BTW Natalie.......I have plenty of problems growing plants, the higher light requiring kinds that is. It's the low light plants that I pretty much ignore that seem to do just fine whatever I do.
I've just gotten rid of a huge growth of long stringy hair algae in my high light tank and a bunch of cayano-bacteria as well. I stopped using those old actinic lights and I've increaces the rate of water changes and it seems to be dissapearing.
plants dont seem to be growing
22 posts • Page 2 of 3
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fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
Why dont you guys ever use halides on your tanks? Just out of curiousity...Or even a really nice T5HO fixture. Im sure your tanks would take off with that kind of light. Of course you would probably have to have a UV sterilizer to keep the algae away.......but im sure if you could stabilize it, it would be gorgeous.
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Tmercier834747 - Posts: 887
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm
what size is your tank mro2? They will get as tall as 18" if not taller, and take up quite a bit of room once they do start growing. They're also heavy root feeders so if the tank hasn't been established for some time you may want to give them some root tab fertilizer. The one pictured in my 16 tall to the left had outgrown the 18" sides and was pressing up against the cover when I took it out. I also had to cut a lot of stems at the base at the time the picture was taken to keep it from shooting out into the middle of the tank so nothing could be seen.
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mro2you2 - Posts: 625
- Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:37 pm
Natalie I have that kind in my tank the "brown" type. It came in the assorted bulbs bag at petsmart.
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Peterkarig3210 - Posts: 1980
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am
Halide lights are awsome, and they create ripple effects on the bottom of the tank that are beautiful.
I'd have them if it weren't for their high cost. I'd get a bunch of those clamp on the back of the tank kind, but they're like $300 a peice, and I can't afford that.
I'd have them if it weren't for their high cost. I'd get a bunch of those clamp on the back of the tank kind, but they're like $300 a peice, and I can't afford that.
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
PK: well, you've had success w/plants in a low tech set up that i haven't been able to duplicate. My Amazon sword was doing great for about a year, then slowly became covered in brown spots that eventually ate up the entire leave. I finally gave up and pulled it out. It took up too much space anyways.
As for halides or T-5s, i'm put off by 1) the cost 2) i'm worried that they will put off too much heat, overheating my tank in the summertime and 3) if i got really good lights, i'd want to add pressurized co2 and i definitely can't afford all that right now. Maybe someday. You're right fishboy, the plants would really take off, and i'd love it!!
As for halides or T-5s, i'm put off by 1) the cost 2) i'm worried that they will put off too much heat, overheating my tank in the summertime and 3) if i got really good lights, i'd want to add pressurized co2 and i definitely can't afford all that right now. Maybe someday. You're right fishboy, the plants would really take off, and i'd love it!!
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fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
I run them on my reef, im going to buy T5HO to supplement the two halides in a few weeks. so 300 watts of halides and probably 156 watts of T5HO. But you can buy the T5HO with bulbs for around 110 for two. Just buy them in pairs....if you ran 6 in total......holy cow.......talk about one sick lighting setup for a planted tank. :)
