Is 316 watts HOT5 High light?
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LOL. It would fall into "super duper high light".
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I think it is going to cause you problems. This isn't a good thing. The goal is to have "adequate" lighting for plants but not so much algae is a sure thing.
With lighting this high, you will fight a constant battle to keep co2 and nutrients high enough. If you can remove half of the bulbs, that would be start. I think somewhere between 2 and 3 bulbs is going to be what you want. It appears you have 6? Can you remove some of them?
The other option is to suspend the lighting fixture significantly higher than the tank.
"dense amazon tanks" are typical comprised of plants that do just fine in lower light with good co2 and nutrients with a nutrient rich substrate.
With lighting this high, you will fight a constant battle to keep co2 and nutrients high enough. If you can remove half of the bulbs, that would be start. I think somewhere between 2 and 3 bulbs is going to be what you want. It appears you have 6? Can you remove some of them?
The other option is to suspend the lighting fixture significantly higher than the tank.
"dense amazon tanks" are typical comprised of plants that do just fine in lower light with good co2 and nutrients with a nutrient rich substrate.
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4,600 Posts
I use 4 T5HO bulbs, and even then you have to really be careful. If your ferts or co2 get thrown off even a little at that high of light you will be crying for the algae to go away. Most agree that just 2 T5HO bulbs is enough to grow almost anything...
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394 Posts
I have 220 Watts of T5HO over my 240G. It's suspended 9" over the top of the water. I believe I have enough light to grow most anything.
I think you'd be fine with the other recommendations to use half that much T5HO.
I think you'd be fine with the other recommendations to use half that much T5HO.
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255 Posts
IMO it's not,
currently I'm using single HQI 150W + 2xPLL36W (total 222W) on 36G, and 4xHQI 150W + 8xPLL 18W (total 744W) on 220G, and I don't have any algae problem.
Go highlights...!!!!!
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2,585 Posts
Hmmm... TTTTT (Tim Taylor Tool Time Tanks):icon_rollIMO it's not,
currently I'm using single HQI 150W + 2xPLL36W (total 222W) on 36G, and 4xHQI 150W + 8xPLL 18W (total 744W) on 220G, and I don't have any algae problem.
Go highlights...!!!!!
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255 Posts
this one is 36G, lighting hanging 25cm above tank (in this pict still 40cm):
and 220G:
and Tim Taylor?
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81 Posts
One thing I get from this forum is anything over 200W on a 120 gal tank is insane lighting and you will grow nothing but algae.
But everything in my own experience makes me disagree. I have an 8 bulb Aqua Medic 6 inches above the water on a 24" deep tank and I run 4 bulbs for 2 hours, all 8 for 5 hours (read 424 watts of T5), and then 4 for two hours and the fixture goes off.
Yes I use pressurized co2 that is controlled with a Milwaukee PH controller and I pump as much in there as possible without killing the fish. And yes, I dose ferts daily.
The only algae I ever get is from hobbyist plants I buy that have it when they arrive. New growth never gets it and I have some pretty stunning weed that grows like mad... but that is the goal right?
When I get weed from the pros in the forum that are using 2-3 wpg the plants are sometimes a bit pale. Within a week in mine they look a nice healthy green and the red plants get good and dark (keep the iron up) and all is good in the aqua farm.
You can have 2wpg of t5 and grow algae like mad... lighting depends on how you fertilize and how you administer the co2 and how you get oxygen back in the tank when it is dark.
I am sure things in the form will not change and everyone will still consider 2wpg as high light.. but in my experience.. It is moderately high.
4wpg of T5 on a high tech tank is definitely high light, 2wpg isn't in my opinion, not even close.
But everything in my own experience makes me disagree. I have an 8 bulb Aqua Medic 6 inches above the water on a 24" deep tank and I run 4 bulbs for 2 hours, all 8 for 5 hours (read 424 watts of T5), and then 4 for two hours and the fixture goes off.
Yes I use pressurized co2 that is controlled with a Milwaukee PH controller and I pump as much in there as possible without killing the fish. And yes, I dose ferts daily.
The only algae I ever get is from hobbyist plants I buy that have it when they arrive. New growth never gets it and I have some pretty stunning weed that grows like mad... but that is the goal right?
When I get weed from the pros in the forum that are using 2-3 wpg the plants are sometimes a bit pale. Within a week in mine they look a nice healthy green and the red plants get good and dark (keep the iron up) and all is good in the aqua farm.
You can have 2wpg of t5 and grow algae like mad... lighting depends on how you fertilize and how you administer the co2 and how you get oxygen back in the tank when it is dark.
I am sure things in the form will not change and everyone will still consider 2wpg as high light.. but in my experience.. It is moderately high.
4wpg of T5 on a high tech tank is definitely high light, 2wpg isn't in my opinion, not even close.
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But if it does or doesn't cause algae? Why bother?
Even if you can maintain CO2 and ferts at the highest level you will have to trim constantly, and most fish will want to hide all day cause they are used to murky water under tree cover.
Is it worth it?
Ask yourself what you want out of your tank and then decide on lighting.
Many people want the tank to grow in as quick as possible because they want it too look awesome - mission accomplished but then keeping it the way you want is indefinitely more difficult.
Even if you can maintain CO2 and ferts at the highest level you will have to trim constantly, and most fish will want to hide all day cause they are used to murky water under tree cover.
Is it worth it?
Ask yourself what you want out of your tank and then decide on lighting.
Many people want the tank to grow in as quick as possible because they want it too look awesome - mission accomplished but then keeping it the way you want is indefinitely more difficult.
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