Plants leaves closing too early

[Victor]

Hi, guys! Finally I have a clue about what's is causing the algae that I'm fighting for many years in my tank. It could be a problem related to photoperiod.
My tank photoperiod lasts for 10 hours (2 h of low light at beginning, 6 hours of high light at the middle and 2 h of low light again at photoperiod end). My lights turn on 3 pm and turn off 1 am. My tank receives indirect sunlight during the day because it's next a window. The problem is some of my plants, specially rotala wallichii, opens its leaves about 4 hours before the tank lights turn on and closes its leaves about 4 hours before the tank lights turn off. I suppose the moment the plant closes their leaves it's stopping photosynthesising, right? If so, the plant isn't using the light and it's inducing indesirable algae. That makes sense? If this is really the problem, how could I fix this? Moving the photoperiod 4 hours earlier and keeping the duration of ten hours? Thank you.

 

[Chubbs]

if Your plants are opening before your lights are on then the indirect light is obviously more than enough.

Try moving it by the 4 hours you suggest but you might find you need to shorten it or reduce the light intensity, especially during summer months.

 

[Edvet]

Agreed. Move it and maybe shorten it a bit (like 1 or 2 hours) leave it for 6 weeks and then re-evaluate.

 

[PARAGUAY]

Can you shade from indirect sunlight and observe,maybe raise the lighting ?

 

[Victor]

Can you shade from indirect sunlight and observe,maybe raise the lighting ?

I didn't understand. You mean raise my tank lighting intensity?

 

[Victor]

Alright, guys, I'll move my photoperiod 4 hours earlier. The total 10 hours is ok? It's 10 h but there is only 6 hour of high lighting as explaned above.

 

[Chubbs]

Alright, guys, I'll move my photoperiod 4 hours earlier. The total 10 hours is ok? It's 10 h but there is only 6 hour of high lighting as explaned above.

Yes my tank has almost no alage and has 12 hours light but every tank is different, you need to find the balance for your setup. My lights are set to varying intensities.

 

[Victor]

But what's the consequences if the plants close their leaves some hours before the lights on the tank turn off? It can really triggers algae?

 

[Chubbs]

But what's the consequences if the plants close their leaves some hours before the lights on the tank turn off? It can really triggers algae?

If the plants aren’t photosynthesising then the nutrient demand drops. meaning that any remaining nutrients will just go towards feeding the alage you want to remove. So you’d just be giving extra light to alage and wasting electricity.

 

[PARAGUAY]

I didn't understand. You mean raise my tank lighting intensity?

Victor, I mean can you raise the lighting itself, not the intensity. If thats not possible reduce it and the photoperiod,adding floating plants may help

 

[Victor]

I already tried to keep the plants with low light intensity, the algae was growing as well and the plants was starving. So it's better keep the high light because the plants thrive this way, but it also grows a lot of algae on plants
My goal is to adjust the photoperiod 4 hours earlier and see what happens. I'm afraid to not get any change about the algae issue

 

[Chubbs]

I already tried to keep the plants with low light intensity, the algae was growing as well and the plants was starving. So it's better keep the high light because the plants thrive this way, but it also grows a lot of algae on plants
My goal is to adjust the photoperiod 4 hours earlier and see what happens. I'm afraid to not get any change about the algae issue

It will take time. If after a few weeks there has been no change then you need to reduce the high intensity period down as the additional light from a natural source is providing more than enough light for your tank. Also look at how much food you’re feeding the fish, how often you do water changes etc.

 

[Victor]

I don't have any fish or shrimp, only several very small snails that were introduced accidentally in my tank. I do 50 % wc every week. The environment light seems to be very weak but I can notice my rotalas curving toward the window , the source of indirect sunlight. This happens when my tank lights are off and during the day, of course.

 

[Chubbs]

I don't have any fish or shrimp, only several very small snails that were introduced accidentally in my tank. I do 50 % wc every week. The environment light seems to be very weak but I can notice my rotalas curving toward the window , the source of indirect sunlight. This happens when my tank lights are off and during the day, of course.

You’d be surprised how dim the lights can be for them. My light intensity is nearly half the maximum output at its highest point during the day and my plants are growing lovely. I think we’ve just been conditioned to buy stronger lights by the makers. You can of course have high lighting, but then your plant mass needs to be larger before you get to that point otherwise algae will rule over your tank.