Bert2oo1
Aquarium Advice Addict
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2016
- Messages
- 2,562
Hey guys so laterly I've been seeing a lot of threads from new people to the hobby. A lot of people are talking about going high light straight off and buying these expensive high intensity light fixtures.
I want people to be aware of what they can expect and what they will need for a high light tank so they don't run into trouble.
First of all high light high tech setups are expensive to set up. If u have a small budget then high light is not for you.
People just getting into planted tanks should start off with low to medium light untill they feel confident and learn how to grow plants well and keep algae away. I jumped into high light straight off without any info and it was a disaster I wasted a lot of money on plants that I ended up throwing away because they destroyed by algae etc.
If going high light be prepared to spend good money on good equipment. You WILL need pressurised co2, DIY and or excel won't cut it in a high lighting environment (unless your tank size is very small). DIY co2 will end up giving you more problems and cause you more of a headache than good. DIY co2 is almost impossible to hit the 30ppm of co2 required in a high lighting environment. DIY co2 also tends to fluctuate causing outbreaks of BBA algae.
My advice for co2 is avoid DIY and get presurised.
Lighting: there is no need to run your fixture at full power unless you are capable of running it on full power without issue. Bringing your lighting down to a level where you achieve great plant growth with little to no algae is better than blasting your light full power and having constant algae issues. Don't be afraid to adjust your lighting up or down to find what works for your tank.
Ferts: high light high tech has an extreme demand for nutrients. Liquid ferts in my opinion won't cut the mustard. Dosing dry salts to EI or PPS pro is a must.(I've had greater success with EI) finding a balance in nutrients is a must or you risk plant deficiency or algae outbreaks.
Once again the recommended dosage of EI or PPS pro is not set in stone and you will need to play with your dosages to suit your setup. Over dosing phosphate can keep GSA from forming on your glass etc. ( I 4x dose the recommended).
Filtration:
you want 8-10x tank turn over per hour ideally. I recommend a canister filter for larger tank's 20g+. A spray bar is a really good idea aswell to spread the flow around your tank. HOB's work fine in smaller tanks or combined with a canister on larger tanks.
Co2 diffusion: ceramic disc diffusers work well in smaller tanks, however ideally you want to place it under the intake of a filter or in the path of a power head to get a good spread around the tank.
Inline diffusers on a canister filter with a spray bar or a co2 reactor is best for larger tanks as this gives you great spread across your whole tank.
Flow: flow is very important in a high tech tank. Any dead spots in your tank will grow algae and your plants in these areas won't get access to the nutrients floating in the current. You want all plants to sway gently in your tank. This should keep all in wanted debris at bay.
Time: high tech tanks take a fair bit of time to maintain. If you can't afford to give your tank atleast 45minutes to 1 hour per week then high light isn't for you. A water change of 50% weekly is a must. Leave it even 1 day past 7 days and u will most likely see algae starting to form. Take this time to scrape off / zap any algae that may be in the tank. It's important to get on top of it before it becomes an issue as algae spreads extremely fast in high techs.
This is a basic over view of the requirements for a high tech tank. If anyone has anymore to add in please feel free to add your advice aswell. I'm hoping this helps people's journey of setting up a high tech build.
Hopefully I have helped a few people with this info.
Cheers
I want people to be aware of what they can expect and what they will need for a high light tank so they don't run into trouble.
First of all high light high tech setups are expensive to set up. If u have a small budget then high light is not for you.
People just getting into planted tanks should start off with low to medium light untill they feel confident and learn how to grow plants well and keep algae away. I jumped into high light straight off without any info and it was a disaster I wasted a lot of money on plants that I ended up throwing away because they destroyed by algae etc.
If going high light be prepared to spend good money on good equipment. You WILL need pressurised co2, DIY and or excel won't cut it in a high lighting environment (unless your tank size is very small). DIY co2 will end up giving you more problems and cause you more of a headache than good. DIY co2 is almost impossible to hit the 30ppm of co2 required in a high lighting environment. DIY co2 also tends to fluctuate causing outbreaks of BBA algae.
My advice for co2 is avoid DIY and get presurised.
Lighting: there is no need to run your fixture at full power unless you are capable of running it on full power without issue. Bringing your lighting down to a level where you achieve great plant growth with little to no algae is better than blasting your light full power and having constant algae issues. Don't be afraid to adjust your lighting up or down to find what works for your tank.
Ferts: high light high tech has an extreme demand for nutrients. Liquid ferts in my opinion won't cut the mustard. Dosing dry salts to EI or PPS pro is a must.(I've had greater success with EI) finding a balance in nutrients is a must or you risk plant deficiency or algae outbreaks.
Once again the recommended dosage of EI or PPS pro is not set in stone and you will need to play with your dosages to suit your setup. Over dosing phosphate can keep GSA from forming on your glass etc. ( I 4x dose the recommended).
Filtration:
you want 8-10x tank turn over per hour ideally. I recommend a canister filter for larger tank's 20g+. A spray bar is a really good idea aswell to spread the flow around your tank. HOB's work fine in smaller tanks or combined with a canister on larger tanks.
Co2 diffusion: ceramic disc diffusers work well in smaller tanks, however ideally you want to place it under the intake of a filter or in the path of a power head to get a good spread around the tank.
Inline diffusers on a canister filter with a spray bar or a co2 reactor is best for larger tanks as this gives you great spread across your whole tank.
Flow: flow is very important in a high tech tank. Any dead spots in your tank will grow algae and your plants in these areas won't get access to the nutrients floating in the current. You want all plants to sway gently in your tank. This should keep all in wanted debris at bay.
Time: high tech tanks take a fair bit of time to maintain. If you can't afford to give your tank atleast 45minutes to 1 hour per week then high light isn't for you. A water change of 50% weekly is a must. Leave it even 1 day past 7 days and u will most likely see algae starting to form. Take this time to scrape off / zap any algae that may be in the tank. It's important to get on top of it before it becomes an issue as algae spreads extremely fast in high techs.
This is a basic over view of the requirements for a high tech tank. If anyone has anymore to add in please feel free to add your advice aswell. I'm hoping this helps people's journey of setting up a high tech build.
Hopefully I have helped a few people with this info.
Cheers