Tropical Fish Keeping banner

Would this be too much lighting? Or is what i have now ok ?

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  candymancan 
#1 ·
Hey guys, I have a 27g hexagon.. Has lots of fish in it, and I just removed all my fake plants like 10 of them.. I replaced them with a very large amazon sword, couple java fern, smaller swords, and a wisteria, and 2 marimo moss balls..
Now the original hood lamp is what came with the tank. (the tank is like 14 years old).. It's a 15 inch T8 floursent bulb... The tank is 18 inch across.. so the bulb is really short for the tank.. Plus the original colormax bulb died and they didn't make 15 inch colormax bulbs anymore.. So I bought a 20 or was it 22 inch hood lamp that takes a 18 inch bulb.. 9it overhangs on the side by like an inch or two but I don't care.. because I love the pinkish colormax bulbs.. I hate those full strectrum lights they make everything look yellow..

Anyway back to my question... Since I got these plants they all have been doing fine.. no brown or yellowing and I also just got API CO2 booster, and API plant fertilizer the liquid stuff..
I just thought of an awesome idea tho, I dunno if itll work.. I don't think the colormax bulb is enough lighting for my plants.. Its pretty soft/dull in the tank but looks awesome color wise.. Now what if I were to remove the old brown tank cover which the lamp sits on with the lid you can lift up.. and replace it with an entirely clear acrylic hood ? I will probably have to cut it to the hexagon shape myself...

Then I take my 18 inch T8 color max light AND use the older 15 inch lamp and use them together ? The 18 will be the pink colormax, and the 15 will use the Fullspectrum white ish bulb ? Both are 15 watts, both are 8000k bulbs.. Basicly I'll have 30 watts instead of 15 wats for my deep tank..
I have seen in the store they sell light fixtures that have two T5 bulbs in them for growing plants and making the color's really pop out.. Both bulbs apparently are 1 colormax, and 1 full spectrum..

Hell I just took the lid off my tank cover just to see what it would look like and stuck the old 15 inch hood on there and together it makes the tank SUPER bright.. and everything really pops out.. If I turn the light off and look at the tank with just the 18 inch colormax it looks extremely dark.
Here is a before an after picture... What do you guys think ? Is this too much light for my fish ? I don't want to burn them or burn the plants with 2 15 watt 8,000k bulbs



 
See less See more
2
#2 ·
I can't say either way on that but can say if you do try it or leave it that way and are afraid of the brightness you have some options there to fix it. First thing i would do would be adding floating plants. Fish will love them and they will help block some of the light. But that's just what I would do if I thought the lights were to bright.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Well I got the plexiglass and cut as best I could to the shape of my hexagon.. and set both lights on it..

It looks amazing, SOOOOO much brighter man.. That single 15watt colormax bulb just was not enough light.. Now I have a 18"15w colormax, and a 15" 15w full spectrum bulb... Litterally night and day..

I also decided to get a duel lamp for my 30 Long gallon tank.. The tank is 36 inchs long but its original 21 year old hood only has a 24 inch single T8 bulb.. So like 4-5 inch on the left and right sides were dark and the tank while looked ok because we were used to it wasn't bright enough for the red color plants we put in the tank..

So I got a aqueon duel t5 lamp.. Has 1 colormax, and 1 Daylight lamp (that's how I got the idea for my hex) and WOW... the tank is 100x brighter.. its amazing what two bulb can do... I don't understand how back then in the 90's and early and even today they put single lamp lights in the tanks.. and on top of that they put a 24 inch lamp in a 36 inch tank..

First pic is with just the 18 inch colormax on with the pelxi glass



second pic with with light fixtures on.. See the diff ?? Te plaxiglass worked out great too

 
#6 ·
I already had algae on the walls of the tank.. every few weeks I have to clean it.. However with all the plants in the tank I doubt ill have that much of an algae problem as the plants and the moss balls should be taking care of that..

Your right it isn't just about light, that's why I have the liquid co2 booster and the liquid leaf stuff from api.. Plus my tanks are really overstocked to a point so the nitrates are always in the 20 range.. plants eat that too.. So well see in the coming weeks and months... both my tanks are newely planted

Here is the 30 long gallon tank with the duel t5 lamps.. I don't have a before picture but it was super dim with a single t8 24 inch bulb in the 36 inch tank whole tank was dim and the corners were dark. All those plants are livep lants cept the pink on the far left..

 
#7 ·
Hmm..I have a few bits of advice from what I've read so far.

First, I've read of some people having issues using plexiglass as a lid, as it can warp under the heat from the light. You may want to do some research into that and see if that may be a problem.

I also think you may be better off with a different fertilizer, as API's isn't as 'complete' as some of the others that are out there. Seachem Flourish Comprehensive is a great one that I use. You may want to also look at putting a root tab under the Sword (which also looks like it my have been grown emersed...if that's the case, expect some die off of the old leaves as it transitions, but it should bounce right back) to keep it growing strong, as swords are heavy root feeders.

The new light intensity may lead to algae issues, John has a point. You've really upped the intensity on the tanks. It can be manageable though, with fiddling with the light duration and how much you fertilize. It's a bit of a wait and see.

Otherwise, nice looking tanks!
 
#8 ·
Hmm..I have a few bits of advice from what I've read so far.

First, I've read of some people having issues using plexiglass as a lid, as it can warp under the heat from the light. You may want to do some research into that and see if that may be a problem.

I also think you may be better off with a different fertilizer, as API's isn't as 'complete' as some of the others that are out there. Seachem Flourish Comprehensive is a great one that I use. You may want to also look at putting a root tab under the Sword (which also looks like it my have been grown emersed...if that's the case, expect some die off of the old leaves as it transitions, but it should bounce right back) to keep it growing strong, as swords are heavy root feeders.

The new light intensity may lead to algae issues, John has a point. You've really upped the intensity on the tanks. It can be manageable though, with fiddling with the light duration and how much you fertilize. It's a bit of a wait and see.

Otherwise, nice looking tanks!

Thanks for the advice yes I was thinking of getting those monthly root tabs for the sword..

So far tho it has been in the tank for 3-4 days and I only notice 1 leaf turning slightly yellow, but after I put the new light in it seems to be turning back green not sure yet... The local fish store and might I add the only one left in 2 counties.. (damn pets mart and there ich infected linked tanks) Is there I got all my plants for both tanks.. They are dirt cheap too, the sword I got for $8, the anubias on the bottom I got for $10. The weird looking bamboo plants with stringy purple leaves I got for $4, the marimo moss balls I did get at pets mart tho.. I also got the Java ferns which are tied to the 2 pillars for $5 at petco.. I also have a wisteria in there

My moms tank the 30 gallon long one, has the same Amazon sword in the back, and 2 medium amazon sword on the right of the tank, its got a big anubias on the right by the driftwood. She also has a wisteria, and moneywart, and I bought 2 really bright red plants I dunno the names of them and also those bamboo looking purple plants..

I'll take a close up of them.. I dunno their names.. all I know is the LFS lady said they need heavy light.. which is why I decided to remove that 24 inch t8 lamp that came with her 21 year old tank, and get a 36 inch duel T5 lamp (1 colormax and 1 daylight bulb) I still have no idea why that tank came with a 36 inch hood but a 24 inch lamp.. lol
 
#9 ·
As for the plexi warping, I didn't know it did that.. Well from what I read plexi only warps so far until it stops.. So far tho I have had both lights on it for like 10 hours and I haven't seen any warping.. if it does warp i'll see how far itll go and then ill go from there..

I don't want all glass because I know I'll break that somehow lol. I've read up on a stuff called Lexan, sold in lowes as well I'll look into that if this warping ever happens and gets outa controls
 
#10 ·
Jens right about the Plexiglas and I have personally experience with that happening. On my first 55 in had it which was old I couldnt find a glass lid to fit soo had to make a Plexiglas lid for it. Lexan is just a brand of Plexiglas stronger then some but still just Plexiglas. It will warp if you get the thinest piece. You need to.go for the thicker ones and you will be alright there. They are a lil more money but worth it since it doesn't warp or does take much longer to. Mine never did once I figured out what thickness to get. Btw that was under a dual 48" T8 light fixture.

She also has a point on the fertilizer and Sechems is a good brand along with Brightwells aquatics florinmulti. Either two of those are a good rounded fertilizer.

Lastly but not least, your comments on the plants taken care of the algae yes this is true to a point. But you have some slow growing plants which don't need bright lights. Wisteria in the hex is about the only fast growing plant you have aside from the red ones which I have no clue at the moment what they are. For this setup to work I believe you will need more fast growing plants to take up the nutrients faster then the algae (sword don't do this as they are heavy root feeders hence the reason Jen suggested the tabs for them.). Floaters also fall into this. Your tanks look nice and I am nit going to tell how to run them these are just suggestions on how I would try to control the algae as I am thinking you will get more of in the future but could be wrong.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top