Lighting advice
- Thread starter ace
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
quadrider5953
Aquarium Advice Freak
first off, we need to know your current lighting system and tank size, then we need to know the details of what you are thinking of upgrading to. Then we would be able to answer your question.
Kyle
Kyle
anythingscales
Aquarium Advice Activist
If you have hair and beard algae, it could also be from not doing enough water changes. Remember algae can feed on things besides light, like the water.
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
In many cases upgrading lighting will only encourage algae growth if the causes are not known, so let us know the tank specs (size, inhabitants, nutrient dosing, types and quantities of plants and water change schedule).
You do have the right idea, though, that if your plants are happy and busily using up nutrients from the water column the algae won't have a chance.
You do have the right idea, though, that if your plants are happy and busily using up nutrients from the water column the algae won't have a chance.
quadrider5953 said:
You're right. I kinda figured that might be a problem. I made that post while at work and don't know my tanks dimensions by heart, and since I'm in front of this computer all day I hardly ever go on my home computer. I'll try to answer those questions as best I can. I have a 46G bow about 36 inch across? I have two tubes going flora-glo, and aqua-glo. I just want to go brighter and wanted to know if replacing the aqua-glo with a life-glo tube would do the trick. The plants I have right now are 4 amazon swords, water hedge and planning to add some ferns and anubias'. Hope that's better.
TankGirl
Aquarium Advice Addict
Changing your bulb to one of a different spectrum will not necessarily make any difference in your tank. The actual brightness will not change. The fixture in your hood will accept only bulbs of a certain wattage, so you will be unable to increase wattage without retrofitting (gutting and replacing) the light fixture, adding another fixture to what you have, or changing it altogether.
It is certainly worth trying a different spectrum, shooting for 6500 to 10,000 Kelvin bulbs, but the plants won't respond dramatically. I hope I am understanding your post correctly, but let me know if I am not.
It is certainly worth trying a different spectrum, shooting for 6500 to 10,000 Kelvin bulbs, but the plants won't respond dramatically. I hope I am understanding your post correctly, but let me know if I am not.
TetraFreak
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2006
- Messages
- 2
Another thing you may want to consider...
Depending on your finances...
I just bought a 48" 4 x 55 W PC setup off of eBay for $60 + shipping.
They make those is various sizes including 36". Most do have half lighting as Actinic but you can find good daylight bulbs cheal at home depot and even on eBay,
Hope that helps!
-TF
Depending on your finances...
I just bought a 48" 4 x 55 W PC setup off of eBay for $60 + shipping.
They make those is various sizes including 36". Most do have half lighting as Actinic but you can find good daylight bulbs cheal at home depot and even on eBay,
Hope that helps!
-TF
