Differnce between 10 and 6700k for plant growth

[Tobykourtney]

Are there any differences between 10k and 6700k as far a plant growth currently running a dual t5ho on my 55 gallon tank with 2 10k bulbs and a dual t5no with 1 10k and 6700k. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Iodizedfate]

The 6700k are closer to the color range that plants can use. If you're running 10000k then you are more likely to have algae issues.

 

[Tobykourtney]

Here's where I'm confused. Plants use red and blue light for photosynthesis. If you look on the spectral graph of both the 6700 and 10k bulbs by coralife which is what bulbs I have they only have a slight difference in the red and blue spectrum the 6700 having a little more red and the 10k having a little more blue. So I'm not understanding why most people shun using straight 10k bulbs can someone please tell me if I'm missing anything here.

 

[armymp327]

really anything between 4000K and 10000K is fine for plants, most people recommend 6700k because it is the closest to mid day sun that we can get. IME having 10000k bulbs will not increase algae growth, as long as you are balanced in Co2 and ferts

i think it comes down more to preference of what you want to use in the 4000k to 10000k range, weather you want a nice reddish tank or a really bright white/blue tank

 

[Tobykourtney]

I really like the 10 k bulbs and I haven't had any problems with algae. I just needed to know for sure it wasn't slowing my plant growth.

 

[aqua_chem]

Short of actinics, you can't really go wrong with bulbs as long as it looks good to you.

 

[armymp327]

Edit: posted a bunch of stuff about high light and Co2, till i saw the diffuser in your tank

i also use the aqauticlife light with Co2 and dry ferts (though i use 6700K bulbs) and my plants are growing like weeds.

just curious do you also have an aqueon T5NO strip on the front? thats alot of light lol.

 

[Tobykourtney]

that should be fine, i see you have the aquatic life T5HO light fixture, i have the same. cant tell how tall the tank is, but if you dont want algae i would really recommend Co2, you are sitting in the medium to high light range depending on tank height. like i said i have the same fixture for a 20" tall tank, but i also dose dry ferts using the PPS-Pro system and pressurized Co2 and my plants grow like weeds.

if your using Co2 then great if not then id raise the lights higher above the tank, or only give the tank 6 hours of light

I'm using 2-1 gallon diy yeast co2 and dosing flourish,flourish trace and root taps for the dwarf grass and I have a drop checker to check the co2 levels. How many hours a day do you leave your light on I was going to slowly up the time but since we have the same size tank I'm assuming because mines 20 inches also I can skip the whole process and just ask you lol.

 

[Tobykourtney]

Edit: posted a bunch of stuff about high light and Co2, till i saw the diffuser in your tank

i also use the aqauticlife light with Co2 and dry ferts (though i use 6700K bulbs) and my plants are growing like weeds.

just curious do you also have an aqueon T5NO strip on the front? thats alot of light lol.

Yea I have a dual t5no strip on the front

 

[Tobykourtney]

Edit: posted a bunch of stuff about high light and Co2, till i saw the diffuser in your tank

i also use the aqauticlife light with Co2 and dry ferts (though i use 6700K bulbs) and my plants are growing like weeds.

just curious do you also have an aqueon T5NO strip on the front? thats alot of light lol.

I was just using 2 dual t5no fixtures but I got the aquaticlife used 2 weeks ago for 30 bucks

 

[armymp327]

well having that extra light changes things alot so im not really sure how long you should have it on, best i can say is if you start seeing algae just decrease the amount of time the light is on

for me with just the aquaticlife light i keep my lights on for 9 hours, but i also use pressurized co2 so not sure how much it differs with your DIY set up, but if the drop checker is green, then i guess it should be the same

maybe with that extra light id say a good rough start would be 6 hours of light and just go from their

also my tank is 38 gallons (36x12x20) but gallon size does not really matter when it comes to PAR ratings.

anyways you are at very high light, so if you start to see algae even at 6 hours i would just remove the aqueon light from the picture, you are not growing anything that demands that much light from what i can see so its really over kill.

oh also on the ferts you are not dosing any macro's only micros (really no need to dose flourish comp and trace at the same time) if you dont want to go the dry fert route and stick with flourish you are going to need to get potassium and phosphorus also and maybe nitrogen if your nitrates are not very high....you are using alot of light, so the more light the more ferts the plants will use, same with Co2

 

[Tobykourtney]

So far no algae I keep the uv sterilizer on the same timer as the light so maybe that's why but the sterilizer is because I'm trying to breed and I want the water as clean as possible.

 

[Tobykourtney]

well having that extra light changes things alot so im not really sure how long you should have it on, best i can say is if you start seeing algae just decrease the amount of time the light is on

for me with just the aquaticlife light i keep my lights on for 9 hours, but i also use pressurized co2 so not sure how much it differs with your DIY set up, but if the drop checker is green, then i guess it should be the same

maybe with that extra light id say a good rough start would be 6 hours of light and just go from their

also my tank is 38 gallons (36x12x20) but gallon size does not really matter when it comes to PAR ratings.

anyways you are at very high light, so if you start to see algae even at 6 hours i would just remove the aqueon light from the picture, you are not growing anything that demands that much light from what i can see so its really over kill.

oh also on the ferts you are not dosing any macro's only micros (really no need to dose flourish comp and trace at the same time) if you dont want to go the dry fert route and stick with flourish you are going to need to get potassium and phosphorus also and maybe nitrogen if your nitrates are not very high....you are using alot of light, so the more light the more ferts the plants will use, same with Co2

Just bought 20 lbs of dry fert my tank already has around 2 inches of substrate so that all I wanna do for now will this help?

 

[armymp327]

as long as those dry ferts include a trace mix and Potassium Nitrate (KNO3), Mono Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4), Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4), and sometimes Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4) but i believe the magnesium is for people with soft water, though i may be wrong on that.

just as long as you have a dosing plan also (like PPS-pro, PMDD, or Estimative index) then you should be good to go!

 

[aqua_chem]

Are you possibly confusing dry ferts and plant substrate? I think buying 20 lbs of dry ferts would end up with you on a homeland security watch list.

 

[Tobykourtney]

Yea plant substrate lol

 

[Tobykourtney]

Are you possibly confusing dry ferts and plant substrate? I think buying 20 lbs of dry ferts would end up with you on a homeland security watch list.

Yea substrate lol would 20 lbs make a diference? It's call Eco complete plant substrate

 

[aqua_chem]

Yes. Why we say 'dry ferts', what we mean are the raw salts of the components that make up liquid ferts, like Flourish comprehensive or API Leaf Zone. Plant substrates, while nice, are another category entirely.

 

[aqua_chem]

Are you possibly confusing dry ferts and plant substrate? I think buying 20 lbs of dry ferts would end up with you on a homeland security watch list.

I say this because KNO3, potassium nitrate, is probably the most common dry fert, and can potentially be used to make explosives. It's regulated in some countries such that it's difficult to even obtain (looking at you Canada).

 

[armymp327]

lol i thought it was odd he said 20 lbs i was thinking maybe 5 lbs of each fert.

so the substrate is nice however that will mainly benefit root feeding plants, and those that feed from the water colum (anubias and java being the most common) will still need to a liquid fert, i would recommend floruish comp, potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Reason i recommend all of those is because of the high amount of light you have.