Those are some high powered lights you have! Maintainence must be a bitch.
I have this bee in my bonnet which has been buzzing into my ear that in a high lighted planted aquarium, when all the colour bands are present in high intensity, each of the plant specie will be satiated with energy by absorbing their favourite colour band, by producing the pigments to do so and thus being compelled to show their most colourful self.
So after more than a month of neglect while I corrected the lights and renewed all the wiring and CO2 supply; I have severely pruned away the rank growth, and done a water change.
The size of the tank is – 72” – 36” – 24” high
The lights are 3 X 150W 10000K MH, + 2 X 150W 3000K MH, + 3 X 40W 6500K T8, + 2 X 40W “Azoo Tripower” (magenta coloured) T8
I am a bad photographer the attachment has been resized but I have not played with the colours.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
Those are some high powered lights you have! Maintainence must be a bitch.
Most importantly are you happy with the result?
You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung
As to the final colour of light in the tank - I love it - it has enhanced the colour of the fishes and the pink granite walls of the aquarium now looks pink to the eye but not to my camera. (I don't know why and I am camera ignorant)
As to what effect it shall have on the plants only time can tell.
As to the intensity of light - I have used direct sunlight for 40 years and have been able to control alga, with and without CO2, and I have only recently gone pressurised.
With the sun I had a problem with variable light intensity, which needed a different CO2 management - with artificial lights that's gone but left me with a fattened electricity bill.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
As the picture I posted last week did not match what actually hits the eye; this week I did some colour corrections with Irfan. I also came closer both to the visible colour and the aquarium so you have split pictures of the left and right.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
Its about 2 weeks since the experiment started and the new growth does show more 'redish' colouration at depths I have never seen before in my long career in this hobby.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
Thats a ton of light to have on a 6 footer! hehe.
It looks like the lights mounted farthest at the edges is quite high up, I'm seeing some shadows in the corners?
How high above the tank are your MH lights mounted?
What is your fertilizing and pruning routine like?
Usually you only see that amount of light applied to Marine tanks with SPS coral.
The central MH is 24" high, the MH on both its side is 18" high, the 2 on the sides are 12" high.
Fertilisers are EI twice a week with 50% WC every week.
Trimming is staggered among the plant type - fast growers are trimmed/topped every week.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
Update with closeup pictures - R right, C center, L left.
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Update with sun pouring in
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nice... is that all the pearling ?
Pearls like mad after PMDD but today is water change day and the rear hatch was open to insert the siphon - hence the sun - will apply PMDD only after WC.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
First update in 2010
A rolling stone which has come to rest
I have already experienced the higher pigmentation under this experiment. The bushy growth of the plants has been an unexpected phenomenon which happened under the spectrum used. Using my eyes alone, and some educated guess, I don't think I will achieve anything more with persisting with this experiment any further. So I have decided to terminate this experiment and start a new experiment after severely pruning the plants, followed by daily water changes for at least 10 days, subject to delay to the point when the plants start re-growing under the changed spectrum.
I will start a new thread for the new experiment and explain there exactly what I intend, and why I need to experiment.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
Hi,
Wanted to find the name of the small leaf red plant which is at the left most corner of your tank in the very first photo you have attached.
Thank you.
Nesaea pedicellata, at present not growing well. The stem gets thick and the leaves longer.
A rolling stone which has come to rest
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