Lighting - Frustrations growing faster than our plants!

[Qeistalan]

We (Julie and I) own a 58-gallon freshwater tank (36"L*18"W*21"D) which we're trying to grow some plants for about 3 weeks: 2 Java fern and 2 Bacopa (we recently lost a water wisteria plant after only 10 days in the tank). Unfortunately, all we're growing is a ton of brown algae and greenish-gray hair algae!!

Right now, our lighting consists of 90W normal-output fluorescents (2 hoods, 1x30w ZooMed Tropical Sun 5500K T8 bulbs and 2x30w GE Aqualux T8 bulbs) and we're aware we have inadequate lighting; ideally, we want to get around 3w to 4w per gallon (about 175w-230w total).

We have been considering some sort of Power Compact lighting hood, but are unsure of what to buy (brands, wattage, number of bulbs, etc). Continuing to use our dual-NO 2x30w hood (due to the measurements of our glass top), we want add a PC unit with a maximum width of 6.5-inches.

PLEASE HELP US!

Hopefully SOMEONE has solid information for us to follow. [Note: I am aware of "retrofit" units, but knows nothing of electrical work. "A man's got to know his limitations." -- Lt. Harry Callahan]

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LEGO underwater base theme: 1 Fantail Goldfish, 2 Swordtails (1 Yellow Lyretail, 1 Black), 1 Clown Pleco, 3 Corydora (Albino, Axelrodi, Panda), 3 Siamese Algae Eaters, 6 Otos.

 

[dattack]

It might not be just the light. Looks like something is funky in your tank with all the algae. You overfeeding? And what substrate are you using?

Moreso, are you dosing CO2?

What has been happening to your plants? Are they withering away? Are there holes in them? They just disintegrated?

Sometimes the algae just chokes out their growth and the light can't get to them.

For lighting, you can try 2x 55 W power compacts, 1x 96 W PC, or 2x96 W PC.

www.hellolights.com

Be sure to use Co2.

 

[Pooky125]

My guess would be, that you just plain don't have enough plants to squash out the lights. As a general rule, java fern grows very slow, unles syou have high light and a co2 system.

 

[Qeistalan]

<<For lighting, you can try 2x 55 W power compacts, 1x 96 W PC, or 2x96 W PC.>>

My purpose for posting my question was to gather information about "power compact flurescent light hoods": brands, wattage, number of bulbs, appropriate Kelvin ratings for freshwater tanks, yes/no to colling fan models, dimensions of hoods, etc.

I am not horrendously worried about the algae in my tank; it's part of the hobby, and it will come and go. My main concern is to ensure I have enough light in my tank for its depth ... and I know 90w for a 58-gallon is very under-lit.

SO ... some helpful info about PC hoods, bulbs, etc. are GREATLY APPRECIATED! *celebrate *celebrate

 

[lordhappy]

Happy day,

You can probably reduce the amount of algae by shortening the time that the lights are on. I raise Africans and the only plant that I can get to live in that environment is java fern and java moss. I find that about 10-12 hours of light is all my 4 tanks can take before the algae starts up.

I also found that if I "rough up" the java fern a bit, it will grow more rapidly. Yep, just take it out back and smack it around a bit.

 

[Qeistalan]

Who's on First? No hablo ingles!

The question pertained to getting information about light fixtures ... specifically Power Compact hood units. Not ODNO units, not retrofit kits ... POWER COMPACT lighting: what brands are good or bad, what wattages per bulb are best for our tank, etc. Anyone with info about this kind of lighting is thanked in advance!

I specifially stated "we want to get around 3w to 4w per gallon (about 175w-230w total)"; the responses about algae control, CO2 setups, etc. are informative ... but off-topic (which is commonplace in forums). Next time I'll be sure to stay on-topic myself, and ask questions which don't have alot of details in them ... then maybe I'll get answers to what I'm asking about!

Please excuse my bad attitude in this post ... but I am at the "end of my rope" when it comes to off-topic responses.

 

[lordhappy]

Wow, let's see now...

1. Your subject line indicated you were experiencing frustrations.

2. The very first frustration you explain is the growth of algae.

Obviously other folks came to the same conclusion that I did, which was that algae may be part of the problem.

Anyway, despite your brusque reply, I spent a few minutes on google and came up with a post on another forum:

http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.200302/msg00053.html

This link, http://www.jbjlighting.com/faqs.html

will take you to an FAQ from JBJ Lighting, and it deals with these questions:

What are compact fluorescents?

Why are JBJ Compact Fluorescents better than traditional fluorescent tubes?

What are Kelvin degrees?

Why are Blue Actinics used for reefs?

What bulbs are used in JBJ lights?

Does JBJ offer "retrofits"?

How long do compact fluorescent bulbs last compared to traditional fluorescent bulbs?

Why is aluminum alloy used as the outer shell instead of ABS plastic?

Why are compact fluorescent lighting preferred over metal halides?

What is the difference between electric (magnetic) and electronic ballasts?

Are compact fluorescents cooler than metal halides?

Who else sells JBJ lights besides independent retailers?

Are JBJ lights safe against salt creep?

How do I figure out how much light I need for my tank?

Can I use JBJ lights for my live plants?

What type of warranty do you give on your lights?

Have a happy day!

 

[mann]

You should put an oscar in there!


















Are you "at the end of your rope" yet? Ok, I get that you have a very specific question about how to add light. It seems to me you have plenty of light for the plants you've got in there, but from your attitude that's none of my business. Knock yourself out.

 

[DrakisSaltWater]

Please don't be rude, these nice people are just trying to help. As these nice people said LIGHT IS NOT YOUR PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!

 

[NJ Devils Fan]

How long are you keeping them on? It might be too long. you should keep them on for 10-12 hours a day. A few weeks ago, I had mine on for about 16 hours a day and I started getting grean algae on my substrate. I cut the hours back to 11 and it's gone.

 

[RedTurquoise]

Back to the question of what brands of lighting to use! There are many, many brand available. It comes down to your wallet and your needs. I would say that most PC lighting brands will be adequate.

The wattage you already know, around 3-4 wpg therefore the number of bulbs will add up to 3-4wpg! The kelvin rating is a matter of preferance. The minimum K value should be 5500k (value of sunlight at noon). You can use 6500K bulbs and higher for better appearance however to the plants it makes no difference. The plants are only really concerned about how much light they get (called intensity).

Brown algae is easy to combat. Get some otos!

You will also need to consider using fertilizers and c02 injection with the increase intensity.