.

Watts/galllon is a very rough and ready rule and does not hold so well with larger tanks. There used to be an on line calculator which compared many amano tanks. I think it was fitchfamily. com, but doesnt seem to be there now. Basically larger tanks need less watts/per gallon.

PAR is a better measure, but not many people have access to a PAR meter.

Still basic answer the lighting system is more than enough.
 
Cheers peeps
Yes sanj I can control 2 set of 2 interdependently,I was thinking of having 2 lamps on for 3 hours,a blast of 4 for three hours and them back to 2 for the last 3 hours to simulate morning,mid day and evening.Does that sound ok?
 
You can do eventually, but I would start off with just the two and see how things progress. I did that with my tanks, but even now the lighting duration is pretty short at 6 hours.

Try starting low light duration 6-7 hours max on just two and then build up when the plants mass grows. On a pesonal level I would not go beyond 8 hours or so long term although 9 hours should be ok. I dont think the plants get much benefit for longer hours of light.
 
This is my tank as it stands with 4x36 watt T8s.the reason I am changing to T5s is the stem plants grow leggy and red cabomba and rotala wallichi which I really want to grow just goes green and then dissolves.I have tried a few "hard to grow" plants and the die,Looking at what I have the only reason I can think of is light as everything else is flourishing .
any advice is gratefully received.
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Yeah, and if you add more light those plants will die even faster. The problems you describe have nothing to do with light and have everything to do with flow, distribution and especially CO2.

Cheers,
 
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