Some Lighting Questions

[genes]

Firstly, this might sound real silly to some of you but can having the lights on for a longer period compensate for the lack of wattage?

Secondly, my riccia does not pearl until around 12 hours or more of lighting. I usually have the lights on for 10hours but decided to try 12hours and see the difference... Am using a 36W PL for a 2ft. Does this means that there is not enough light for the riccia to pearl or they need longer hours under the light to pearl?

[budak]

suspect yours is more a CO2 issue (lacking) than light, although your light is on the lowish side for riccia. longer hours won't make up for anything. [/i]

[genes]

Have already increased the bubble rate from 2bps to 3bps. Is a 55W enough or do i have have to go for a 72W lamp?

[budak]

i dare say 55W is enough. But please have a read through the sticky threads here and use the tank calculators for more information on light/CO2/fert etc....

[genes]

Calculator indicates 51watts to be enough. Dang...need to change my lightings now and get rid of my 36w....thanks for your infor

[barmby]

I think 36 Watts to a standard 2ft is barely ok. But to increase it to 55 Watts, you will need to live with the consequences.. The riccia will grow very fast that you will need to trim them regularly to a point that you will lose that passion...

Better to take it slowly and easy, so that your passion will last...keep wanting for more!

[gregorsamsa]

i suspect you 36watt pl comes with a stand.

if you flush the light set with your tank, and place it above yuor riccia, you should see it pearling.

problem is, yuo wont get a good light spread and yuo may hve problem of stems leaning towards the light.

rather than get a 1x72 watt, get another 36watts. that way there is light spread over the front and the back.

and yeah, are you injecting any Co2? and how densely have you planted your tank?

[genes]

Hmmm...getting another 36W is a good idea...more well lit throughout the tank i suppose.

This is my 1 mth old tank, kinda in a mess in my scaping and trying out different foreground plants but glosso is not spreading well due to insufficient lights. So might stick to riccia. Tank is 60(L)x36(H)x30(W). Have just increased co2 to 3bps instead of 2bps


However, if i add another 36W, like 36W back and 36W front of tank, do you think the glosso might run?

This is the lamp i have now, Jebo 2x18W PL

[genes]

Forget to ask....Does adding an additonal 2x18W to the existing 2X18W have the same intensity/effect as a single 72W lamp?

Thanks in advance everyone!

[joe]

ur PL is 10000k? not quite suited for planted tanks le

[genes]

eh....pardon me but why so? wat should i get then?

[dOlBy]

the best is 6000k-8000k for planted tank. Anything above 8000k is out of range of colour temperature of sunlight. 10000k are usaully used for marine tank.

adding another 2x 18w will certainly do the job.

[genes]

ic...but plants are still growing well though...so it should not matter much right?

[Simon]

strangely some brand light tubes do have 10,000k range for planted tanks. When I was using FL, I had 4x10,000 and 4x8000k Fl tubes