Low light ADA tank, you can easily do it with less light

[Plantbrain]

Some have suggeswted that low light is bad or you cannot grow nice tanks without high light.

You have far less demand for CO2 and nutrients, thus have far more wiggle room with any method using less light: here's 1.5 /gal on a 70 gallon tank, 2x 54w T5's.

Less heat, less cost both short and long term, easier management, how many folks have ever killed fish using light? How about neglect and over feeding(nutrients)? Co2? Lots!!!

Makes a lot more sense to use less light as algae grows slower with less light as well. The tank's system has more time to cycle etc etc.

Easier to prune etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com

 

[dapellegrini]

Awesome. What kind of light fixture is that?

 

[theotheragentm]

That looks incredible, but if you are overfeeding on the plant nutrients, is it viable for fish, or is this merely a proof of concept tank?

 

[greenfish]

Looks great Tom. What kind of plants do you have in there?

 

[newfound77951]

I too would like to know what plants are in there...besides the narrow leaf Java fern which I have as well...

I am cutting the light on my 55 in half as soon as the new bulbs show up...will essentially have 96 watts on a 55; I am curious to see what happens to the "high light" plants in the tank now. I just got tired of trimming all the time.

 

[rkilling1]

I too would like to know what plants are in there...besides the narrow leaf Java fern which I have as well...

I am cutting the light on my 55 in half as soon as the new bulbs show up...will essentially have 96 watts on a 55; I am curious to see what happens to the "high light" plants in the tank now. I just got tired of trimming all the time.

Same here. I just purchased a new light fixture. 260 watts, 2 X 65 watt 10K and 2 X 65 watt 03. So 130 watts over a 75 gallon tank. Two weeks into it and I am enjoying the results so far. Tom and his HLD got me to lower my lighting.

BTW, that is a nice tank Tom. Is that yours or one of your clients?

 

[dapellegrini]

Looks kinda like a store - maybe Aqua Forest?

 

[Plantbrain]

It's sitting at AF as is.
No special stuff here.
Rotlala green, hair grass etc.
More fish in there than you might suspect.

2x54 W T5 Archea fixture, AF sells and imports them.
They dose ferts etc.

The point is less the dose, CO2, because you need much less with any method, the poiunt of the matter is that we do not need nearly as much light as folks claim.

Why limit CO2, or nutrients and not light?

Makes no sense at all, yet I get into issues with folks over that very often insisting you must have high light, which is of course complete garbage.

120 micromoles at the water surface under the lights, 30 micromols at the farthest reaches

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[theotheragentm]

Duh. Upon closer inspection, I see fish in the tank.

 

[Jchillin]

Nice job Tom. I've been a proponent of low light tanks since I started in planted. I get very good results with most standard "green" plants in this environment. I do not get fantastic results with "reds" for the most part. Growth rates are also slower than in a super charged tank but it does work.

I will make a note to those who wish to try it. CO2 is still a concern for me as algae did have an opportunity to take root a few months ago. This was in the form of the dreaded BBA. I would discourage planting a lot of heavy rooted nutrient hogs, which I found to my horror, depleted the tanks resources in a hurry.

 

[Plantbrain]

Nice job Tom. I've been a proponent of low light tanks since I started in planted. I get very good results with most standard "green" plants in this environment. I do not get fantastic results with "reds" for the most part. Growth rates are also slower than in a super charged tank but it does work.

I will make a note to those who wish to try it. CO2 is still a concern for me as algae did have an opportunity to take root a few months ago. This was in the form of the dreaded BBA. I would discourage planting a lot of heavy rooted nutrient hogs, which I found to my horror, depleted the tanks resources in a hurry.

That's perhaps some of the best advice you can give a newbie also.
Newbies need a good chance for success otherwise they get mad and leave this hobby.

Yes, swords can suck out everything if given a chance.
They removal is also an issue, as wll as the scape being over taken by this huge weed.

The issue with CO2 is that there's much less demand with this tank vs having 3w/gal of T5's.

You have much more wiggle room there, and with dosing/nutrients.

I hear that it cannot be done etc, yet here it is in plain view for the public to see for themselves.




Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Jchillin]

That's perhaps some of the best advice you can give a newbie also.
Newbies need a good chance for success otherwise they get mad and leave this hobby.

Indeed, that's the last thing anyone would want to see happen. Here is an example of a 1.5 75g, it contains a couple of swords, and an insane amount of Java ferns and other smaller plants:

 

[HiJaC]

I'm really impressed with the carpet of hair grass on that first piccy. Fills me with hope that my 1.8 wpg (ish) tank can carpet well.

 

[Plantbrain]

Just keep in mine that this is a T5 light, these are quite powerful and effiicent, so you get the most from the watts/cost to run them and least heat and bulkiness.

normal FL's without a reflector/mirrored will not have as much.
Still, I've grown these same plants with NO FL's and a reflector, a shop light on a 55 gallon tank etc.

Worked quite well.
I also could dose wisely and not do water changes for 2-4 weeks and never had any algae on the glass for 6 months on average.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[kaz]

I would discourage planting a lot of heavy rooted nutrient hogs, which I found to my horror, depleted the tanks resources in a hurry.

what type of plants are consider heavy rooted?

thanks

 

[Jchillin]

Most of the large swords such as amazon. melon, radican and some crypt species.

 

[czcz]

Non-aquascaping methods aside, damn Tom: skillz.