actinic bulbs...BAD OR GOOD ??

[bsdryder7]

so i have a compact flo 55w with a 55w astinic or blue light and what ive read and heard or two different things.

my LFS said it would b fine but i read in a artical that it does next to nothing for growing your plants....


what i read!
One thing to avoid is actinic reef lights. The blue light of these bulbs will not help your plants much if at all and some people have said they tend to promote algae growth

should i change it and have two 55w white flo or will it be fine???

OHH YA another noob question

i bought some seachem flourish nitrogen the lfs said it would be good but should i have bout phosphorus, and potassium also ??

should i put the nitrogen in when i water change or does it matter??

 

[mfdrookie516]

actinic bulbs do little, if anything, for plants. I've heard varying opinions about algae, but the concensus is that they don't do anything for algae either. Bulbs in the 6500k-10,000k range are what you're looking for.

As far as ferts, that all depends on the plants. Nitrogen is one of many. What's your nitrate reading?

 

[bsdryder7]

thats another thing......i just went to the LFS and it was kinda high but i bought a new carbon for my 4 stage filter so hopefully it goes down..

what is a good test kit thats has everything i need so i don't have to go to the fish store every time i want to check my water

should i get the phos and potass also

 

[cmjdjm1]

I recently upgraded my 48" light from a single regular old flourescent bulbs, to a dual t5 fixture with one normal and one actinic bulb. Shortly after my aquarium starting a massive algae outbreak. I thought for sure it was the bulb, but I just cut down on the time the light was on and the algae was gone in 3 days. I figure it wasnt the bulb, it was having twice the light going into the aquarium for 10 hours a day. Now I only keep the light on after dinner for 3 or 4 hours and all is good. The bulb does make the colours in my cichlids really stand out though, especially the yellows

 

[mfdrookie516]

Well, if your nitrates are high, you definitely don't want to dose any nitrogen. Carbon won't help with nitrates.

API makes a good kit. Generally can find them anywhere from $20-30. Includes ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and high range pH.

Your plants and algae will tell you if you need to dose ferts or not. Depending on what kind you go with, you may or may not need to.

 

[Da Squid]

I read that the actinic light stimulates some sort of reaction in the water that can create iron issues which in turn will make hair algae go nuts. I'm certainly not the guy to prove or disprove that theory but it's at least a possibility.

 

[Coleallensmom]

mfdrookie has given you some good advice. Stick to bulbs in the 6,500k-10,000k range. (You might swap that actinic bulb for a rosette plant bulb.) In the case of the ferts, honestly I would start simple with a good basic fert like Seachem's Comprehensive and then add the others if needed. For example, I dose the Comprehensive in my 37 gallon but I have some swords in there that don't flourish unless I add in extra iron/potassium. The health of your plants with clue you in to what extra nutrients are needed.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Well, if your nitrates are high, you definitely don't want to dose any nitrogen. Carbon won't help with nitrates.

API makes a good kit. Generally can find them anywhere from $20-30. Includes ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and high range pH.

I agree. High nitrates in a tank with a decent amount of plantmass can mean that either it is overstocked with fish or it can mean that another nutrient is deficient which then leads to the plants being unable to grow/use up the nitrates/other nutrients. If you are not heavily planted and want to add more plants, any fast growing plant ie:Anarchis, Cabomba, dwarf hygro to name a few as well as most floating plants like Duckweed and Water Sprite will be good for absorbing nutrients. Regular PWC's will also help with nitrates. If you are doing Regular PWC's and still feel they are high, you might try Seachem's Purigen instead of the carbon. Purigen will remove nitrogenous organic waste which will help to prevent Nitrates from rising.

 

[bsdryder7]

i only have two potted balense crypts and a type of grass i dont know......????

 

[Coleallensmom]

What size tank do you have?

 

[doogle]

get a nutrient loving algae moss ball, lower the amount of light per day, get a long handle algae scrubber, and or algae magnet for the front glass. some say actinic decreases algae growth, but grow algae in saltwater, so its up to ypu, if youlike it, look at it.best plant bulbs are 6500-6700k daylight and tri phospher bulbs that have all three spikes in color temp.

 

[bsdryder7]

i have a fairly new 50 gal..... with about 11 fish

i dont have a bad algea problem at all. i wonder if its not done cycling but still im going to do a water change every weekend ....thanks everyone for your help

 

[Coleallensmom]

i have a fairly new 50 gal..... with about 11 fish

i dont have a bad algea problem at all. i wonder if its not done cycling but still im going to do a water change every weekend ....thanks everyone for your help

If you take out that actnic bulb and replace with a 2nd 55w bulb, you should have more than enough light to grow some nice plants in there. If you show us a pic of the "grass" we should be able to identify it for you.

Do you have a good liquid test kit? (Those are the most accurate.) If not, I really recommend that you get one. API is a popular brand and available at most chain stores like Petco and Petsmart. What are your full parameters?

Ammonia?
Nitrite?
Nitrate?

A cycled tank should have 0ppm ammonia and nitrite, but it's normal to have a Nitrate reading in an established tank. As long as you are <40ppm, you are in the clear, although <20ppm is ideal. Weekly PWCs are a good thing even with a mature tank. If you have high Nitrates or any of sort of ammonia/nitrite reading, you should do them more often.

 

[bsdryder7]

I have a 50 gal tank- 12 fish

only 4 weeks old

did not do fishless cycle but the filter i have came from a friend who had the tank for years....

 

[bsdryder7]

thats the grass.....

i am going to buy an API master kit tomorrow when i go to my LFS .

i was just looking at the grass i can see some clear spots on the blades i was wondering if its from lack of nutrients or because of the actnic bulb isint letting enough light for my 30 inch deep tnk????

i will write u tomorrow and let u know my levels

ohh ya should i get seachem flourish or all individual macro chems >??

 

[Coleallensmom]

Hmm..possibly some sort of Sagittaria. Maybe someone else will chime in with their thoughts. Good move on getting the API master kit. Being able to test your own water is an important thing.

Lighting can be tricky with deep tanks. If you're not dosing ferts though, any deficiency could be from that. You may get some differing opinions, but yes...my advice would be to start out with the Seachem Flourish. You can branch out from there if need be.