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Plants under LCP

Victor

Member
Joined
10 Jun 2013
Messages
298
Location
Brazil
Hello, guys! What the symptoms of a plant under the LCP (light compensation point)? It becomes yellowish and die? Or just begins to decay?
 
My plants is melting and my CO2 is good. I think it's because poor light. currently I have 2 x 30 w T8 tubes on the top of a 300 L tank. But the tubes are covered by printer paper. what do you think about?
 
That's not a lot of light for a 300l tank if you are adding co2. Light is the energising force. Without more light the co2 and ferts are just being wasted. What's your photoperiod?
 
Hi, James! Thank you by your reply. I'm using 8 hours a day. I had to use this very low light because the brown algae bloom. Now the algae is under control :)
 
Are you adding ferts?
 
Time to take the paper off I think, maybe try 6hrs just in case though. Were you running co2 & EI when you got the algae?
 
yes, I was always running CO2 and estimative index. My tank is still new, 3 months now. I'll remove the paper now :). Which the most quantity of light that I can increase in next monthes? It's better remain at 60 w forever or could I increase to 120 w or maybe 180?
 
There's no straight formula for it, but as long as your plants can uptake sufficient nutrients and the co2 levels don't nuke your fish, the sky is the limit.

60w just doesn't seem like a lot for 300l.
 
Great. But high light plants like "gossostigma" won't die under only 60 w? It's safe?
 
Hi all,
What the symptoms of a plant under the LCP (light compensation point)? It becomes yellowish and die? Or just begins to decay
Either of those.
I think it's because poor light. currently I have 2 x 30 w T8 tubes on the top of a 300 L tank. But the tubes are covered by printer paper. what do you think about?
Take the paper off, that is pretty low light even at full efficiency.
yes, I was always running CO2 and estimative index.
There isn't much point in running either without more light, I'm not a CO2 user, but those who are will tell you that added CO2 slightly lowers the LCP, but even so your 60W isn't a lot of light for 300 litres.

cheers Darrel
 
There isn't much point in running either without more light, I'm not a CO2 user, but those who are will tell you that added CO2 slightly lowers the LCP, but even so your 60W isn't a lot of light for 300 litres.

Thank by your reply, Darrel! So, could I increase the light at next months? Do you think 60 w over 300 L is low light or medium light (my tank is 45 cm high)?
 
Hi all,
Do you think 60 w over 300 L is low light
I think it is still low light. Because I don't use CO2 and I aim to keep my plants in slow growth I use a different approach to tank management, so I always have a 12 hour light period, and I don't mind too much about the intensity of the light.

If I have a lot of PAR, I just add more plants, until a balance is reached. I then use the health of the floating plants as an indicator of when to feed. The reason for using a floater was to take CO2 out of the equation. I originally called it the "Duckweed Index", because I used Lemna minor, but Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) is probably the best option for a floater.

It isn't an approach that suits every-body, but it works quite well.

cheers Darrel
 
But low light can endanger my plants like rotala macrandra? Or do they can adapt very well?
 
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