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Quick lighting assessment

2K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  SinCrisis 
#1 ·
Recently i bought a marineland/tetra 5g crescent that uses tetra's LED lights. It looks bright in the tank, but im not seeing any growth in my plants. It has been about a week. I was thinking about adding two of these: for a total of 24w, assuming correct spectrum, over a 5g tank. Too much? Current tank plants are crypt undulata, dwarf hairgrass, crypt retrospiralis, and brazilian microsword.
 
#2 ·
I can't comment on the LED lights, but the linked unit would appear to be sufficient on its own; it actually sounds rather good. Both together might be too much.

Are the plants getting sufficient nutrients? It may not be the light. That is a plant combo of low light and very high light plants which may have issues too.
 
#3 ·
Oh i just realized i said add, i meant to replace. The current LEDs, i think, are warm white, so they max out at 3500k i think... (in comparison to the pure white which runs up to 6000k in my other tank). Also with the linked lamp, I would have to replace the current light since the LED lights are very bulky.

I was under the impression that my plants could all handle low light? The only one I thought needed high light was the dwarf hairgrass, but i was informed that it would just grow longer in low light but still survive.

I am fertilizing with jungle root tabs at the moment, no liquid ferts. The substrate is fine sand. The brazilian miscrosword isnt looking to good but the crypt undulata is doing well, did not even melt when planted (both these were planted 2 weeks ago). The crypt retrospiralis is melting, been in for about a week and the dwarf hairgrass is still green, also been in for 1 week. I recently pulled up one clump of the hairgrass to see if it was growing and i saw new root growth already so im tentatively assuming the other patches should be behaving the same and getting established. I want to make sure i can get these plants right before adding more plants.
 
#4 ·
Oh i just realized i said add, i meant to replace. The current LEDs, i think, are warm white, so they max out at 3500k i think... (in comparison to the pure white which runs up to 6000k in my other tank). Also with the linked lamp, I would have to replace the current light since the LED lights are very bulky.

I was under the impression that my plants could all handle low light? The only one I thought needed high light was the dwarf hairgrass, but i was informed that it would just grow longer in low light but still survive.

I am fertilizing with jungle root tabs at the moment, no liquid ferts. The substrate is fine sand. The brazilian miscrosword isnt looking to good but the crypt undulata is doing well, did not even melt when planted (both these were planted 2 weeks ago). The crypt retrospiralis is melting, been in for about a week and the dwarf hairgrass is still green, also been in for 1 week. I recently pulled up one clump of the hairgrass to see if it was growing and i saw new root growth already so im tentatively assuming the other patches should be behaving the same and getting established. I want to make sure i can get these plants right before adding more plants.
On its own, I would think it is good light.

The hairgrass was the "higher" light plant i was thinking of; I've never tried it, let us know if it "manages" in less light, as it is regarded as high light.

The Microsword might be similar. I think I may have this, it is in my 70g with the Flourite. I bought this plant as the narrow-leaf pygmy chain sword, Hellanthium tenellum [formerly Echinodorus tenellus] but I don't think from its appearance after 4 months that it is a pygmy chain. It is sending out runners everywhere but the plants are very small and thin and pale, so it looks rather anemic to me:shock:. Any chance you could post a pic of just the microsword? I'd like to see if it is like mine. B.
 
#6 ·
here's a pic of a Micro Sword i had in my 55 gallon. i only had a 40 watt bulb, 6500k, and dosed flourish, but it wasn't enough. they didn't grow, and they kinda thinned out, and i eventually determined that i didn't have sufficient light, so i just removed them. i now have 80 watts over the same 55 gallon tank, so i wonder if they would grow now. anywayz, here's how they looked when they were brand new.

 
#7 ·
Whatever I have is no where near as tall as that. I'll see what SC posts in a photo. I may try to get one of my plant too for comparison.
 
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