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Thread: How much light do I need?

  1. #1
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    How much light do I need?

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    I have a planted tank 2.5'X18"x18" approx 40 gallons. I have them for well over a year but amazon swords just not growing. When I bought them it was large but shrunk and now only about 4 cm tall. I have 2 x 2' fl and diy co2 with glass difuser. I want to change the light with a power compact. The question is how many watts should I get and what brand is best and what Kelvin? I just want to see the amazon swords grow well becuase if I can do that I can grow many other plants too. Java fern and anubias nana are growing quite well. By the way I use normal gravel with azoo fertiliser.
    I know the more light the better but I like to know what will be the minimum so I can workout how much extra I should put.
    Any info is much appreciated. Even better if you can see a picture of your amazon sword.

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    I think this topic has been discussed many times. Searching the archives and the internet will give you good information on lightings.

    *Looking around for Mrs Budak to see if she's going to faint again*

    Low light plants like Java Ferns and Anubias can survive as low as 1.5W/gal. Basically the general recommendation is 2~3W/gal to grow a wider selection of plants. Doing some simple math, you should be able to get the wattage needed.

    Looking through the archives, you may oso find that colour temp of 6500K is generally recommended.

    BC

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    Based on your calculation of 40 gallons I would think you should try to aim for 2- 3 watts/per gallon.

    Check out natural aquarium along thomson road. Chan has many on sales. Wattage is important but then color temperature too. Personal experience Osram PL are much better I know cos after changing to it..my plants grew taller and faster Nothing tweak..I mean CO2 and fertilizer, etc....

    I have a 4ft by 1.5ft by 1.5 ft lit by a 4 x 36 watt PL. Sword plants are growing really well...honestly, your problem may not be due to light....cos amazon sword aka E.Bleheri are easy plant meaning they can do with less light...I think nutrients play a big role in its growth

    Juz my two sens... [:]
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    try adding some stick fertilizer near the roots of the swords.
    root monster or stuff like that.
    right now, what is the wattage of lights that you are using?
    thomas liew

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    Right now the wattage is about 40 - 46 watts 1watt/gallon.
    That's right, I was told that Amazon sword can grow under low light like anubias nana. I have tried several Amazon swords, they all shrunk after few months. Apparently it is quite normal for the plant to shrink first because they are grown hydroponic but should recover after a while.
    Some people that I talked to didn't even bother to use fertliser but their swords still grow (so they said).

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    Stick fertiziler....ermh...what do you recommend? No leeching pls...
    Check out Wynx' Blog
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    When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade.
    Dale Carnegie
    "Who cannot love Her smallest things cannot stand in front of Nature" 隆あまの 

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    Ikan, do you see yellowing leaves or pale leaves? These are signs of insufficient light.

    BC

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    ----------------
    Stick fertiziler....ermh...what do you recommend? No leeching pls...
    ----------------
    there are many selections available from lfs. Check here . you can try to minimise leeching by plunging the fertilizer sticks deep into the gravel.
    thomas liew

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    Actually they look very green not yellow. The Amazon sword has a dark green healthy colour. Anyway I bought 2 Compact Fl yesterday 2 x 36 watts I hope this will be enough to encourage more growth. Also I have to get those fertiliser. How many do you put on each plant?

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    Personally, I feel that as long as you have base fertilizer, it should be enough.

    I had planted mine at the area where the roots can reach the fertilizer, with sufficient lights and CO2, they almost grow out of control!

    They look like a big bunch of pandan leaves![]

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    Ikan, if your plants is not yellow and not showing signs of deficiency, it should be alright. It is probably just slowing down it growth. Probably may not need additional fert with the low light.

    BC

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    Swords have big root system to absorb nutrients. With such characteristics, base fert or fert sticks are a must for good growth.
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
    [email protected]

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    I use those azoo slow release fertiliser (small balls). The amazon swords has not grown for 4-6 months now. I should see some improvement with double light wattage, if not I'll just grow anubias nana and java fern. Honetly I have tried several time including 4x2x2 tank with 4 aguaralle 36 watts light and over $100 worth of plants and at the end they all died. Much much easir to keep and breed fish than growing plants.[]

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    Conflicting advice.

    Probably you got to try it for yourself. Increase lighting will definitely help you in keeping a wider selection of plants.

    BC

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    Actually, IMHO....healthy plants means healthy fishes...therefore I dun quite agree with that keeping fish is easier than keeping plants. But finding the balance is the toughest. []

    In an ideal aquatic world....plants produces oxygen from nuturients and carbon dioxide from fishes and fishes in turn benefit because photosynthesis help keep the water quality good as well as oxygenated...

    I think ur lights no enuff...same case for me last time....
    Check out Wynx' Blog
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    "Who cannot love Her smallest things cannot stand in front of Nature" 隆あまの 

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    ....healthy plants means healthy fishes...
    But it doesn't mean healthy fishes means healthy plants.
    Hence keeping healthy plants is harder than healthy fish[]

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    Well, I think this is all a question of balance []

    In a tank without plants....I think the color and brilliance of fishes could not be enhanced.....Best example, cardinal tetra...they wun show their red strips nicely in a bare tank. Why? I think they are stressed lor...hehe...

    And also keeping aquatic plants require huge patience....I have seen people giving up onset of BBA, green water, etc and sometime their problem can be solved by finding the missing 'component' that is causing plants to suffer....

    Healthy Plants---> Happy Fishes....

    Juz my 2 sens....
    Check out Wynx' Blog
    Check out Wynx' Gallery
    When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade.
    Dale Carnegie
    "Who cannot love Her smallest things cannot stand in front of Nature" 隆あまの 

  18. #18
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    Ikan,
    What's the temp like? My temp was set to 25~26 deg C. It somehow slowed down Echinodurus plant growth as compared to my previous tank of 29~31 deg C. Read somewhere that the low temp, slows down the metablolic rate of these plant... was it Kasellman (forgotten)..... How long ago was it planted?
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
    [email protected]

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    The temperature is about 28C. The tank is about 2 1/2 years old, always have plants. The current plants are about 9 months old. The only surviving plants from the first setup are anubias nana and java fern. They actually grow quite well that I use the young ones for my other two tanks.

  20. #20
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    juz re read your initial post.... your lights are definately not enough..... sorry for the mix up. Swords do need fairly lots of lights. Try providing more, at least 2+W/g.
    Cheers!!

    Sherwin Choo
    [email protected]

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