Too much light...

1029 Views 6 Replies 3 Participants Last post by elpezpr, Jan 30, 2007

elpezpr

Discussion Starter · Jan 30, 2007

Hi. For some time I've believed that I got a defective bulb (Messed up spectrum). In my 20g Long I am using a 24" Coralife 65w 10K PC on modified Aqualegs that distributes the light nicely. The problem is that my plants don't seem to grow at all. I have Press CO2. My ph is 6.8 (7.8 from tap), gh 6 kh 8. EI dosing. Today as an experiment I added to the tank a Coralife 36" NO T5 (42W) that I'n not using. Bulbs are 6700k and Colormax. When I came home most of my plants were pearling. Even the ones that I added yesterday. The only problem is that I am baking the tank. I believe with this way too much light (100w aprox). I've read that pearling is a good thing but I do not wish to keep this much light in the tank. I'm afraid of burning the plants. Do you think the plants are pearling from the change in spectrum or from the added light? Thanks

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mistergreen

· #2 · Jan 30, 2007

4 watt per gallon is a bit much. When I have a lot of light, the plants would pearl, but then a few days latter, I have an outbreak of every algae known to man.

what are your nitrates, phospates? do you dose? and what is your photo period? i guess you can have that much wattage but for only a few hours.

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elpezpr

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 30, 2007

I guess I wanted to know if too much light would induce pearling. My nitrates are about 10ppm and I don't know the phosphates. I ordered a test wich should be here this week. I am using Seachem products because I live in PR and I can't order dry ferts from GregW. I had no luck finding a local source. What kind of stores would have them? There are no hydroponics stores here. I think I will buy a 65w 6700k/Colormax for my Coralife fixture and see what happens. I bought the 24" Coralife 65w PC 10k bulb as a NIB from someone but I believe either the bulb is defective (is there such a thing?) or I got a used bulb (it looked new). Thanks

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mistergreen

· #4 · Jan 30, 2007

what's PR?

check garden centers for those chemicals... or even meat processing plants that make sausage.. KNO3 is sometime used to preserve meat..

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elpezpr

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 30, 2007

Puerto Rico. I've been to some garden centers but all of them had pre-mix ferts.

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eklikewhoa

· #6 · Jan 30, 2007

I think your main concern should be photo-period with a lot of light over your tank. I have 192w over a 30g and it works with minimal to no algae so far.

What all are you dosing and how does your dosing schedule look like? How much and how frequent are you doing water changes?

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elpezpr

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 30, 2007

I have a 10hr photoperiod. A am using Seachem ferts for now 2x/week but I am having trouble keeping the nitrates up so I don't have a steady schedule yet. I don't know the phosphate but I am getting a test this week. I am doing 50% WC per week. I was under the impression that 65w over a 20gal long was enough to grow most plants. Thanks

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