108w T5 HO for a 55gal?

[Raul]

I just switched my 55gal to a fully planted tank and still using my old dual lamp 48" T5 HO fixture with one 6500K and a 10K bulbs.

Reading online I am kind of getting confused, is that too much light or the right amount for the 55 gall to grow most plants? I also have pressurized CO2 and diffusing with an external reactors, so far everything looks good and appears it is growing fine and have not seen any algae, I am using PPS-PRO system for ferts and well around 12 hours of photo period.

Currently I have background plants and swords nothing yet that is more demanding on lighting but will start adding foreground plants soon and well still want to have a nice growth.

[Raul]

Here are some pics of the setup

http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r764/blued3m0n/IMG_2108_zps68e7f35a.jpg

http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r764/blued3m0n/IMG_2111_zps4523fc1d.jpg

http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r764/blued3m0n/IMG_2110_zpsa8577e03.jpg

http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/blued3m0n/media/IMG_2109_zpsf511e07d.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

[jeb102385]

When I was running my 40 gallon I was using 6w per gallon. But it all depends on your plants...

[Adam C]

12hours seems like a long light cycle. Make sure your co2 levels are consistent and high and ensure that you are dosing regularly with large w/c. Remember, light and ferts are easy to apply, co2 is not.

Also, your tank isn't very heavily planted. I would add some more plant mass to consume that light.

[mistahoo]

12hours seems like a long light cycle. Make sure your co2 levels are consistent and high and ensure that you are dosing regularly with large w/c. Remember, light and ferts are easy to apply, co2 is not.

Also, your tank isn't very heavily planted. I would add some more plant mass to consume that light.

+1 also since you've only got a bit of plants, I would drop the photoperiod down to about 8-10hrs. What PAR are you getting from the light?

Sent from my spaceship using Tapatalk 2.

[Raul]

Thanks to both, I already reduced it too 7 hours for now and made some changes to the aquas-cape I added driftwood which my syno cats loved it and used some plants from the bottom tank to arrange the driftwood, still it is not heavily planted but will leave it for now like that and start seeing how it handles the 7 hours of light.

Regarding how consistent the CO2 is well still not sure, I am using the fluval drop checker but i am getting lost with it, I got me this now the cal aqua double check still waiting to arrive, but right now it is driving me nuts now if the current 4dkh liquid is green or light green or lemon green or some sort of green to make sure it is consistent.

Regarding the PAR not sure how much I am getting, my fixture is the zoo-med aquasun I am sure it is not the best but I have been reading that still it is a fixture that gets you in the high light zone, I am sure to measure PAR would need some sort of light capturing device which I am not going to invest on.


here is an updated pic:

http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r764/blued3m0n/IMG_2384_zps4088a64a.jpg

http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/blued3m0n/media/IMG_2385_zpsdc9a6d65.jpg.html

[Adam C]

7 hours sounds like a good number. If you increase your Co2 first, you can increase your light (slowly). I tend to aim for a top down approach, but you have to be there to watch it and adjust accordingly. Essentially, start high. Co2 is not only the hardest, its difficult to get a good idea of levels (as you have discovered with drop checkers). I personally do not use drop checkers in any of my tanks. If your livestock show signs of stress, reduce input of co2 or increase o2. Be careful, small adjustments can go along way. But also keep in mind that I have tanks that have large volumes of co2 being injected, and other tanks where lower levels are used; solely as a result of the response of the livestock.

PAR is clearly important, but its also not that important to know an exact figure. Light and ferts are easy. Co2 is hard.

In some of you photos I've noticed a stream of bubble against the back wall, what exactly is that?

[Raul]

the bubbles is just airstones, why?

[Adam C]

Does it run all the time? That sort of surface movement could be gassing off a lot of your co2.

[Raul]

yes it is running all the time, but well it is only that stream on the 55g I do not think it will degas much, also I know still not an accurate reading the drop checker but I have it on the top and at least is showing me that there is CO2, i might just run the pump on a timer and let is run during the night.

[Raul]

well everything looking good so far, still tinkering with the external CO2 reactor since it was expelling to many bubbles but I reduced the flow and seems it is working better, but the plants are starting to 02 pearl I assume that is a good indication, even the Java Moss is doing so.