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Light period (hours) first week to one month

vador

New Member
Joined
8 Sep 2015
Messages
14
Location
Bromma, Stockholm
Dear all,

I will setup my new aquarium soon and I have a question related with light duration. My setup will be an ADA 60p, amazonia soil, Aquasky 601 lights and CO2 pressurized bottle. Furthermore, I will have fast growing plants (including some "red plants") on the aquarium.

Taken this scenario in consideration, I am thinking on doing the following concerning lights and co2 (co2 starts one hour before lights are on and it ends one hour before lights are off):
  • First 4 days : 6 hours of light and co2 (drop check color will be green tending to yellow)
  • day 4 to 2nd week: 7 hours of light and co2 (drop check color will be green tending to yellow)
  • 3rd to 4th week : 8 hours of light and co2 (drop check color will be green)
    • Introduce 10 to 15 shrimps (if water already cycled)
  • after 4th week: assess if is required to increase to 10hours (drop check color will be green)
    • Introduce fish (starting with 4 otocinclus)

My objective is to support the plants to adapt to the new aquarium and avoid an algae explosion in the initial stages of the aquarium. Does it make sense? Anyone have/had a similar setup that could shed some light if I am thinking on the right direction?

Thank you for the help!
 
Last edited:
I don't think you'll ever need 10 hours with an aqausky.

I have a 361 over a mini m.

If I were you, I'd start with 5hrs for the first 2weeks (assuming the lights are not dimmed). It's a seriously powerful light, the legs aren't tall enough imo.
Plants heavy from day 1.
I'd consider switching the co2 on 1.5-2hrs before the lights come on.
For the first week do 50% wc'es daily, then 1x 50% wc per week.
Monitor and after the 2 weeks is up makes some new decisions eg. Covering over the centre strip of leds with black electrical tape.
 
Hi,

I will follow your advice. On your setup you end by covering some leds? How many hours you currently have on your tank?

Thank you
 
Hi Vador, in your fist post you say ... " I am thinking on doing the following concerning lights and co2 (co2 starts one hour before lights are on and it ends one hour after lights are off):"
I don't know if you meant to say that but it would be better to switch off the c02 one hour before the lights go off.
It might be possible to build your lights up from 5 hours to 10 hours but probably not necessary or required for the best plant health!
Bright light requires maximum levels of co2 and that can be difficult to achieve without killing fish, most people seem to use 6-8 hours of light.
 
I'm using an Aquasky 451 over a 45C.

I run with 6 hours of light and CO2 on 24/7. This seems to be going fine so far.

One thing that can make life easier in the early weeks is to run the tank without plants, co2 or light for the first 3 weeks. This reduces the need for water changes to one per week. You then plant on the start of the 4th week. This worked well for me. Id then run that for a week and start dosing ferts and stocking with shrimp after that.
 
I'm using an Aquasky 451 over a 45C.

I run with 6 hours of light and CO2 on 24/7. This seems to be going fine so far.

One thing that can make life easier in the early weeks is to run the tank without plants, co2 or light for the first 3 weeks. This reduces the need for water changes to one per week. You then plant on the start of the 4th week. This worked well for me. Id then run that for a week and start dosing ferts and stocking with shrimp after that.


I did that once too. I had the tank and filter, but the light took 6 weeks to arrive. So everything had cycled prior to planting. Doing it this way worked and it was easy, fewer wc'es. Depends how patient you are. If you have a nice new light you'll probably want to see it working sooner rather than later.
 
Remember a dimmer (or some other way of controlling the light) is a must, especially when starting off, unless you are farming algae of course....
 
Remember a dimmer (or some other way of controlling the light) is a must, especially when starting off, unless you are farming algae of course....

See, I've not done this. I know it won't be popular on here, but I've made the decision to follow the ADA (money making!) "system" pretty much to the letter. I was just curious to see if it worked for me.
I'm probably tempting fate, but I'm several weeks into the tank now with no algae issues and I run the Aquasky for 6 hours a day.
I also run a Twinstar <ducks for cover>!!
 
I am starting all ADA (including fertilizers). So I agree with 5678 it might work quite well if you follow their instructions, however in the long run I will see if I continue with their products. Probably I will switch to other brand less expensive but with the same quality reputation.

@ian_m
On other note I read that dimming Aquasaky lights could potentially break/damage the system. However I do not know if this is just rumors or in fact it happen to someone. What dimming system do you recommend?
 
I am starting all ADA (including fertilizers). So I agree with 5678 it might work quite well if you follow their instructions, however in the long run I will see if I continue with their products. Probably I will switch to other brand less expensive but with the same quality reputation.

@ian_m
On other note I read that dimming Aquasaky lights could potentially break/damage the system. However I do not know if this is just rumors or in fact it happen to someone. What dimming system do you recommend?

FWIW, I use the ferts and dosing instructions too. I used Power Sand special, but not all of the additives. I'm intending to run it for 12 months and see how it goes.
I know I'm paying more for things I could mix myself. My time is at a premium though so I'm happy to just grab a bottle and add what I'm told. If this costs me more then that's fine with me.
 
My current setup is as following:
  • Substract
    • Power sand S
    • Bacter 100, Clear Super, Turmaline BC, Penac-W, Penac-P
    • Aquasoil amazonia 9l
    • Aquasoil amazonia 3l powder
    • Aquasoil Colorado Sand
  • Fertlizers
    • Step 1
    • Bright K
    • Green Gain
    • Green Bacter
    • ECA
    • Phyton-GIT
  • Equipment
    • Sodastream bottle with adaptor (one stage pressure valve), bubble counter and connected with inline atomizer (up aqua)
    • Hydor inline thermostat
    • Eheim 2217 with glass lily pipes
    • drop checker
    • Aquasky 601
    • 60p tank
    • Ikea bestå (reinforced)
Now I might have gone overboard here, but I wanted a clean aquarium and good quality products. The question is if I will have pretty setup of plants and fish or a nice algae soup :p

Thanks
 
My current setup is as following:
  • Substract
    • Power sand S
    • Bacter 100, Clear Super, Turmaline BC, Penac-W, Penac-P
    • Aquasoil amazonia 9l
    • Aquasoil amazonia 3l powder
    • Aquasoil Colorado Sand
  • Fertlizers
    • Step 1
    • Bright K
    • Green Gain
    • Green Bacter
    • ECA
    • Phyton-GIT
  • Equipment
    • Sodastream bottle with adaptor (one stage pressure valve), bubble counter and connected with inline atomizer (up aqua)
    • Hydor inline thermostat
    • Eheim 2217 with glass lily pipes
    • drop checker
    • Aquasky 601
    • 60p tank
    • Ikea bestå (reinforced)
Now I might have gone overboard here, but I wanted a clean aquarium and good quality products. The question is if I will have pretty setup of plants and fish or a nice algae soup :p

Thanks

Quite similar to me. I'm dosing Step 1, K and ECA at the moment.

Some comments,
- I've found powder is very keen to shift with water movement. Be wary and use LOTS of substrate supports.
- Give up on the sodastream bottles and get a FE. I started with them but got tired of replacing them often. Much cheaper with FEs.
 
Give up on the sodastream bottles and get a FE.
I get through 20gr of CO2 a day on 180litre and green/yellow drop checker. Thus your 60l may get through 7gr a day, with 420gr per sodastream bottle that's 60days, 2 months odd for £10. I get a 2Kg FE for £10.
 
Hi Ian_m.

I get what you are saying, on my previous first aquarium (2009 - 2011). I had a 2kg CO2 bottle, actually I still have it in Portugal. However I am living in Sweden now and here there is not accessible places that you can fill in your bottle. I do not have a car or motorcycle in Stockholm, you go everywhere with public transportation, so even if there is a place it takes me time to go there. While sodastream is so popular in Sweden that even near me this convenience stores sells them (70sek ~ 5.58pounds), therefore this makes my life way easier.

Some pictures of my aquarium (planted yesterday :) )
6KOitTy.jpg

eJOxckg.jpg

Jipbblr.jpg
 
Hi guys,

Just to report back on my first week. Routine maintenance for the week:
  • 5 hours of light
  • 5,5hours of co2 (1,5 bubbles per second - drop check deep green and starts one hour prior to the light)
  • 50% water change everyday
  • Bright K everyday
  • Green Bacter everyday
  • Green Gainer on the first 3 days
To facility my water changes I did the following:
  • Bought a big bucket (30 liters)
  • Used the inflow hose (connected to the lilly pipe) to remove water from the aquarium
  • Filled the bucket with tap water (my tap water is KH 5 GH 8, Swedish water is amazing)
  • Used seachem water conditioner and wait 5 minutes
  • While waiting have a check on the aquarium plants et cetera.
  • Used the inflow hose (connected to the cannister) to suck the water from the bucket
Current water parameters:
  • Ammonia 1,5ppm
  • Nitrite 0,25ppm
  • Nitrate 5ppm
  • PH 6.4
  • KH 4ppm
  • GH 7ppm

In summary the tank is crystal clear and I did not have yet spot any algae.
CsRMZsS.jpg

HJnGQ9B.jpg

 
Is it not an Anubias ?.

You are right Nelson is an Anubis gracilis. :)

Here is my plant list:
  • Hottonia palustris
  • Eleocharis sp - montevidensis
  • Lindernia rotundifolia
  • Alternanthera reineckii ´Lila´ (in-Vitro)
  • Pogostemon erectus (In-Vitro)
  • Cyperus helferi
  • Sagittaria subulata var.pusilla (In-Vitro)
  • Ammania Sp. Bonsai TC (1-2-Grow)
  • Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • Ammannia praetermissa
  • Staurogyne repens TC (1-2-Grow)
  • Cryptocoryne parva
  • Pogostemon stellata (Eusteralis)
  • Microsorum pteropus Windelov
  • Anubias gracilis
  • Ranunculus inundatus
  • Fissidens fontanus
  • Taxiphyllum barbieri (Vesicularia) TC (1-2-Grow)
  • Taxiphyllum sp. 'Flame'
 
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