Query on the initial setup

[Blightswine]

Hi guys,

I've been collecting the equipment to set up my first hi-tec tank and am close starting (life engagements delaying it a couple of weeks) but I have a couple of questions.

I have two TMC Mini400's suspended roughly 20-30cm over a tank measuring 70cm wide x 35cm tall x 35cm front to back. I can adjust the height if needed, and also have the 2way TMC controller.

My first question would be regarding the height and strength of the tiles. I haven't yet decided on my dosing regime, or exactly what plants I'll be growing, but sssuming I go down the EI route, growing mainly rosette and epiphytic plants (and possibly mosses) how far above the tank should I situate the LED's, and roughly what percentage should I run the tiles on? They're incredibly bright, and from what I've read people seem to favour around 30%, but is this from day one? With the C02 cranked up? Or should I start with less light and increase the strength over time?

This leads to my second question. After adding livestock (most likely a pair of apistos and some pencils), I will need to pay more attention to the C02 levels in the tank. How will this 'reigning in' of C02 affect the lighting? Once the livestock is in, and I tone down the c02, will I need to reduce the light, and how would be best to do this?

All and any input is welcome. Thanks!


Alex

 

[Julian]

My tank is roughly the same dimensions, and I have 2 of the same LED tiles.

Let me save you over a years worth of struggle. I know you've read that most people set them quite low, to about 30% or so, but trust me, set them to 100% (you won't need a controller), suspend them about 15cm from the surface. You might not get the spread you want, but you'll find any type of carpet plant will struggle to get enough light otherwise.

It's taken me so long to grow anything in my tank because of these lights (and the height I had them at initially) that I'm actually happy to see algae growing (well, my rocks have turned slightly green)!

I started out with my lights at 60%, but my plants would turn dark green, then eventually transparent and die after about 4 weeks. Thinking I had the levels set too high, I worked my way backwards which was a huge mistake. I went from 60%, to 50%, to 45%, all the way down to 15% but the results were all the same. It was only when I was about to quit the hobby, I thought I'd have one last go and just whack them all the way up to 100%. The plants didn't exactly grow like crazy, but they've been alive for more than 2 months now which far longer than they did before. I've lowered the lights from 30cm above the water level down to 15cm, so I'm hoping that they'll start responding soon. Again, I don't have any algae apart from my rocks turning green (which is normal in any set up), but my tank is well established, so no doubt you'll run into a few algae issues with your tank being new.

 

[Wisey]

I had a similar experience to Julian, problems with growth after setting a 1500 Ultra tile too low. You can see in my journals how things went for me, but if its TL;DR, I'm now at 100% with the tile 20cm from the surface and on for 6 hours, I am finally starting to get a green tinge to my stone, but zero other algae in the tank and my plants that need more intense light such as Pogo. Erectus are showing signs of not enough light.

What is strange is the number of people that seem to have the opposite and have to run these tiles on really low settings. I don't know how you can get such extreme differences in user experience. All I do know is that George Farmer used two of these tiles on a tank my size and I heard he was running at 100%.

I do also have a 6mm thick plexiglass cover on my tank which gets a lot of condensation and therefore turns in to a huge light diffuser, so that has quite an impact on the light. My tank is also 45cm high, so that impacts par at substrate a bit too.

 

[Blightswine]

Thank you guys for the input, it's much appreciated. I shall drop the lights lower and start at a higher percentage and see how things go. I'm still weeks from setting up, darn life getting in the way haha