Change one of the bulbs out for a daylight bulb that's around 6500k and you should be fine.
Btw Welcome to Tropical fish keeping!
Btw Welcome to Tropical fish keeping!
proper lighting for planted tank
I have a 29 gallon tank that is well established with community fish(2 bosemani rainbows, 2 turquoise rainbows, 2 tetras, 3 cherry barbs, 1 panda cory, 1 Julii Cory & 1 oto cat) Tank is 36" x 12" and 16" high. I am delving into live plants and will not have co2 system. I have 2 small airstones and some driftwood in there. Currently i have 2 Deep Blue T5 tubes 39 watt each 10kk. Should I change the bulbs or are those ok? I do not need any specific plants so moderate light plants are ok with me. Just want something more natural looking and healthier than plastic. I currently have some Pennywort and water sprite I just put in there as well as 1 Vallisneria sp. Any help with proper lighting would be appreciated. I have some Seachem Flourish I put in once a week when I do a partial water change (about 5 gallons) PH stays around 7.0
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with plants, ... i'd recommend replacing both bulbs for 6500K
Plants will grow under the 10k bulbs its on the upper end of the spectrum for them but I know I have seen ppl use them. Which why I suggested just one bulb but nothing wrong with changing both if you want to..
Love to see some shots of that tank of yours - especially as you start switching over to planted!
I agree with BDM - my experience is only with low/intermediate planted tanks, and I do well enough with a single T8. I'd be nervous that 2 T5's would be too much for my tank to handle without added Co2 - but I don't have experience with the higher light, so I could be wrong!
Let us know how it goes, whatever you decide - and welcome to TFK! ^__^
I agree with BDM - my experience is only with low/intermediate planted tanks, and I do well enough with a single T8. I'd be nervous that 2 T5's would be too much for my tank to handle without added Co2 - but I don't have experience with the higher light, so I could be wrong!
Let us know how it goes, whatever you decide - and welcome to TFK! ^__^
Very pretty! Looks like you've got a lot growing in there already!
I have had some folks tell me this is too much light for a tank with no added co2. Do you think this is the case? Should I go to just one bulb?
the day i hear what carbon deficiencies look like is the day i'll have an idea what "too much lighting" means
till then, ...
Nature, has more light than any planted tank, i'd guess easily 2x the most intense lighting on a planted tank, ... and could be as much as 10x those with a single T8 because they got the aquarium kit (all in one)
the most CO2 nature has is areas with heavy decomposition of old organics on the surface of the riverbed, ... and that's not guaranteed as often enough the places in nature that are getting the most light do not have trees & bushes blocking sunlight, ... nor do they have leaves from these trees and bushes to add to the substrate, to decompose, to add CO2.
do plants benefit from additional CO2, yes
do you have "too much light", ... i'm going to side with 'no' till someone can point out what a carbon deficiency looks like.
Edit:
i have a 29gallon tank
4x 6500K bulbs
i am sure the plants could benefit from additional CO2, but nothing stops them from growing.
i'm contemplating 8x 6500K bulbs on a larger tank, ... the light fixture will be as wide as the tank
i'm not sure, i'm just contemplating it at the moment
till then, ...
Nature, has more light than any planted tank, i'd guess easily 2x the most intense lighting on a planted tank, ... and could be as much as 10x those with a single T8 because they got the aquarium kit (all in one)
the most CO2 nature has is areas with heavy decomposition of old organics on the surface of the riverbed, ... and that's not guaranteed as often enough the places in nature that are getting the most light do not have trees & bushes blocking sunlight, ... nor do they have leaves from these trees and bushes to add to the substrate, to decompose, to add CO2.
do plants benefit from additional CO2, yes
do you have "too much light", ... i'm going to side with 'no' till someone can point out what a carbon deficiency looks like.
Edit:
i have a 29gallon tank
4x 6500K bulbs
i am sure the plants could benefit from additional CO2, but nothing stops them from growing.
i'm contemplating 8x 6500K bulbs on a larger tank, ... the light fixture will be as wide as the tank
i'm not sure, i'm just contemplating it at the moment
Are the plants growing? Are they overrun with algae or the tank?? If not then I wouldn't worry about it and keep doing what you are doing. If you do have some algae that's OK too as its going to happen from time to time. It natural and as long as its under control its fine. A balance between lighting both duration and intensity and fertilizers along with the plants you have is what you are trying to achieve. There are many different ways to do this with many different setups. Find what works for you and your tank and stick with it. From the last pic you posted it looks like to me its working. :-DI have had some folks tell me this is too much light for a tank with no added co2. Do you think this is the case? Should I go to just one bulb?
Your tank is 33 gallons, not 29, just so you know. ;-)
Thanks to both of you for the encouraging posts. Algae has not been a problem since I got better at weekly water changes. There is now just a small, somewhat expected amount. Plants are growing but very slowly. They were not doing well until I changed out one of the bulbs to a 6700k and they seem to have stabilized... As in they are not dying. I may experiment with taking the 10kk bulb out and leaving only the 39watt 6700k for awhile and see if I get more growth. But otherwise maybe I will just leave both bulbs and try adding some Flourish Excel... Any thoughts on that?
Btw, where can I see a picture of your tanks?
Btw, where can I see a picture of your tanks?
I thought it was 29 because of the diagonal corners on each of the front sides of the tank?no?
Hey, can you look at the pic I posted and tell me what you think that plant in the middle is? It's the only live plant that I have had for awhile that has thrived. Not sure what it is but it is one hardly little sucker
anubias and java fern as best i can tell
the taller leaves being java fern,
the rounder leaves being anubias (this one i am also making a bit of an assumption on)
the taller leaves being java fern,
the rounder leaves being anubias (this one i am also making a bit of an assumption on)
Can you get a closer clearer pic of it? Its kinda hard for me too tell from the full tank shot.Hey, can you look at the pic I posted and tell me what you think that plant in the middle is? It's the only live plant that I have had for awhile that has thrived. Not sure what it is but it is one hardly little sucker
Here is a li k to my thread it has pics of my tanks in there if you wanna see them
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ombs-planted-tanks-118860/page93/#post3766610
Think flear is right and I also think it is an Anubias.
I had the same tank ages ago. I thought mine was a 29 as well but it does work out to be 33 gallons.
Awesome, thanks to both of you :-D
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