Reply With Quote
very nice. the 2 stone at the bottom issit to prevent the bw from floating?
Hi, just re-did my 2 feet tank. Need feedback on something though. Will HC grow ok in 55W lighting? I have CO2 at about 1bps and i dosed excel also. using GEX green pack soil.
very nice. the 2 stone at the bottom issit to prevent the bw from floating?
Can see efforts put into tying moss and fern onto the wood... equipments at a back are a little messy... hopefully will be covered by stem plants in no time
yea the bogwood on the right still quite new and floating, the stones are to weigh it down. Yes jervis, hopefully the plants can do some covering up of the equipment. I am worried that 55w is not enough for HC to grow though. Anybody with experience on this?Originally Posted by winq
Hi Xianghao,
can't advice you much as I'm also on the same journey as you. My tank is a 2.5ft tank, and I've just planted HC also. I've got 2 x 55w PL lights.
I believe there is a theory of at least 2.5 to 3 watts per gallon of light in general. You can do a calculation and see if you have enough. Do you only have 1 x 55w light?
How's your HC doing now?
Craftsman
I am using 1x55w only.
based on the theory my 2ft tank would be about 15 gallons, and would need 45w of light, so 55w is supposed to be enough?
i read alot of the bros successful with HC normally use super bright lights, like T5 and all that, so i am worried my HC will not grow.
as for yours you have 2 tubes will be much brighter i don't think will not be bright enought, but then wouldn't it be very hot?
Hi Bro,
Yours should be enough (if your calculations are right)..
You take heat with the territory. My 2 fans cools the water down to a fairly constant 26 degrees.
yep. only time will tell. currently my tank water surface like got a layer of oil. not sure why but quite an eyesore..
You need a skimmer to remove the film.
Bro I think your lighting may not be strong enough. As I have a similar tank as you. From the light to the soil the depth is too deep. In the past I need to remove the lighting stand and DIY a little to lower the lights in order for the lights to penetrate the foreground. BTW I was already using 2 x 36W PL lights.
VIPER
Thanks viper, currently from what i observe my HC don't seem to be dying, they are still very green, however they still don't seem to be creeping alot or pearling as well. And a few strands grow upwards, probably due to the lack of light, but i shall observe longer..
Last edited by Xianghao; 18th Jan 2009 at 23:26.
Just an update of what my tank looks like now. Looks like the HC has grown, however I think some are heading upwards, is that normal?
Looks like your lights needs to be stronger if you want them to stay compact. Also, try to regularly trim your stem plants so that they will grow thicker. So far, nice! I like your wood.
what kind and wattage of light can anyone recommend to successfully grow HC for a 2 feet tank like mine?
Your plants are growing well. However looking at your HC growth, I think 55w is inefficient for a nice and dense HC lawn. Maybe should try a 4 X 24 W lightset.
That's T5 right? Roughly how much will it set me back by? I am low budget student hobbyist man haha. And isnt 4x24w going to be hot?
and I am afraid that all that light may give me an algae problem..
bro,
just a suggestion from me, maybe try lowering you light by removing the light stand and observe what the outcome of your Hc grown.if your Hc creep after lowering your light then you may want to invest to another set of light. btw i got a 2ft light can be adjusted to 2.5ft to fit your tank ,condition of light about 8/10 can pass to you.(FOC for student only) send me a pm you you are ok with the light condition.
I will try looking into lowering my light when i get home this weekend..
Thanks unclerobin for giving me the 18w, however I don't think it quite did it for the HC, so i used it for other 2 feet tank which is a low tech shrimp tank.
I just bought and hooked up another 55w PL light to my tank today, which sums up my total light output to 110w and all my plants are bubbling like crazy now. I put one light to on for 8 hours and the other light to on for 4 hours in between the 8 hours. Hopefully i will not get an algae boom and I also hope the HC will carpet nicely.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks