[Rhaethe]

So I have 40g breeder. I also have a Green Element LED fixture that has 24 3w bulbs. The light sits only 1/2 inch off the top of the tank. I have been told, although I am not positive, that I am in a med/high light situation.

I do not have a CO2 injector, nor do I wish to have one.

The reading I have done, however, seems to claim that anyone with high light must have CO2 injection. To avoid having to do CO2, what are some things I can do? I do dose the tank with Excel regularly.

 

[jrill]

Raise the lights or put something like gray fiberglass window screen between your lights and the tank.

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[TekWarren]

3watt led's might be a bit much if the spread isn't pretty wide. I have 2 36" .5watt LED fixtures (Beamswork...same or similar company/manufacturer as green element) and I use DIY yeast CO2 but it takes me running 6 2liter bottles. With less CO2 I had BBA spread pretty quickly. I don't really see any now but I also added SAE.

The suggestion to raise the light was good, do that. You can also dose Excel/Metricide daily.

 

[Rhaethe]

I do daily doses of Excel currently. I do slightly more than what the bottle recommends.

The spread of the bulbs seems pretty wide ... wider than other led fixtures I've seen. But I have admittedly not seen all that many. They are 6500k diodes, if that makes any difference.

There is a switch that changes modes, so that only four or eight (I forget which) of the bulbs are turned on. Perhaps use that mode instead?

 

[redant]

There is a switch that changes modes, so that only four or eight (I forget which) of the bulbs are turned on. Perhaps use that mode instead?

Yeah..you can do that..keep the lighting to 1.5-2W per gallon. That's recommended for a low light non co2 tank.

 

[Rhaethe]

Yeah..you can do that..keep the lighting to 1.5-2W per gallon. That's recommended for a low light non co2 tank.

Ok, now I am confused. I have LED lighting. 24 3w diodes. Total of 72w. I have a 40g tank. With your equation, that puts the recommended light at 80w for low light.

Am thinking you are thinking I have another type of light.

 

[MadRiverPat]

Negate the comment regarding wattage. It doesn't really apply as an accurate measurement for LED fixtures. Lighting is a difficult aspect of the aquarium since we have very few accurate means of measuring the true output and absorption given each person's unique set up.

The best bet is to make an adjustment and see how the plants respond. You can try to follow the instructions that people have already mentioned here (raise the light/add window screen) or you can turn some of the lights off. Regardless though, the idea is to find the balance between light, fertilizers and carbon in order to limit algae and provide the necessary conditions for plant growth.

Without CO2 you need to be in the low-medium light category. By dosing excel you are increasing the available carbon source and can get away with crossing into medium light. Try the adjustments mentioned and alter your photo period as necessary.

 

[Rhaethe]

Cool, thanks. Would adding some fast growing stem plants help in balancing out some things? All of my plants are slow growers (java fern, bolbitis, anubias) so was thinking that a couple fast growing stem plants will slurp up excess nutrients and keep from feeding any algae.

 

[lauraleellbp]

If you let them float on the surface to block some of the light below that might help... though that can be hard to control over time.

 

[MamaJu]

The other option would be to add floaters. You may not have to move your light yet if you have enough floaters diffusing the lights. Duck weed will grow like herpes and you will have a difficult time getting rid of it once you introduce it to your tank (you've been warn). Frog bit will grow messy roots but you can trim them. Dwarf water lettuce leaves might burn if you aren't careful. Or you can just throw them all into the tank and decide what you like better. Do you have pictures of your tank?

 

[MadRiverPat]

In the initial stages of setting up a tank its suggested to add fast growing stem plants or floaters. I would agree with lauraleellbp and you can float some of them. Plants such as pennywort are known to be nitrate hogs and do well when floated in tanks. they also block out some light which would be beneficial to a setup like yours. there are also the other common floating plants like duckweed and water lettuce.

 

[Rhaethe]

No pictures of the tank as of yet. (edit: I have pics, but I hate to share them :/ ) I'm fairly embarrassed of it ... Once upon a time, it looked like this .... this was my tank thread here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=157760&page=2

However, a tank crash, a rotten piece of wood, two crappy light fixtures, and a home move later, and there is nothing left of the original tank ... but the substrate, the rocks, and the tank and stand itself. Oh and one amazingly hardy pygmy cory.

Now that I am settled into my new place, I've been trying to recover and rehabilitate the tank. I changed out the light a month ago. I've been grabbing plants here and there ... amazingly, the one plant to actually put out new growth and behave happily has been the anubias I got from Petsmart

I am reminded that wisteria grows like a fiend, and can float, too ... is that an option, too?

 

[MamaJu]

yep wisteria will work too

 

[redant]

And u can add pothos too. Keep the plant in a basket with holes. Put this basket in your tank so thar only the roots are under the water level.