the science is great, I need simple advice

[sherry]

I love reading the science behind why we are throttling back light --but I need really simple advice.

Assuming light on two inch legs, and a 20 inch high and 20 inch deep tank, and assuming I am attached to my L glandulosa and tonina fluviatalus, and especially the nice orange I am getting out of my newly aquired Ludwiga Var. Pantanal.

How much light do I need? and even more important, do I make the change all at once?

do I try a noon time blast ?

my options, unplug all but the 96 watts
swap the 96 watt for the 25 and run that and the 40 watt current fixture

buy a new fixture altogether.


I am dealing with a tank that is a little wider than some.. so I need to consider coverage back to front a bit.. but I would love to trim a little less, still see pearling, ect.

Hoppy sold me on drop checkers
Tom recently helped me pull my tank back from the brink of bba hell by diagnosing a co2 issue.

now.. help me try to rebalance light. I know there is a slight lack in me that makes it tough to rework the science on my own.. but take a little pity.. I am a single mom working full time at a major computer r&d department along side computer phds when I am actually a journalist by trade ... (the kids need more than the avg newspaper job can provide). My poor brain is on overload and I don't have the bandwidth to figure this out on top of the rest.

Help?

 

[glenc]

Hi Sherry, I'm currently experimenting with the same issues. I don't think there is a cut and dry answer. I would try cutting your lights back gradually, and watch your plants.

Only way to find out how your plants will re-act in your tank is to give it a try. I'm doing the same thing right now on two tanks. Keep you posted

 

[Tom Barr]

Glen's idea is a wise idea as well

What I like is a method to reduce and increase light for my tanks, so I use things with lots of low watt bulbs and maybe some MH's that I can raise and lower easier.

That allows you to explore and reduce light when there is any algae issue.

Many suggest stopping nutrients when you see algae, I suggest less light and focus on nutrients/CO2.

Algae are not limited by nutrients nor CO2 in our tanks, you can however, limit them with light, they are light hungry beast.

As you already have L granulosus, you might try working with the pantanal.
It's a weed. L cuba is also nice but not as cherry red, narrow leaf Macrandra is nice as well.



Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[sherry]

btw. Glenc meet Tom, Tom meet Glenc. Glenc grows the most amazing reds without effort. We all want his secret

you took away my algae issues with the co2 fix... I think of lowering light because slowing growth would be nice .. keeping a scape for more than 4 days ect... and because I wonder if the macrandra is just using up some weird micro nutrient.

for an article I have yet ot give apcentral, I interviewed brad from the florida nursery and he said that they can grow mac great as long as there is only a bit of it in a tank. The tanks that are all mcrandra have horrible looking plants. Also in asia, where it was growing in water fed by a running stream it is gorgeous. There is some magical micro nutrient I must be using up even with ei.

I will turn off 40 watts first

How do you propogate the Pantanal.. (I have a little cuba. It is nice but not for the red spot.. It looks yellow in my tank