Light times...

[Reidy]

I have just set up my new tank been running 2 days it has Cuba and staurogyne repens in ATM hoping if will carpet, I have 2 36w pl lights and 2 24w pl runnin for 6 hours.

Would u guys recommend 2 hours half light, 2 hours with all light then finally 2 half again or jus go 6 hours with all the lights on (thinking the Cuba is a little bit light hungry?)

 

[ceg4048]

HC is CO2 hungry and doesn't really care about light that much. You've got much too much light and that will cause algae within a week unless your CO2 and flow are strong.

Cheers,

 

[Reidy]

Ye I have got good flow and co2 injection, so u reckon 2 hours of full light and 4 hours half is too much ?

 

[ceg4048]

Everybody thinks they have good CO2 and flow. So they crank up the light and then have plant problems, but refuse to consider that their available CO2 and distribution methods may be insufficient for the overzealous lighting levels.

What I'm saying is that you really have no idea whether your CO2/flow/distribution is good until the plants confirm it. HC is a notoriously poor CO2 feeder, especially when newly flooded. It really doesn't like to be submerged and has to be coaxed into accepting the flood conditions. Until such time as it can accept it's fate and change it's physiology to adapt to submersion, the lighting intensity should be dim to moderate, while the CO2 should be high to very high. That gives it the best chance for survival. After a few weeks the CO2 can be lowered and the lighting can be increase.

It's not clear what the tank size is, but 50% of your bulbs should be shut off and kept off until HC tells you it's OK.

Carefully study the chart shown in this post:--> Dymax Tropical 36 watt | Page 4 | UK Aquatic Plant Society

Keep in mind that you really need to stay in the blue zone on that chart for at least the first month of the tank setup. Multiply the number of bulbs you have and note the distance of the bulbs to the substrate. If your calculations reveal that you are in the pink or yellow zone this means a higher risk of melting and algal blooms.

Cheers,