Light Spectrum help.

[JadeButterfly]

Okay. I've been trying to deal with a problem I've had for about 3 weeks...and now I really need to find some solution.

my tank with glosso carpet (80% carpet) is growing really tall.

before I used EI (when my nutrients are low), the glossos have been very low, but covered with hair algae.

ever since using EI, my nutrients are in excess, and there is no more algae growing. my tank is basically algae free...

but my glosso is growing very very leggy...with my weekly pruning, I can tell that the glosso have grown less horizontally like before, but have grown vertically alot more.

I've been reading article and beginning to think it is the light spectrum. I have high light (2x96W over 45G)...but the tubes are both 6700k Coralife. Can anyone give me some insight as to why this is happening? my aquascape is beginning to look worse than when I had algae....

Thanks all.

 

[chubasco]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

As Tom has stated, you can grow plants with cool whites (4100K) just as
good as expensive bulbs. The kelvin temps are for you, more than the plants.
You have to decide what light you like best. I'll try to find the thread on APD
about gloss and high light. I remember Tom saying at 2wpg NO FL it grew compact, didn't overlap like it tends to at higher light. Somewhat heated
discussion I might add...got no ideas about the legginess, tho, except a
paradoxical response to higher light: when we see legginess, it always means
not enough light--maybe not for gloss.

Bill

 

[chubasco]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

Also, you can move your leggy gloss to the back for tall stem plants, then
plant hairgrass for the foreground....I'm kiddin'

Bill

 

[JadeButterfly]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

Also, you can move your leggy gloss to the back for tall stem plants, then
plant hairgrass for the foreground....I'm kiddin'

Bill

Thanks Bill, hopefully you can find the thread on APD (I rarely go on there)

lol. I remember a while back when my hairgrass seem really tall compare to my glosso carpet at the front...right now I can't even see the hairgrass from the front of my tank...only the top view.

a while back, I tried running 96W over my 45G...and my glosso started to go yellow...also, with 96W...my glosso won't pearl (maybe very very little)...but once my second 96W comes on...less than 5mins my glosso will be pearling...

hopefully I can still grow my glosso with my dual CF...

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

Trim it down.

I've always had no issues keeping it short if I give it no shading by other plants. When shaded or near other plants, it'll get leggy.
Blackouts will make it leggy.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[JadeButterfly]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

Hello Tom,

Is there a proper way of trimming glossos? or could I simply take a pair of scissors and start cutting it down?

every week I only manage to trim a bit because I cut the glossos be the stem...but I have way to many to cut if I do them one by one..

 

[chubasco]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

is there a proper way of trimming glossos? or could I simply take a pair of scissors and start cutting it down?

every week I only manage to trim a bit because I cut the glossos be the stem...but I have way to many to cut if I do them one by one..

I have this mental image of you taking a Weed-eater to your gloss and turning
your tank into a whirlpool Sorry, I know this is not helpful....

Bill

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

I use hair scissors.
I trim at a 45 degree angle.
The plants will grow back fine.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Tom Wood]

Re: Light Spectrum help.

This obsession with Glosso and other carpet plants is one of the darker legacies of Amano. Gotta have more light, which brings with it all the associated problems. Turn the lights down, because once you've gone nekkid substrate you can never go back.

Something Dr. Evil said about a freshly shaved scrotum...

TW