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Too much light?

chandler

chandler

Member
Joined
8 Nov 2014
Messages
28
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Hi guys!

Just a week or two ago I set up two small tanks, some 70 litres with pretty standard dimensions. Before flooding, I have had crypts and a lot of ground covers getting established using DSM. Since I have no critters in the tanks I have had pumped massive ammounts of CO2 into the tanks for the last couple of weeks, WC every other day as well as dosing dry salts.

I actually had high hopes that algae could be avoided at start up this time... but I was wrong, again :) Diatoms, some brown "fluff" and surprisingly BGA as well. In any event, I'm not too worried since I figure a blackout for 3-4 days will take care of it.

When it comes to diagnosing what I did wrong this time around I have arrived at the conclusion that lightening must have been over the top. I have 2 times 24w T5 with reflectors (Arcadia) over both tanks. The good think is that one learns from ones misstakes but I nevertheless want to run my conclusions/assumptions by you...

So here it goes... using a relatively standard 2 times something watt T5 will almost always be too much light at start up, using a standard 9 hour photoperiod. The old-style T8 bulbs may have worked but since T5 are so much stronger the average hobbyist with t5 bulbs will run into trouble.

I saw a chart the other day that Clive linked to that, if I read it correctly suggested that in my case ONE t5 bulb would mean well over 200 PAR at surface... and I have two of them...

I guess my bottom line is that nowadays when T5 is the normal as opposed to t8 (LED lightening aside) it is all too easy to go over the top. Especially since the tanks don't look too bright for the human eye.

What do you say?

Best, Chandler
 
Diatoms can also be caused by "new tank syndrome", I suffered diatoms shortly after I set my tank up, even with T8 tubes blanked off with reflectors to keep light level low. In my case Ottos scoffed the lot in a day or two.

Also reoccurrs slightly after massive plant rearranging sessions
 
No, diatoms are completely avoidable. My new tank has been up and running for about a month without any algae issues, I have 2 LED tiles on at 25% each. Definitely lower your lights.
 
Hi Chandler,
Well i'd suggest that the prime benefit of DSM is that the plants root very well before flooding so you avoid all the issues with things floating out and uprooting. Still no matter how well the plants are settled they will still have to adapt to submersed growth and this adjustment takes time and will be helped by lower light.

I'm not convinced that adding a ton more Co2 than necessary is the way ahead either, why not aim to get the Co2 sorted and steady to livestock levels asap and then add shrimp and ottos as soon as things are stable..

Start with maybe 5 light hours daily with one tube plus one hour with two tubes to give some intensity.
 
Thanks Chris, sounds intuitive. I will see if the unit works with only one tube connected but if not I guess I can cover one of them up for the time being. But as far as I see it is not possible/manageble to add the extra hour with full intensity though.
 
Hi, the 9 hrs were too much too to start off probably. I only run our tanks for 6hrs. Started at 5.
 
Thanks mate. I will shorten the photoperiod significantly and also cover up one of the tubes. Going away this weekend so I figure this will be a good time to do a complete blackout and hopefully kill the BGA.

By the way, I tried dissolving the gas old-school by simply leading the gas into a cannister filter, but the filter is burping a lot and making excessive noise so just now I bought two inline atomizers from CO2art. As it happens, they were on a discount too so little bit of luck there :)
 
Yes good time to black out. It did help my bga when I had it, mine was happening as a bit of sunlight was getting through the blinds by the substrate. My experience has been bad with co2 on inlet too I was using a turbo reactor.

I've gone back to a glass diffuser. In the tank, but I may get another inline one on outlet as im wasting a lot of gas.
 
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