Gabriel3303
Aquarium Advice Activist
I have a t5 36watt light for my 10 gallon i have banna plants Anubis an dwarf pennywort coming for my tank an im have trouble finding how long I should run my light a day for these plants?
Lighting help
- Thread starter Gabriel3303
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Zimmanski
Aquarium Advice Addict
You can start with 6-8 hours a day, 6-8 is usually the suggested time, and then after a good amount of time if no algae is present you can increase the time by an hour until you are happy with the photoperiod or until algae appears. If algae appears reduce by an hour and keep it there
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
all of your plants just need medium light. therefore 6hrs should be fine, assuming you have good substrate as well.
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Gabriel3303
Aquarium Advice Activist
I just used the floramax substrate ?
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Gabriel3303
Aquarium Advice Activist
Some times the Internet kicks my *** when im trying to find things this forum is a life saver
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
then you're good to go as these plants aren't high demand in nutrient level. i would do 6hrs for a week and observe the growth. it shouldn't be a problem though.
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
how big is your tank by the way?
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Gabriel3303
Aquarium Advice Activist
Just a 10 I've had alot of aquariums but just got back into it an really wana start doing alot of heavily planted tanks but am not real educated on it
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
with that substrate and lighting, i will recommend java ferns, amazon swords, wisteria, java moss, moss ball, dwarf sag, jungle vals, ludwigia, and other beginner plants to get your hands dirty. You probably know that for new tanks, there's always some sort of algae bloom. these plants will compete with algae for light as well as nutrients. they will also provide hiding spaces for your fish and possibly food source. for instance, i have not fed my otos for months because there's bits and pieces of algae growing on the plants. therefore in terms of taking care of my otos, i would have to say they're ZERO MAINTENANCE IME
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Gabriel3303
Aquarium Advice Activist
K thanks i was planning on putting Black Forest shrimp an hill stream loaches in it to start in hopes of keeping the algae at bay
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Gabriel3303
Aquarium Advice Activist
What's the best way to make sure the algae dosnt over throw the plants an gets past the first battle
dragonfisher33
Aquarium Advice Addict
control your lighting and feeding.
Lighting: that's the reason why a few of us recommended to start off with 6hrs of lighting for some time to observe the growth of the plants as well as any algae bloom. with your current plant list, i suspect algae is going to grow because your plants are outnumbered. but as you increase your plant list, the chance of algae growth should be reduced.
Feeding: when feeding your fish, make sure you don't overfeed them. the excess food will decompose into a number of chemicals that are ideal for algae growth. feed your fish however much they will eat in 2-3 minutes.
ps. i wouldn't worry about algae that much for now because a healthy balanced tank always have some algae in it. when you see algae growing, you know right off the bat something is going well (ie there's enough nutrient and lighting). when algae becomes a nuisance, introduce algae eating species. nerite snails are a good option. otos are excellent for small tank like yours.
Lighting: that's the reason why a few of us recommended to start off with 6hrs of lighting for some time to observe the growth of the plants as well as any algae bloom. with your current plant list, i suspect algae is going to grow because your plants are outnumbered. but as you increase your plant list, the chance of algae growth should be reduced.
Feeding: when feeding your fish, make sure you don't overfeed them. the excess food will decompose into a number of chemicals that are ideal for algae growth. feed your fish however much they will eat in 2-3 minutes.
ps. i wouldn't worry about algae that much for now because a healthy balanced tank always have some algae in it. when you see algae growing, you know right off the bat something is going well (ie there's enough nutrient and lighting). when algae becomes a nuisance, introduce algae eating species. nerite snails are a good option. otos are excellent for small tank like yours.
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Gabriel3303
Aquarium Advice Activist
Sweet thanks to all for the good advice
