Am I pushing my luck-lights

crystalview

Guru Class Expert
Sep 6, 2008
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You guys said that I should raise my light up since I am getting 2.1wpg for 12hrs. Right now this light has been great. With using the EI dosing the plants are green and growing. My GSA did die off and so has the diatoms. With this amount of light would it be a slow build up of algae? Am I pressing my luck by not lifting the light? In another post it was said to raise his light a foot on his 60g. That seems awful high. Would the algae take hold and then I would be stuck fighting it. Over the years I have not had any algae other then the above (knocking on wood). I divided up the fast growers to help absorb the extras. But I will want to add different plants for different textures. These will then grow more slowly.
 

VaughnH

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Jan 24, 2005
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Algae growth, like plant growth, is driven by the amount of light available. If we could grow plants with little or no light we would have no algae at all, but of course we can't. The reason for raising your light, as I recall, is that you don't use CO2. Raising the light a few inches would reduce the light intensity so you wouldn't need the CO2 (again as I recall). This won't cause algae to start, it will decrease the probability that it will start.
 

crystalview

Guru Class Expert
Sep 6, 2008
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between Sac and Reno
Thanks!
I reduced my light hours until I can find a way to raise the light. Do you know anybody who makes any brackets that I could adapt to clamp on the sides of the tank? and not take up much room. Or could I make some? if so any suggestion out of what? I am guessing that if there are brackets that I would have to remove at least one of the glass pieces in the top. Will this cause more evaporation? My tank is at 82 and my room is not. So I can have one to two gallons evap in a few days, with the top. I try to keep the level up so I won't get a lot more buildup on EI dosing before the WC.
 

VaughnH

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Jan 24, 2005
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Here is a design I worked up for cantilevering the light fixture from the wall, with the ability to raise it easily for maintenance or to reduce the light intensity: Oregon Aqua Design | Come in we are OPEN!!!! If you contact Jeremy, who owns this "store" he might be willing to make one for you. He is looking into selling this as a kit.