Light - How much is enough?

[David Moses Heng]

Can anyone guide me along on this?

I have currently 2 2ft x 1.5ft x 1 ft tanks.
1) Can i light them using a 4 ft light assembly?
I intend to diy one set but i need to know how much Kelvin do i need and stuffs before i proceed.

2) What is the CO2 dosage requirements?


Here is the intended flora list.

1) Anubias Barteri VAr. Nana(Dwarf anubias)
2) Echinodorus Tenellus( Pygmy Sword plant)
3) Hydrocotyle Leucocephala( Water Pennywort)
4) Vallisneria Asiatica(Corkscrew Vallisneria)
5) Vesicularia Dubyana(Java Moss)

3) First a initial set up, i understand that for the first two weeks, water change has to be done daily. Cn the expert brothers here please advise?

Thanks

[Shadow]

when I first setup, I only did water change on the 2nd week because I saw some moskito larvae. The water pH is still very low (ADA soil), so don't dare to put any fish. If I'm not mistaken, pH was 4.8. I start putting fish after 4 weeks of cycle, pH bounch back up to 6.5 at that time.

Can't really say about CO2 dossage, it is depend on how efficiaent is your reactor.

You can light them using 4ft light assembly but how many watt is your light?

[David Moses Heng]

18 watt. I intend to assemble set of 8 tubes. 4 for each 2 ft.

[bossteck]

Hi,

Wouldn't 4 tubes take up too much space, you will most likely need to shift the light set or remove it when you need to do trimming. How about getting 2 tubes with higher wattage, you can then have a smaller casing. I don't think the coverage of the light will differ much if you have a decent reflector.

[David Moses Heng]

Came up with something last night. Was a modification of Brother Michael Lai. Intend to use it for my set up. Please comment.

[David Moses Heng]

Hi,

Wouldn't 4 tubes take up too much space, you will most likely need to shift the light set or remove it when you need to do trimming. How about getting 2 tubes with higher wattage, you can then have a smaller casing. I don't think the coverage of the light will differ much if you have a decent reflector.

Bro BT, i know i can definetly count on you.
What i intend to do i s to DIY a cover which will enable me to do everything with ease. with PM you the pics once it is done. Cheers!!

[Shadow]

18 watt. I intend to assemble set of 8 tubes. 4 for each 2 ft.

72W each, more than enough, becarefull with algae though. With higher watt you will have less space to manuver

[David Moses Heng]

72W each, more than enough, becarefull with algae though. With higher watt you will have less space to manuver

what would be the recommend wattage then?CAn advise?

[Shadow]

Came up with something last night. Was a modification of Brother Michael Lai. Intend to use it for my set up. Please comment.

any reason why need to rotate the light?

[David Moses Heng]

any reason why need to rotate the light?

To stimulate the position of the sun.

[Shadow]

now that interesting

[David Moses Heng]

now that interesting

i read in a book that if we can stimulate the position of the sun by staggering the timing of the lights, we are able to actually encourage plant grwoth. As you and i know, the sun will be a diferent position with peak from 1130 hours to 1530 hours and then again from 163o hours to 1845 hours. So if we can copy this pattern for our tanks, we will be able to have a close to natural lighting sequence. As for the night, the bluish LED will solve the problem.


I may be wrong though.

Cheeres!!

[bossteck]

Hi Altum Lover,

Very interesting indeed.

Perhaps when you're done and if you do not mind, you can conduct a small experiement by planting the same type of plants in both tanks, and have one of the tanks follow your 'simulated sunlight' while the other on the normal lights on / lights off regime. And see if the plants do better.

Oh yar.. looking forward to seeing pic of your lights when you're done.

[David Moses Heng]

Hi Altum Lover,

Very interesting indeed.

Perhaps when you're done and if you do not mind, you can conduct a small experiement by planting the same type of plants in both tanks, and have one of the tanks follow your 'simulated sunlight' while the other on the normal lights on / lights off regime. And see if the plants do better.

Oh yar.. looking forward to seeing pic of your lights when you're done.

will do. That's why i'm rushing to get my cabinets and hoods up. Will post the pics once it is up and ready.

Cheers!!

[valice]

I thought Amano or someone else rubbished that theory before.
But you can experiment and tell us whether that makes any difference. Corals seemed to need that effect, not sure about plants, since light is light to them.

[David Moses Heng]

I thought Amano or someone else rubbished that theory before.
But you can experiment and tell us whether that makes any difference. Corals seemed to need that effect, not sure about plants, since light is light to them.

well no harm trying... right?