algae eater for plant cleaning

[Mebbid]

So t5hos are considered low light?
... what length should my fixture be for a 125 gal?

And you recommend leds?

Is the pps pro / ei method reasonably priced?

My plants seem like theyre doing good..minus the algae on the java ferns...

the specific light fixture is going to play a big factor in the par levels in a tank. Coralife in particular are very weak as far as light level goes.

A 125 gallon tank is approx 23" tall. At the substrate level the par rating on a single 2 bulb coralife t5ho fixture is approximately 15 which is at the low range for low light level. This will decrease even more the further off center of the light fixture you go.

For medium light you want to shoot for a 35 - 50 par level. Here is an article on par levels of different fixtures.

Lighting an Aquarium with PAR instead of Watts

Both the PPS pro and EI method are dirt cheap. For my 55g and 10g planted tanks a single pack of ferts will last me the better part of a year. PPS Pro lasts longer though.

 

[pip walters]

As well as light, brown algae need silica and nitrate... which you may be adding each time you change water, unless you are using RO ??

 

[fishman888888]

the specific light fixture is going to play a big factor in the par levels in a tank. Coralife in particular are very weak as far as light level goes.

A 125 gallon tank is approx 23" tall. At the substrate level the par rating on a single 2 bulb coralife t5ho fixture is approximately 15 which is at the low range for low light level. This will decrease even more the further off center of the light fixture you go.

For medium light you want to shoot for a 35 - 50 par level. Here is an article on par levels of different fixtures.

Lighting an Aquarium with PAR instead of Watts

Both the PPS pro and EI method are dirt cheap. For my 55g and 10g planted tanks a single pack of ferts will last me the better part of a year. PPS Pro lasts longer though.

The light fixture in the pic is 48" and about $380
Would that be sufficient?

 

[Mebbid]

I'm not sure what brand it is but it looks like marineland. If it is a marineland fixture then no. Those are all junk.

You could try some dimmable 120w LED lights. It will cost you about $360 ish for 3 light fixtures that would give you control over your light to be able to take you from low light all the way to high light.

2X Dimmable 120W Aquarium Coral Reef Fish Tank White Blue LED Light White Shell | eBay

Each fixture is good to light up a 2ft section of tank. I use them for my reef and am happy with them.

 

[fishman888888]

Thank you for your help so far
Im going to go to my fish store after work tomorrow and see if they have anything similar to what you mentioned. Im pretty sure i can find it there. I wont buy it before consulting here... i dont want to invest in the wrong equipment

And that was a marineland light fixture lol. Good call

 

[Mebbid]

Thank you for your help so far
Im going to go to my fish store after work tomorrow and see if they have anything similar to what you mentioned. Im pretty sure i can find it there. I wont buy it before consulting here... i dont want to invest in the wrong equipment

And that was a marineland light fixture lol. Good call

They won't have those light fixtures. they are manufactures in asia and outsourced to different Ebay sellers. Ebay is pretty much the only place you can get them. They are also pretty much the cheapest light source around.

 

[fishman888888]

Are these fixtures any better?
This is only freshwater lighting...
I can get 40-50% off those prices

Still gotta check out the reef section

 

[Mebbid]

Even at 40 - 50% off if you're willing to drop that kind of money I would get a Build my LED fixture in a heartbeat. They are one of the best LED light fixtures around. Many people use them on this forum and I have never heard a complaint.

Dutch Planted 6300K - XB Series - Build My LED, LLC

I'm sure that light fixture will work but the major problem with halides is that they heat up water like crazy and it might require the use of a chiller to keep the tank cool enough.

 

[fishman888888]

Lol ive never bought anything online before
Ever...

I suppose i could give it a try...

That system you suggested would work for my 125?

But would require the chiller? 100%?
Im in vancouver, bc....it doesnt get that hot over here...even with no lid, still chiller?

 

[Mebbid]

Lol ive never bought anything online before
Ever...

I suppose i could give it a try...

That system you suggested would work for my 125?

But would require the chiller? 100%?
Im in vancouver, bc....it doesnt get that hot over here...even with no lid, still chiller?

The system that you linked would possibly require a chiller. I can't give you a guarantee because I've never personally used halides but I know that heat generation is a big problem when using them with salt water.

Also, don't be afraid That's a safe reputable company to order from. The build my LED fixtures for a 125g tank you can order 1 for medium light or 2 for high light.

 

[fishman888888]

Lol this is gunna sound silly

But im down for whatever you suggest, i enjoy the hobby to the point i know im not gonna stop this
....so im willing to try your suggestions out, if it dont work... ill resell and try something new

Im at my store right now...

Ill take pics of all my plants...
Can you help me pick the best light for my needs?
I got faith in ya

But ill show you his reef lighting section as well...maybe hes got something decent here

 

[Mebbid]

haha alright, I'll see what I can do.

 

[fishman888888]

My guy said that those lights from build your led dont work well.... he said its hard to find one like that that can suit the needs of a tank properly

He also said the dimmable reef lights were not a good idea, he said theyre way too bright and i only need something with 6700k

....
Heres a few pics of some other fresh water leds he has

Also... he mentioned a lighting system called

"Hydra" ...said something about aqua illumination... he said he can get that for me and that it is the best possible product on the market

 

[Mebbid]

My guy said that those lights from build your led dont work well.... he said its hard to find one like that that can suit the needs of a tank properly

He also said the dimmable reef lights were not a good idea, he said theyre way too bright and i only need something with 6700k

....
Heres a few pics of some other fresh water leds he has

Also... he mentioned a lighting system called

"Hydra" ...said something about aqua illumination... he said he can get that for me and that it is the best possible product on the market

The lights I linked to you are half 6500k and half actinic blue. With the dual dimmable function you can get whatever color temperature of light you want while still providing plenty of light in the correct wavelength without torching your tank.

Also, with him saying "Build my LED not working very well" I would like to point one thing in particular out to you. Why would he say that anything online is a good light when he stands to make over $1000 pushing overpriced lighting on you? When a LFS person is speaking to you they are thinking of how they can make the most money. I will guarantee that to you 100%. I've had my LFS, which I trust almost completely try to push junk equipment on me trying to make a sale over what I was looking for.

At this point I would suggest making a new thread in the planted tank section. They will point out a bunch of different light fixtures out to you and give you the pros and cons of different fixtures. Much more than I could. I will guarantee you one thing however, there's not a single person on this forum or any other that will honestly say Build my LED fixtures don't work very well.

 

[Brookster123]

Bml's work too well apparantly... you need a dimmer or you can't run them in most setups. I agree with mebbid whole heartedly.. I really like the guys at my lfs, they know more about the hobby than I will ever. They're also there as a means to support themselves financially. While the fish stock may be pretty reasonably priced an ac 50 for $50?? Not so much.. it's up to you whether you feel like supporting the small business over saving cash online.. I buy overpriced frozen foods and such because I like the idea of having a mom and pops lfs to go to over the other places in my area.. if it means leaving a couple extra bucks there every now and again I'm cool with that.. however I would never buy a light marked up 300%..no matter who was selling it..

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