amount of light for planted tank with no co2

[yvonnedono]

Hi everyone and thanks for taking the time to read this! I have a 55 gallon planted tank. I have app. 30" of fish. I've had the tank for over 10 years, and have tried live plants in the past but lost them all. I have recently changed my substrate to eco-complete and planted a bunch of plants. I have an aquasky led light (one size smaller than the 48") which I am using on white setting but adding 50% red and 50% blue spectrum.

so, plant stats: 55 gallon, no co2, about 20" worth of fish swimming around - all community/peaceful. plants: I have 2 cardinal plants (lobelia cardinalis), 2 pigmypot pigmy chain sword (they aren't doing well), 3 golden lioydiella (these are doing the best), alternanthera reineckii roseafolia (getting some stem rot and brown leaves), 2 bucephalandra sp godzilla, 2 bucephalandra sp ; 2 ancharis egeria densa, 3 java fern, 2 petite anubia nana petite (can't keep them rooted - think I'm going to try and super glue them to the plastic bark that all the fish love), 1 driftwood covered in marimo ball and 1 vallisneria spiralis which isn't doing well at all.

I am thinking about getting the 48" Aquasky (3000-25000K; 35 watts) or Plant 2.0 (6500 k, 59 watts) so that there is enough light everywhere. Considering I am not going to use co2 anytime soon, which would be best for the plants but not create algae? The lights hang about 6 inches from the cop of the tank and the tank is 20" deep.

I like to keep the lights on for 12 hours.


So far with the current light I have only what would be considered a healthy amount of algae but I think the plants could use more.

I attached a pic. I have a video but couldn't figure out how to attach that.

[Autumnsky]

Substrate ferts for the Swords and as the tank substrate sounds fairly new the tank plants might be happy for some liquid ferts.

I used Aqueon and Flourish plant ferts. One dosed one week after the water change and the other the next week after pwc. Alternating and had very good experience. Each one had slightly differing assortment and amounts of the ferts and the combo worked nicely for me.

12 hours of light might be too much if you get another stronger light.