• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Too much light?

JonRivers

Member
Joined
25 Aug 2019
Messages
32
Location
Frome
Sorry if this has been covered else where,

i have seen around the forum that too much light can cause issues ie diatoms.

Are there any other symptoms to be aware of?

and is there an ideal Par range for plants in there respective requirement category?
 
PARforVariousBulbs.jpg

As a general starting point
To much light doesn't cause diatoms, diatoms are a startup problem that goes away with some time and or cleanup crew.
For non added carbon tanks (liquid or CO2) stay in the low range.
 
Just to make things exciting you’ll often find opposing opinions ;)

Green Aqua states that diatoms are more often an issue with low light - and they definitely run high light, limited nutrient (rather than EI which promotes “extra” micro and macro nutrients), 30ppm. CO2,

I’d not thought on it much, but after hearing Balaz say this in a recent video, realized my own occasional (visible) diatoms have been in lower light set ups

Diatoms are generally seen in new setups (Clithon sp snails, Otocinclus are the best diatom cleanup crew) and occasionally in more established tanks (assumption is then that something has changed/affected tank balance)

An interesting Q&A session




Some of my favs
George Farmer - aquascaping at Criwders Aquatics August 31
https://www.facebook.com/events/2327488417517566/
Jurijs mit JS
Green Aqua
Filipe Oliveira - who is aquascaping at Aquarium Gardens August 31 (well worth the drive but call to confirm space as they’re closed but for bookings)
https://www.facebook.com/AquariumGardens
 
Last edited:
https://www.diatoms.de/en/culturing/light :)

Interesting read, it seems in general Diatoms thrive on the blue and some even on the green spectrum of light. This is why diatoms can be found in rather deep waters where only blue still penetrates and red and green are filtered out. Thus a diatom is not very picky and seem to have a rather low compensation point.

But our desired natural white (6500K) aqaurium light source with a proper dose of blue is actualy ideal for cultivating it. It also seems that if you take blue as much as possible out with going towards a warm white spectrum it can reduce diatom growth.

Theoretically a good point to have the option for changing color rendition in aquarium lights. Change to a warmer color while suffering a diatom outbreak.?

But not all diatoms are just diatoms and different spp. seem to thrive at different conditions. Than we need to know which diatom are we talking about. :) Thus when it comes to that, we are most likely all fishing in the dark with diatoms.

Pitty this resent article yet isn't accesible for the general public.
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/365/6452/447
 
Always suffered from diatoms on the leaves - was running with CFL tubes x 1 @ 11 watts 6500K day light over 65 litres or 14.44 gallons which gave me 1.5watts/ gallon which seemed excessive, now changed to 2 x 7 watts 4000K which now gives me 0.9 watts per gallon - so see how thats goes on.

Paul.
 
Back
Top