I finally moved my reason for not having plants into a 125. So I just put 6 small amazon swords (~9") and 3 bunches of green hygro (~8") and a couple clumps of java moss in a standard 30 gallon tank. I have a 20 watt 24" Zoo Med Ultra Sun florescent bulb. I am wondering how many hours of light i should allow per day. Is placement an issue? I have the swords bases a few inches from each other. They look fine and don't seem crowded but I am new to this. I don't need them to grow fast I just want them to survive. If I need to adjust anything please let my know.
30 gallon and a bunch of plants
- Thread starter xander
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Fruitbat
Aquarium Advice Addict
xander...
Your light level definitely puts your tank into the low-light category (24watts on a 30 gal tank is less than 1wpg). The Java Moss should do OK and the Hygrophila MIGHT make it, but I doubt that you're going to have much luck with the Sword Plants (Echinodoras. They like a bit more light than you can provide with your setup.
If it isn't too late....you might want to return the Swords to your lfs and see if you can exchange them for something like Java Fern or a Cryptocoryne that might do well in your tank.
Your light level definitely puts your tank into the low-light category (24watts on a 30 gal tank is less than 1wpg). The Java Moss should do OK and the Hygrophila MIGHT make it, but I doubt that you're going to have much luck with the Sword Plants (Echinodoras. They like a bit more light than you can provide with your setup.
If it isn't too late....you might want to return the Swords to your lfs and see if you can exchange them for something like Java Fern or a Cryptocoryne that might do well in your tank.
I would rather keep them. What sort of light would I need for that. I have other light fixures but have no idea what wattage they are. One I am thinking of is a 36" fixure that holds a 36" bulb, I think it has a 30 watt bulb in it. Can I simply supplement my existing light? Can I just modify my light to up the wattage? What if I put another strip light on the tank? I got a good deal on these swords and would love to utilize them. What are my options besides returning them. Also how many hours shall I set the timer for?
madasafish
Aquarium Advice Addict
Generally, plant enthusiasts go with power compact lighting, as compact bulbs are smaller (thus the name...) per watt and produce more lumens per watt. You can find some relatively inexpensive PC ballasts on ebay--I got an All-Glass ballast with 110W for my 48" for $70 and recently replaced it with a 220W Coralife fixture which I got for a steal... $150 for the fixture, shipping, and 4 extra bulbs. For a 36" I think you'll prob. find some decent fittings that will provide you with 60-110W of light for under $60. I tried using lots of standard bulb ballasts on 2 of my tanks, but it gets so crowded with multiple ballasts.
As you've got medium-light plants, you'll prob want to shoot for 3 watts per gallon or so. The swords can be difficult if you don't give them enough light. But, if you can't get a really good ballast, you can always bring the swords higher up in the tank (i.e. on a piece of driftwood, as I've done) to maximize the light they receive.
IME and from others' posts, 12 hours is about right for the plants--as these are tropical plants, they're used to long days of light. They need time to respire during the night (as they consume the glucose they produce in the day), so you shouldn't try and compensate for low light by blasting them 24/7 (not that you'd do that...). It's probably more realistic to give them about 10 hours a day on average. I'd gauge this after you've observed how well algae starts growing in the tank, though. If you feel that 8 hours is plenty and keeps algae down (and isn't detrimental to plant growth) then go with it.
Of course.... here's the real catch. With that much light you need CO2 injection to ensure plant growth (CO2 gets depleted rather easily with plants around), as the plants will photosynthesize at a faster rate. I've been doing a DIY setup with yeast, water and sugar, but I'm switching to a CO2 canister/solenoid system in the next week. This is ultimately the best way to inject the proper level of CO2 into your tank--you can determine the rate at which the CO2 comes out of the canister.
HTH
As you've got medium-light plants, you'll prob want to shoot for 3 watts per gallon or so. The swords can be difficult if you don't give them enough light. But, if you can't get a really good ballast, you can always bring the swords higher up in the tank (i.e. on a piece of driftwood, as I've done) to maximize the light they receive.
IME and from others' posts, 12 hours is about right for the plants--as these are tropical plants, they're used to long days of light. They need time to respire during the night (as they consume the glucose they produce in the day), so you shouldn't try and compensate for low light by blasting them 24/7 (not that you'd do that...). It's probably more realistic to give them about 10 hours a day on average. I'd gauge this after you've observed how well algae starts growing in the tank, though. If you feel that 8 hours is plenty and keeps algae down (and isn't detrimental to plant growth) then go with it.
Of course.... here's the real catch. With that much light you need CO2 injection to ensure plant growth (CO2 gets depleted rather easily with plants around), as the plants will photosynthesize at a faster rate. I've been doing a DIY setup with yeast, water and sugar, but I'm switching to a CO2 canister/solenoid system in the next week. This is ultimately the best way to inject the proper level of CO2 into your tank--you can determine the rate at which the CO2 comes out of the canister.
HTH
I don't need them to grow a lot or very fast I just want them to survive. I don't want to have to add CO2. Like I said before I have a 24" 20 watt 6500K bulb one there now. I also added another fixture that holds a 36" 30 watt bulb. I feel this should be good enough at least for now. If I need to get a PCF fixture I will do that in the future. I am assuming that I should also spread the swords out a bit so they get all the light they can. I think I heard that java moss does better at lower temperatures. I have a tank that I don't heat. Will the plants listed above survive in temperatures down to 65F?
I just got a twin tube strip made by All-Glass that uses two 30 watt bulbs from a 75 watt ballast. It has an aluminum reflector. I am assuming this will be sufficient until the swords outgrow the tank. If they grow at all. would it make a difference if I find a 55 watt bulb and with a 20 watt to utilize all the wattage or do they need to be the same? They probably don't make a 55 w for a standard fluorescent anyway.
G
Guest
Guest
I believe with this type fixture you have to use two 30 watt bulbs, since that is what it was designed for. I'd go ahead and give it a try this way.
BTW, I had a regular old green Sword plant that lived for several years in a tank with just under 1 wpg, but it was in a room that got plenty of sun.
