What's the best type of light for low light plants like cryptocoryne, amazon swords, anubias, banana plants, and dwarf hairgrass? Thanks.
Best Lighting
- Thread starter CinnamonPearl
- Start date
Swords will need medium to high light. Dwarf hairgrass will do ok in a low light tank, but it will not carpet. If that's what you were looking to do. And in really low light, it won't make it. Same with the banana plant. Anubias and Crypts will be fine in low light.
But, what size tank is it? The height of a tank is important in choosing a light for it.
But, what size tank is it? The height of a tank is important in choosing a light for it.
It depends on what kind of tank it's going on. Low light plants does not mean that they have to have low light to thrive, but that they will tolerate lower light than other plants. So in most cases more light is better.
If I choose higher light, how can I make sure that I don't get an algae bloom from all the light?
The tank is about 20" tall, but there is 2 inches of substrate.
The tank is about 20" tall, but there is 2 inches of substrate.
Leaving the light on for too long will cause an algae problem. Not have a higher watt bulb. What size, gallons, is your tank?
38 gallons. I'm using T5HO currently, and I'm having a lot of algae trouble, so that's why I'm here wondering if there's a better option. I only leave the light on for six hours a day, though. Is that too much?
No. 6 hours is fine. Rather than buying a low watt fixture, try and figure out what is growing the algae. Are you using any fertilizers? By the looks of your signature, the tank is not over stocked. Make sure you are not overfeeding. Is any direct sunlight getting in the tank? What kind of algae is it?
I am using fertilizers, but I just switched from Seachem to dry ferts because of economical reasons. I haven't begun using them yet but the first dose is tomorrow. I only feed every other day so I don't think it's that. In my signature, I didn't include the large number of platy fry that I have. Most of them are 1/2" or under, but I have 9 that ar between 3/4-1". Do you think it would be overstocked then? And the types of algae are green diatoms, green spot, and green hair algae.
I thought the cause of the algae might be the crypts. They always have a leaf or two that's rotting. Same for the banana plants. Could that be it?
I thought the cause of the algae might be the crypts. They always have a leaf or two that's rotting. Same for the banana plants. Could that be it?
http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/planted-tank-specific-13/intro-ei-estimated-index-82/
There is a guide there for EI dosing with dry ferts. I would tweak the numbers down a bit for your tank. But that is what I would start doing, and it should hopefully take care of the algae. With EI dosing, your plants should start outcompeting the algae, and kill it off. I would say the algae is from the liquid ferts. Switching to dry, and using the EI dosing should help.
There is a guide there for EI dosing with dry ferts. I would tweak the numbers down a bit for your tank. But that is what I would start doing, and it should hopefully take care of the algae. With EI dosing, your plants should start outcompeting the algae, and kill it off. I would say the algae is from the liquid ferts. Switching to dry, and using the EI dosing should help.
