Red plant and lighting

[robin]

Hi, my red plants are turning green.

Just wondering if lighting has anything to do with it.

My tank is juwell rekord 120

120 x 45 x 45

PO4 : 0.5
NO3 : 2
PH : 6.8
KH : 5
Tmp 28 celcius
Dosing sera florena once a week 30 ml
co2 3 bps
lighting default lighting 30w
internal filter.

fish load 20 cardinal, 20 harlequin, 4 oto, 2 clown loach, 2 big SAE. 10 malayan shrimp, 10 yamato, 2 golden algae eater.

my tank is here, just added 1 stemmed red plant but new growth is green

[image width=683 height=276]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-6/258459/tank.jpg[/image]

Appreciate help
Robin

[chua]

Yours is a 4ft tank.
I think 30W for your tank is really too little.
Some of my friends having 2ft tank is already having more than 30W for theirs.
Maybe you can increase your lighting to at least 2W per gal.

[naturetan]

What red plant you have. Is it directly under the lighting? I agree that the lighting is too low.

[robin]

The question for me is, could the green new growth be due to low lighting?

[Simon]

yes robin, it can be yr lights... I use 6x36watts for that size

[PeterGwee]

Mmmmmmmm...from the pic shown, it sure doesn't look like you have only 30W of light. Any typing error? What brand of NO3 test kit are you using?

[limsteel]

How come the bubble counter in the water???

[PeterGwee]

LOL..[] ..it might be outside the tank as well?

[naturetan]

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On 7/13/2003 4:31:11 PM

Mmmmmmmm...from the pic shown, it sure doesn't look like you have only 30W of light. Any typing error?
----------------

Photography can be deceiving at times. All it takes is to overexpose when taking, and you'll get a lighter image. Not to mention the ease of tweaking any digital images to give a brighter look.

[David]

Hi Robin

if your red plants are turning green, it is one sure positive sign of insufficent light. Red plants are red is because under intense lighting condition, the plant 'coats' its leave with pigment to ensure that they do not photosynthesis too much.

If your KH is 5 and your PH is 6.8, you might have insufficient dissolved CO2 as well. One of my tanks have a KH of 8 with the same PH as what your tank is right now.

In my 4x1.5x1.5, the wattage I am running is 6x30watts.

[robin]

wah lau, that bad huh, and yes the bubble counter is in the water coz i got no space at the side.

If i add another 30w to by 120 litres, it will give me roughly 2wpg right?
Hope that is enough.

Also, i am using a sera test kit like what simon recommended

Robin

[robin]

anyone care to respond?

[sherchoo]

Robin,
With yor tank dimension the water volume is about 189L or 50G. Suggest you either upgrade your lights to at least 4X36W or select other plants that require low lighting.

With such low lighting, you will have to be careful when increasing your CO2 levels. With insufficient lighting, CO2 uptake will be low.

[robin]

4 x 36watts? is there 36 watts flo tubes?
Anyway, am i right is saying 2 x 30 watts gives my 120L 2 watt per gallon (wpg) ?

Thanks for all your help, i quite blur

[theodore]

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On 7/14/2003 7:24:44 PM

Anyway, ... 2 x 30 watts gives my 120L 2 watt per gallon (wpg) ?

----------------

Robin,

120 x 45 x 35 (height of JUST water column, not tank) = 189L

How did you get 120L? In any case, 2W/Gal is not sufficient for most, if not all, red plants. If that is really all you can afford for lighting, you will need to position your red plants at the brightest spot to stand a chance of getting them to stay red (assuming they survive).

[theodore]

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4 x 36watts? is there 36 watts flo tubes?
----------------

Check this posting

Moderator,

Is it possible to put the info on PL lighting (provided by bclee in the above posting) in the Aquatic FAQs?

[David]

Robin

If I have to choose between the importance or preference between Light or CO2, I will choice light.

You really got to get the light requirements correct for the type of plants that you are keeping.

[robin]

Sorry, i made a mistake my dimensions are

width =101 cm
depth = 31 cm
height = 46 cm

Do you think my 2 x 30 w is enough?
anyway, i still quite confused by wpg.

how many wpg am i getting (sorry quite lazy to search around for answer)

Robin

[sherchoo]

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On 7/14/2003 9:16:46 PM

Sorry, i made a mistake my dimensions are

width =101 cm
depth = 31 cm
height = 46 cm

Do you think my 2 x 30 w is enough?
anyway, i still quite confused by wpg.

how many wpg am i getting (sorry quite lazy to search around for answer)

Robin
----------------

[101 X 31 X (46-10)]/1000 = 112.7L

112.7/3.78 = 29.8G (US)

60W will give you about 60/29.8 = 2Wpg.

For me I would go for 3wpg since you want your red plants to remain red. To answer whether enough lights or not, it depends how well you want your plants to grow.

[robin]

Thanks Sherchoo! that was very helpful indeed!

Robin