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Hi Laura! :bounce:
jas - there are no hard lines between "this par will work" and "this is too much light". Depends on a lot of different things. Plus, unless you have a PAR meter laying around, how would you be able to tell?
Without CO2 (and other added fertilizers) you rely on nutrients that are present in the tank. This works for example if you have a soil substrate, as that ensures a slow nutrient supply. It can be a delicate balance, and the more light there is available, the more likely your plants will run out of nutrients, stop growing, and yep, algae taking over.
So you always want to have all nutrients available. With low light levels, plants grow slowly, and water changes/substrate leaching/fish feeding etc replenish these small supplies. There is also a small percentage of CO2 in the water. If you spring for your 2x T5HO lights, this will be a jump in light intensity, and if not accompanied by adding nutrients, yep... :redface:
jas - there are no hard lines between "this par will work" and "this is too much light". Depends on a lot of different things. Plus, unless you have a PAR meter laying around, how would you be able to tell?
Without CO2 (and other added fertilizers) you rely on nutrients that are present in the tank. This works for example if you have a soil substrate, as that ensures a slow nutrient supply. It can be a delicate balance, and the more light there is available, the more likely your plants will run out of nutrients, stop growing, and yep, algae taking over.
So you always want to have all nutrients available. With low light levels, plants grow slowly, and water changes/substrate leaching/fish feeding etc replenish these small supplies. There is also a small percentage of CO2 in the water. If you spring for your 2x T5HO lights, this will be a jump in light intensity, and if not accompanied by adding nutrients, yep... :redface:
