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Impact of timers on growth and plant health

S

sculligan

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28 Oct 2010
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I don't currently have a timer on my lights, generally I turn the lamp on when I get up round 8 and then off again in the evening around 18:00, but as you can imagine this is not generally consistent. But gives me a general 10hr photo period.

If I put the lighting on a timer would I see significantly improved plant growth [all other things being equal]? That said I should just nip out grab a timer and test, but interested to garner the views of the forum.

Thanks.
 
I don't think you'd notice considerable difference in growth or health but I'd invest in a timer for piece of mind when you may not be around the house at the appropriate time of day.

I use the cheap types from supermarkets, but obviously they need resetting in the event of a powercut and when the clocks go fwd/back.

I use also use separate timer for a CO2 solenoid.
 
Spyder, George thanks for the responses, most useful.

Guess I will put one in and see how it goes. Currently battling BBA at the moment so sounds like the timer could help too.
 
BBA might - paradoxically - be the result of too many water changes if your tank is not CO2 enriched. Apparently the dissolved CO2 in new water can trigger the same reaction in plants as unstable pressurised CO2 (info shamelessly pinched from ceg4048 - i'm not clever enough to know this!). A long photoperiod also plays into it's hands. The main reason I (and i think a lot of people on here) use a timer is to coordinate solenoid/CO2 timings with light timings, and also to remove one less "variable" in managing algae. Incidentally i've used both the electronic ones and the analogue "segment" typ and have found the latter to be far easier and far more reliable!
Hope this helps,
Matt
 
Thanks Matt, I have halved my lighting (taking a bulb out) upped my Easy Carbo and kept well away from messing with the substrate. This seems to have done the job as the BBA looks to be receeding. Other than Easy Carbo I am not injecting any CO2. This agree's with yours and Ceg's advice which is good to hear.

I had a dabble at yeast based which I am 90% sure was the cause of the issue in the first place, so am slowly recovering and planning how I can get a reg and bottle to fit under my kitchen cabinet with the tank.

Will look out for a cheap analogue timer.

Thanks again.
Sean
 
2kg FEs aren't that tall - would fit in a kitchen cabinet i'd have thought. Sound like yeast-based co2 might well have been the culprit. Have you tried turning off your filter and using a syringe to apply a 25% easy carbo solution to the algae - kills it right off! leave it 5 mins then turn filter back on. BBA turns purple/pink when it's dead so you can see it working.
Cheers!
Matt
 
Will have a scan for dimensions, I have 39cm of room to play with. But definitely keen to go down the FE or injection route.

Normally I would, but my syringe is currently hiding in my easy carbo bottle, frustratingly out of reach of my tweezers (by about 2cm), been too lazy to weazle it out of the bottle. Benefit of leaving the dosing to the missus while away haha.
 
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