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Rio 180, anyone added extra light fittings?

Hi there,
i did on my old set up before i knew anything about growing plants, just got some light clips, drilled two holes in the front flap, fitted the clips on the inside and bobs your uncle....obviously for use with a seperate light starter unit. Didnt bother at the rear, just rested the tube across the centre brace and filter top.
Can i ask why you want to add extra light?
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Hiya

Thanks for so quick replies

Setting up my new tank, with Co2 and planning to have light 10 hours/day, 2 tubes for 6 hours, 2 hours before those goes off, the other 2 comes on, and stays on for 6 hours. Want a peak of 2 hours with 4 tubes on.

My plan was to do as you did, drill holes and just fit the clips. Got an extra Hagen twin unit already.
 
Hi, i would quess it is easy enough to do but id question why. 10 hours is a very long period in a high tech, most stay below 8 and many around 5/6. Thinking you need lots of light is the biggest mistake most people make, less light generally means more success unless pretty experienced mate.
If your rio runs 2 x T5 this will grow most plant including carpets, its all about co2 and flow.
 
I was going to say I have a rio 180 and the lighting is quite ample works out around 2.25 watts of light per uk gallon or just under 2 us gallon ( however you want to look at it.) I had my lights on for 10 hours and all I got is green spot algae for my trouble. If you want buy the reflectors have lighting on for 7/8 hours a day then focus on good ferts and either good carbon source or co2 injection. As an example I will be rescaping my rio soon and it will be heavily planted. that is going to be my logging schedule then I am making a co2 kit, probably going to do ei ferts and adding an external filter to increase flow. This was after advice from the lovely chaps on several forums. Hope that helps


Juwel rio 180
2 angels
2 Siamese flying foxes
3 yo yo loaches
4 Julii corys
10 guppys
1 German blue ram
 
Polyester said:
Hiya

Thanks for so quick replies

Setting up my new tank, with Co2 and planning to have light 10 hours/day, 2 tubes for 6 hours, 2 hours before those goes off, the other 2 comes on, and stays on for 6 hours. Want a peak of 2 hours with 4 tubes on.

My plan was to do as you did, drill holes and just fit the clips. Got an extra Hagen twin unit already.
Click to expand...
Is this to give a good overall light spread within the tank to ensure even light for foreground middle and rear plants?
I would consider a maximum of 8 hr photoperiod, built up slowly from a starting six hours. If your going to ramp it up mid period with all four id wait until the tank has settled and your having good growth....remember more light = more demands for c02 and ferts, possibly to the detriment of any livestock you intend to keep.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Ady34 said:
Polyester said:
Hiya

Thanks for so quick replies

Setting up my new tank, with Co2 and planning to have light 10 hours/day, 2 tubes for 6 hours, 2 hours before those goes off, the other 2 comes on, and stays on for 6 hours. Want a peak of 2 hours with 4 tubes on.

My plan was to do as you did, drill holes and just fit the clips. Got an extra Hagen twin unit already.
Click to expand...
Is this to give a good overall light spread within the tank to ensure even light for foreground middle and rear plants?
I would consider a maximum of 8 hr photoperiod, built up slowly from a starting six hours. If your going to ramp it up mid period with all four id wait until the tank has settled and your having good growth....remember more light = more demands for c02 and ferts, possibly to the detriment of any livestock you intend to keep.
Cheerio,
Ady.
Click to expand...

sorry to steal the thread but am curious..
Ady, do you know the reasoning behind a mid day blast?? I started my current tank up in the same way but the more i read the more it seemed that demand for co2 and highest rate of photosynthesis was at lights on (hence DC must be lime green at lights on) so now my lights start high and dim later but no 'sunrise' so to speak...???
Any ideas mate?? I know Tom Barr runs all his tanks with dimable tubes, sunrise-sunset set up. Seems conflicting??
 
easerthegeezer said:
sorry to steal the thread but am curious..
Ady, do you know the reasoning behind a mid day blast?? I started my current tank up in the same way but the more i read the more it seemed that demand for co2 and highest rate of photosynthesis was at lights on (hence DC must be lime green at lights on) so now my lights start high and dim later but no 'sunrise' so to speak...???
Any ideas mate?? I know Tom Barr runs all his tanks with dimable tubes, sunrise-sunset set up. Seems conflicting??
Click to expand...
Hi Iain,
i dont really know, but obviously in nature photoperiods are longer, prob 12hrs and there is sunrise and sunset which are less intense due to the angle of the sun (more reflection/shading), midday...ish onwards for a few hours sun is highest and most direct thus greater intensity and this is probably the period when plants 'make hay while the sun shines'. I dont use any dimmers etc or high intensity points so not clued up. I would guess that in our contrived environments the optimum way to grow is for c02 to be optimal when lights come on, mainly because most people dont have the ability to dim (sunrise/sunset) as they just have the same intensity constantly through the photoperiod. Id imagine if you can graduate/dim (sunrise/sunset) lights then you dont necessarily need c02 at peak for lights on and only at the peak lighting period when demand is highest, ie, effectively when graduating/dimming your running reduced lighting intensity = less demand for c02. Your kind of mixing the two. Thats all just my thoughts though, no science behind it!
Essentially though its pretty irrelevant as its all about optimising the c02 in relation to lighting and livestock.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Hi Ady, thanks for the input mate. No doubt Tom has done some scientific study with reference to growth rates during a photoperiod in aquaria, that will probably make my head spin! :crazy:
Ady34 said:
Essentially though its pretty irrelevant as its all about optimising the c02 in relation to lighting and livestock.
Click to expand...

Yeah, spot on buddy. I might do some searching on The Barr Report anyway as my curiosity is stoked or start a thread so Clive, Darrel and Tom can all humble my puny knowledge :lol:

Apologies for hijacking the thread polyester. :thumbup:
 
easerthegeezer said:
or start a thread so Clive, Darrel and Tom can all humble my puny knowledge :lol:
Click to expand...
+1 :)
 
No problem to hijack the thread ;)

To say its just about Co2 and flow, is a bit "strong", since light is one of the most essential things for all living plants/animals. Aiming to get a balance between all factors.

The reasons I want 4 tubes, is to get the midblast, to give a proper day cycle.
As I said before, its only going to be 4 lights on for 2 hours per day.

My last hightech tank, a 375 liter one, was succesfully started with over 1W/liter and never had any problems with it really :thumbup:

Also want to get the spread, you mentioned Ady.

The best swedish plant site, http://www.plantswap.se have some interesting Co2 consumption charts, which shows amount of light, Co2 and a lot more.
It can be found here: http://www.plantswap.se/diverse/co2/sum.php

Will try to get a journal started soon, have 5 days off work now, and plan to properly set up my tank. Got my Co2 set from Germany yesterday :D

Unfortunally, one of the biggest and "best?" suppliers of plants, did let me down, and did not send plants that i hoped for, even if I got confirmation that they were in stock before ordering, so might have to take a trip to London tomorrow or more local shop.
 
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