Photo period advise needed

734 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by tusk, Oct 21, 2010

tusk

Discussion Starter · Oct 21, 2010

I've had this on going issue with some of my plants (Almost looks like diatoms, but this is a 4 year old tank....) and I've always questioned my photo periods. I was hoping someone might offer some advise.

I've been running with a photo period of 6hrs a day. I've tried up to 8 and things get really bad with algae, and I've always gone back to 6. I'm wondering if I should cut back even more (Is that even possible without wigging things out) or turn off one of the lights, but then where should I start with a photo period?

Basic tank info (The tank is 100% custom, so things get goofy. ).....
110 Gallon (Around 27-29" of depth), 279w of AH Supply lighting (55 x3, 96 x1, & 18 x1), Fluxal FX5 x2 (One is set up for UGJs), pressurized CO2, pH controller, drop checker, air pump (Night time on low, very little outgassing), EI dosing on the heavy side, weekly 50% water changes. It holds a 12-15 rainbows, 6 corys, and a fat bristlenose.

So I have light, flow, CO2, ferts....... and brown stuff.

The plants that do fine are my Blyxa japonica, Cryptocoryne beckettii, Nymphaea lotus, they look perfect. My Hygrophila polysperma is decent. I'm afraid that my newer Aponogeton ulvaceus might be on the long road to nothingness. My Ludwigia repens, Alternanthera reineckii always seems to get covered and or just rot away.

The ones that wither away are a fine strain because they grow very well in my 10G.

Thoughts or suggestions?

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Wasserpest

· #2 · Oct 21, 2010

Hey tusk, glad your tank is still running strong!

I would definitely go with the "turn off some lamps" option. 6 hours is already short, my tanks are lit 10-12 hours...

The fact that algae gets worse when you increase the photoperiod is a strong indicator that there's a bit too much light at work.

Another thought... if some plants grow nicely, and others not, yank those baddies out and try something else. Often you can't make every single plant happy, and there is a large variety out there, trick is to find those that do well under your conditions.

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tusk

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 21, 2010

Thanks for the response. I'm glad you've had some great success with your plywood creations also. I'm always awaiting updates

My 96 watter is right in the middle of the tank and I've played with turning that one off before (Just here and there). I still have good light distribution with it off....... I think I'll try 8hrs again with that light off and see what happens.

It just bugs me because I can grow anything in my 10 gallon. 36w AH Supply, DIY CO2, and EI dosing. Gotta love this hobby

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