[calebringabell]

I got a 90G last summer. I planted it and made what I thought was a beautiful scape, but now I hate it. But that seems to be my thing lately. I make tanks only to find out I hate what I have created. Anyhow, I have figured out that my lightning is SO bad for what I am trying to grow. Apparently the 90G has a 24“ depth so my lighting on it is not penetrating the plants at the bottom like…. At all. So now I gotta scrummage around to find a good light that will remedy this. This tank is becoming money hungry and I am a college student who works part time haha.

I will be redoing the scape that is 100% true. I want to get rid of the limestone rocks and just replace them with all dragon stone. I like the look of dragon stone too. Anyhow, this sounds like its going to be a great summer project for me. I want my plants to grow so Lush like a jungle. I am also realizing I am probably just wasting all the CO2 I am dispensing into my system… oh well.

Ill keep ya’ll updated.

 

[Aaronious]

Yeah... Light and filteration should be your first priorities in a planted tank. 24" is where tanks get difficult to light, especially on a budget. For the time being you may be able to just reduce the water height by up to 6 inches maybe, this should allow somewhat better lighing to the substrate. Sounds like this is your current issue.

CO2, I would turn this off completely if you feel you are getting inadequate lighting. CO2 should be one of the last things you set up and further more the last thing I would dial in. Plants use up nutrients in a ratio. Light, NO3, CO2, K, PO4, etc. are all nutrients. Some are used more than others but in a ratio specific to each plant. Algaes grow when there is an excess of a nutrient. So if your plants are not getting enought light they will not use all the other nutrients in the tank, so things building up like Nitrates or CO2 will just be an excessive nutrient for some kind of algae or another.

1. Filteration/cycling - Most GPH on a filter is tested by the manufacturer, likely with no media or as little as possible to get the thing tested with good numbers. It's likely GPH is around 50-75% of what the box says.
2. lighting - It's best to go over kill on power, the extras are just extras. The reason for this is two fold in my opionion. If you get one too strong you can reduce it. The other is that lights will wear out slowly, so if you can still adjust it up, it won't matter as much and will last you much longer than the cheaper light. Also, if you go cheap, as you likely did and are now finding, you'll just have to buy yet another light. Might as well get the right one to start.
3. Fertilizer - Fish count, don't forget to think about their nutrient output from food. If you're going to use CO2 you'll likely need ferts, refer to the above statements about CO2.
4. CO2 - you can install and get this running but don't start shooting for that 1.0 pH drop people talk about until you get everything else dialed in first. This can be on, but don't push it until last.

 

[calebringabell]

Yeah... Light and filteration should be your first priorities in a planted tank. 24" is where tanks get difficult to light, especially on a budget. For the time being you may be able to just reduce the water height by up to 6 inches maybe, this should allow somewhat better lighing to the substrate. Sounds like this is your current issue.

CO2, I would turn this off completely if you feel you are getting inadequate lighting. CO2 should be one of the last things you set up and further more the last thing I would dial in. Plants use up nutrients in a ratio. Light, NO3, CO2, K, PO4, etc. are all nutrients. Some are used more than others but in a ratio specific to each plant. Algaes grow when there is an excess of a nutrient. So if your plants are not getting enought light they will not use all the other nutrients in the tank, so things building up like Nitrates or CO2 will just be an excessive nutrient for some kind of algae or another.

1. Filteration/cycling - Most GPH on a filter is tested by the manufacturer, likely with no media or as little as possible to get the thing tested with good numbers. It's likely GPH is around 50-75% of what the box says.
2. lighting - It's best to go over kill on power, the extras are just extras. The reason for this is two fold in my opionion. If you get one too strong you can reduce it. The other is that lights will wear out slowly, so if you can still adjust it up, it won't matter as much and will last you much longer than the cheaper light. Also, if you go cheap, as you likely did and are now finding, you'll just have to buy yet another light. Might as well get the right one to start.
3. Fertilizer - Fish count, don't forget to think about their nutrient output from food. If you're going to use CO2 you'll likely need ferts, refer to the above statements about CO2.
4. CO2 - you can install and get this running but don't start shooting for that 1.0 pH drop people talk about until you get everything else dialed in first. This can be on, but don't push it until last.

Well so should I just do the Fluval planted 3.0? I am basing my light purchase solely on PAR ratings at different levels. I am even looking at Aquarium Co-Ops light now because they showed in a video that their 24” tank with their light and no top got 90 PAR to the bottom directly under the light… I’ve read that’s good for high tech plants. Definitely for medium tech which is what I want to grow.

 

[woody123]

I have 4 tanks running (125, 75, 55, 38 gallon) I use Fluval 3.0 on all of them because I really like the flexibility of the app. I run two of them on all my tanks except the 125 has 4 I would highly recommend going with two of them on a 90. My tanks are mid to high tech tanks and these lights do a great job. I'm lucky enough to live within 20 minutes of Aquarium Co-Op, great store, good people. I watched their video on their new lights, looks interesting but it doesn't have the flexibility that comes with the Fluval 3.0. If you are doing two of them, you could get one Fluval and one Co-op light and use the fluval for the ramp up and down periods and save yourself some money. Good luck.

 

[Aaronious]

Well so should I just do the Fluval planted 3.0? I am basing my light purchase solely on PAR ratings at different levels. I am even looking at Aquarium Co-Ops light now because they showed in a video that their 24” tank with their light and no top got 90 PAR to the bottom directly under the light… I’ve read that’s good for high tech plants. Definitely for medium tech which is what I want to grow.

I also agree, I had one on my 75, It's now that plus lighting, cause it's got things sticking out the top I didn't just get a second 3.0. But one 3.0 will work is... but just get two. That said, I have a buddy using just the Nicrew type of lights on his 100g, at least 24" tall, runs CO2, great plant growth.