Advertisements
Aquatic Avenue Banner Tropica Shop Banner Fishy Business Banner
Results 1 to 17 of 17

Thread: to all 3ft planted tank user

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    590
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    3
    Country
    Singapore

    to all 3ft planted tank user

    Advertisements
    Fresh n Marine aQuarium Banner

    Advertise here

    Advertise here
    Why do many people use 4 x 36W PL light for their 3ft planted tank? Because tank of this size is abt 40gal. (excluding the substrate) this will give 3.6W per gal. Why don't they use 2 x (36w x 24w) instead? This will give exact 3W per gal.
    Anyone who is using 4 x 36W for their 3ft planted tank, can u let me know the reason cause i thought of setting up one.
    Thks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Duck pond
    Posts
    2,654
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    84
    Country
    Singapore
    Ja ah, why haven't we thought of that???? So silly of us to have 3.6 W/G when we could have just 3W/G all along...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    590
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    3
    Country
    Singapore
    thks for the reply.
    But is your tank ok with the 3.6W per gal?
    Is it too strong?
    Is there green algae problem due to this?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
    Posts
    9,210
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    371
    Country
    Singapore
    please refrain from multi-posting.

    the 3watts per gallon is just a rule of the thumb, so if you are looking into cultivating high light plants you should try to achieve 3 watts per gallon. If you have seen any Amano's books, you will realise his wattage per gallon is always on the high side. It's better to have more than less in this situation (IMO)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    590
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    3
    Country
    Singapore
    sorry abt the multiposting. Me first time using this forum.
    Thks for the reply.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    590
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    3
    Country
    Singapore
    When u said to the high side. Are u referring to as close to 3W per gal as possible or as high as you can afford? (over 3W to what you can afford)

    Thks

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    bad budak, always beating up people [:]

    anyway, as have been said, the wattage per gallon think is only a rule of thumb, it is really driven by your design, i.e. what kind of plants you want to have. So, it is critically important to read up first, check out the catalogues, check out the planted tank displays, have a look at our tank gallery, etc, before deciding what you want to plant. Post your thoughts and we can comment or caution. If you have multiple sets of lights, you should have them individually switched so you have the option to halving the lights, and do not have the lights on for more than 10 hours, sure way to get green spots.

    Over 3W/gal is fine, I have 110W for 23 gallons. Great for glosso and hairgrass.
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    4,088
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Driving at high speed(high light) is a big issue...you would need high amount of CO2, macros and micros to keep up with it or else you would have a nice algae tank.
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
    Posts
    9,210
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    371
    Country
    Singapore
    chua, slightly above is always alright, even if its above 4watts per gal, what is important is the nutrient balance you to provide to correspond to the high light

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    590
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    3
    Country
    Singapore
    Thks for all the reply.
    This means that there is a higher chance of problem arising for very high light (>3W) as compare to normal light (2-3W). Unless, you are experience enough to do detail analysis of the nutrient level, the trace elements level and the CO2 level.
    Maybe, I will stick to the normal light since I am new to planted tank.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    chua, do note that the output from the lights is not constant, they diminish as the tubes age, so if you have just enough, it will become insufficient in a few months' time.

    Nevertheless, regardless of your light level, if your nutrient out of control, you will have algae outbreak, guaranteed. On the other hand, just observe some rules of thumb (browse around this forum) and you can have a reasonably good control of your nutrient levels without doing a chemistry desertation
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    4,088
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Go with 2.5-3W/Gallon and you should be good and dandy with high light plants. Keep the CO2 up and the nutrients are pretty easy. []
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    590
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    3
    Country
    Singapore
    I never thought that the diminishing of the tube lifespan will actually reduce the wattage of the light.
    Even so, you are having 4.8W per gal for your 23gal tank. By doing so, aren't you spending more on the electricity bill, the CO2 and the fertilizer to maintin the high lighting? Although the plants u had is very light demanding, but i still feel that it is a bit too much?
    Thks for your help, hwchoy.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    590
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    3
    Country
    Singapore
    Thks Peter.
    At least i got a vote from you for using 2.5-3W per gal.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Tampines, Singapore.
    Posts
    7,920
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    7
    Country
    Singapore
    nah, it's OK. lots of people have more lights than I do. Electricity bill is like $2 more a month, CO2 last 3 months, more than enough. Amazingly I am dosing very little fertiliser. There is no right answer, just make sure the fishes and plants and healthy and growing. Algae you will always have some, as long as doesn't break out of control is OK.
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Jurong West
    Posts
    196
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    ----------------
    On 6/22/2003 12:59:19 AM

    I never thought that the diminishing of the tube lifespan will actually reduce the wattage of the light.
    Even so, you are having 4.8W per gal for your 23gal tank. By doing so, aren't you spending more on the electricity bill, the CO2 and the fertilizer to maintin the high lighting? Although the plants u had is very light demanding, but i still feel that it is a bit too much?
    Thks for your help, hwchoy.

    ----------------
    The important thing here isn't just wattage. The keyword is lumens/intensity. But since you can't find lumens/intensity ratings on most tubes, wattage is used as a guide. As you use the tubes, intensity drops. So what happen? Your plants get less light. So as an example, you have 3W/g in the beginning with new tubes giving out x lumens of light, where x is the amount of light just good enough for growth. But within 3 months, you still have 3W/g but the lumens dropped below x, and it became lower than what is needed for healthy plant growth, then you will only have 2 choice, change the tubes or let algae take over your tank.

    I have experienced this before. Originally i have 4x36w for my 3' tank, with new tubes, the plants bubbles like mad. After 3 months or so, the growth of plants slowed down and if i don't change the tubes at this period, algae growth speeds up. So now, i have 6x36w for my 3' tank, have to add more fertilisers, more CO2, but the plants are growing well, algae isn't stepping in and that's what i'm looking for. I'm sure that's what you are looking for too.

    So it's your choice. You can start on the high side of the W/g and maybe change your tubes once a year, or you start at just the recommended W/g and change your tubes once every 3 months.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
    Posts
    8,958
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Images
    104
    Country
    Singapore
    Well, you can go the low/moderate light path and just limit your choice to low/mod light plants, low fish load and less of some ferts. It's all about balancing the light, CO2 and nutrients.

    There a lot more low/mod light plants than we realise and some are as nice as, if not nicer than high-light plants. Some supposed high light plants can survive in low light conditions as well, just that they grow differently.

    I think even high fish load can go with low/mod light slow-grow tanks... you just change water more often.

    It's just all too easy to promote the high light/CO2/fert tanks. Personally, I'm about to start a new tank and am finding hard to resist the high light path though my original intention was to start a slow-grow tank.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
    Why use punctuation? See what a difference it makes:
    A woman, without her man, is nothing.
    A woman: without her, man is nothing.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •