View Full Version : Upgrade no good
Turbo
08-23-2003, 11:38 PM
I need some tech support here. I started out with plants in a ten gallon tank. Had DIY CO2 injection and everything. Worked great. I actually had to cut plants done due to growth. I moved up to a 55 gallon tank, went pressurized, have 2 40 watt actinic white and 2 40 watt actinic blue lights. Yet the plant growth is pathetic compared to what I am used to. Any advise would be great.
Starry
08-24-2003, 12:00 AM
Originally posted by Turbo
have 2 40 watt actinic white and 2 40 watt actinic blue lights. Yet the plant growth is pathetic compared to what I am used to. Any advise would be great.
I'm not a bulb expert, but aren't those means for reef tanks? Are they the bluish bulbs? What is the Kelvin rating? It should be around 5000-6500 K for plants. Sounds like the ones you have are more like 10 000 K or so. I've seen them sold for plants - those bulbs with names like AquaGlo and FloraGlo and whatever else - but it's not really ideal. Sunlight is around 5000K, this is what aquatic plants like; 10000K is the colour of light deeper underwater, for reefs.
Don't worry about buying special aquarium bulbs. Get anything at your local hardware store, as long as it's the correct type.
125gJoe
08-24-2003, 12:02 AM
I hope you can trade those Actinic bulbs...
They're not for Freshwater aquariums.. :eek:
You got the wrong bulbs. Go to Lowes and pick up 4 'daylight' bulbs, rated at 6700K. The plants will respond to that. At least they do in my 55s.
Len
The GE F40C50 and Philips F40DX bulbs work well - they should be available at Home Depot or Lowes.
Robert H
08-24-2003, 4:59 AM
How much C02 are you pumping into your tank? Whats your ph and KH? How long are you running the lights every day? How long has the tank with plants been running and set up?
Turbo
08-24-2003, 11:03 AM
My co2 is around one bubble a second. I know I should check my ph but I really havent because it goes up and down depending on whether the co2 is on or not; carbonic acid i think. Also the lights are on for about 12 hours. And the tank has been running for about a month. I used cycled water though to fill it so I didnt think I needed to worry about that. I as seachem flourish once a week for a supplement. Kh I have no idea what it is....I have never checked it.
Tempest
08-24-2003, 12:05 PM
Water doesn't get cycled, the tank does... It seems purty dangerous to me to add pressurized CO2 then not test the water.
Starry
08-24-2003, 2:05 PM
Originally posted by Turbo
My co2 is around one bubble a second. I know I should check my ph but I really havent because it goes up and down depending on whether the co2 is on or not; carbonic acid i think. Also the lights are on for about 12 hours. And the tank has been running for about a month. I used cycled water though to fill it so I didnt think I needed to worry about that. I as seachem flourish once a week for a supplement. Kh I have no idea what it is....I have never checked it.
Your pH is supposed to change. By measuring KH (doesn't change unless your water source does) and pH at the same time, you can read off the CO2 concentration off a chart. Try http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/kh-ph-co2-chart.html
If you're using pressurized, there's a risk of "overdosing." Your CO2 concentration should be between 20-30ppm if you have high light. But you still need to change those bulbs for sure.
pH and KH test kits are absolutely essential, everything else you can probably do without. Maybe check your ammonia and nitrite levels while your set-up is new, but I don't see problems unless you have too many fish. If you decide to buy any other test kit besides pH and KH, go for nitrate and phophate, these will be important if you ever decide to look into more flexible DIY fertilization.
Edit: You also need to know your KH to make sure your water can handle pressurized CO2. With a KH under 3 degrees, you may have problems keeping the pH steady and high enough. Adding a lot of CO2 into soft water will cause a major pH drop (moe acidic).
Originally posted by Tempest
...It seems purty dangerous to me to add pressurized CO2 then not test the water.
Agreed. Never add anything you can't test for, and test for everything you add. Words to live by :)
Starry
08-24-2003, 8:30 PM
Originally posted by gcvt
Agreed. Never add anything you can't test for, and test for everything you add. Words to live by :)
Not to be picky, but you can't really do that with most traces, or with potassium. Definitely applies to CO2 though.