Increase in Lighting for 55 Gallon Tank?

[Mr. Zee]

Hello folks:

I have a 55 gallon tetra/ram planted tank with a DIY CO2 generator and
2 65 Watt 6700K Coralife bulbs. Plant growth is ok, but some of the plants
seem to be 'reaching' for the light. Also they've taken on a bit of a
yellowish/light green hue, different then the nice dark green that they had
when I bought them. Would increasing the light to 2 96 Watt bulbs be the
thing to do? Water quality is good: pH 6.2, no nitrates, minimal nitrates
and a lot of phosphate which I deal with by 3 weekly water changes. I also
have Florite (sp?) gravel and use Seachem's Florish Excel and Trace. Thanks
for any info.

[Happy'Cam'per]

"Mr. Zee" > wrote in message
.net...
> Hello folks:
>
> I have a 55 gallon tetra/ram planted tank with a DIY CO2 generator
and
> 2 65 Watt 6700K Coralife bulbs. Plant growth is ok, but some of the
plants
> seem to be 'reaching' for the light. Also they've taken on a bit of a
> yellowish/light green hue, different then the nice dark green that they
had
> when I bought them. Would increasing the light to 2 96 Watt bulbs be the
> thing to do? Water quality is good: pH 6.2, no nitrates, minimal
nitrates
> and a lot of phosphate which I deal with by 3 weekly water changes. I
also
> have Florite (sp?) gravel and use Seachem's Florish Excel and Trace.
Thanks
> for any info.
>
>

You have enough light. The problem is Nitrates. You need to add some to your
tank, your plants have serious munchies :) Buy some Salt Peter (KNO3 aka
Potassium Nitrate) from the chemist/pharmacy and add about half a tspoon.
--
Kind Regards
Cameron

[Mr. Zee]

Thanks very much... I'll give it a try...
"Happy'Cam'per" > wrote in message
...
> "Mr. Zee" > wrote in message
> .net...
>> Hello folks:
>>
>> I have a 55 gallon tetra/ram planted tank with a DIY CO2 generator
> and
>> 2 65 Watt 6700K Coralife bulbs. Plant growth is ok, but some of the
> plants
>> seem to be 'reaching' for the light. Also they've taken on a bit of a
>> yellowish/light green hue, different then the nice dark green that they
> had
>> when I bought them. Would increasing the light to 2 96 Watt bulbs be the
>> thing to do? Water quality is good: pH 6.2, no nitrates, minimal
> nitrates
>> and a lot of phosphate which I deal with by 3 weekly water changes. I
> also
>> have Florite (sp?) gravel and use Seachem's Florish Excel and Trace.
> Thanks
>> for any info.
>>
>>
>
> You have enough light. The problem is Nitrates. You need to add some to
> your
> tank, your plants have serious munchies :) Buy some Salt Peter (KNO3 aka
> Potassium Nitrate) from the chemist/pharmacy and add about half a tspoon.
> --
> Kind Regards
> Cameron
>
>

[MrHappy]

Hi

before you start putting nitrates in the tank

How tall is the tank
How far are the lights from the surface
what sort of reflectors are you using
when did you last change the bulbs

If you are going to feed ...I suggest you use the root tabs rather
than put free nitrates in the water


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[Mr. Zee]

Thanks again...Will do...
"MrHappy" <noemail@thankyou> wrote in message
...
> Hi
>
> before you start putting nitrates in the tank
>
> How tall is the tank
> How far are the lights from the surface
> what sort of reflectors are you using
> when did you last change the bulbs
>
> If you are going to feed ...I suggest you use the root tabs rather
> than put free nitrates in the water
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
> * Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
> * http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
> ----------------------------------------------
>

[Elaine T]

MrHappy wrote:
> Hi
>
> before you start putting nitrates in the tank
>
> How tall is the tank
> How far are the lights from the surface
> what sort of reflectors are you using
> when did you last change the bulbs
>
> If you are going to feed ...I suggest you use the root tabs rather
> than put free nitrates in the water
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
> * Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
> * http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
> ----------------------------------------------
>
Free nitrates vs root tabs really depends on the plant and substrate.
KNO3 works VERY well for stem plants and floating plants. Swords and
crypts prefer substrate fertilization.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Derek Benson]

On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 16:52:38 GMT, Elaine T >
wrote:

>Free nitrates vs root tabs really depends on the plant and substrate.
>KNO3 works VERY well for stem plants and floating plants. Swords and
>crypts prefer substrate fertilization.

I'm curious as to whether it is a good idea under any circumstances
whatsoever to add nitrate to an aquarium stocked with fish. Nitrate is
the stuff we're trying to dilute out of there by changing water. I
would think it isn't a good idea to start adding the stuff on purpose.
(?)

-Derek

[Gill Passman]

"Derek Benson" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 16:52:38 GMT, Elaine T >
> wrote:
>
> >Free nitrates vs root tabs really depends on the plant and substrate.
> >KNO3 works VERY well for stem plants and floating plants. Swords and
> >crypts prefer substrate fertilization.
>
> I'm curious as to whether it is a good idea under any circumstances
> whatsoever to add nitrate to an aquarium stocked with fish. Nitrate is
> the stuff we're trying to dilute out of there by changing water. I
> would think it isn't a good idea to start adding the stuff on purpose.
> (?)
>
> -Derek

I suppose it depends on whether you want the benefits that plants can give
to your tank or not. If they are deprived of nutrients they die (this is the
gardener in me rather than the tank keeper). Plants well fed and growing
have more beneficial impact on a tank than no plants - or dying plants that
add to the decaying matter in
the tank adding to the ammonia/nitrites...

A well balanced planted tank will keep the nitrates down.....without the
plants we need to do big water changes - for example my Malawi tank has
about 4 very manky plants....the nitrate values are higher than the planted
tanks where I add plant food to help the plants along - hence water changes
are more of an impotant issue...

Ultimately everything is a big balancing act in an artificial environment
:-)

Gill

[Elaine T]

Derek Benson wrote:
> On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 16:52:38 GMT, Elaine T >
> wrote:
>
>
>>Free nitrates vs root tabs really depends on the plant and substrate.
>>KNO3 works VERY well for stem plants and floating plants. Swords and
>>crypts prefer substrate fertilization.
>
>
> I'm curious as to whether it is a good idea under any circumstances
> whatsoever to add nitrate to an aquarium stocked with fish. Nitrate is
> the stuff we're trying to dilute out of there by changing water. I
> would think it isn't a good idea to start adding the stuff on purpose.
> (?)
>
> -Derek

It's funny - when I think of something odd to add to a tank, CO2 always
comes to mind. You're turning off your airstone and adding what?!? ;-)

It doesn't take much nitrate. Recommended nitrate levels in planted
tanks are about 5-10 ppm depending on who you read. That's not enough
to bother even discus but it can make a huge difference in plant health
and growth. Rapidly growing plants can and will remove all the nitrogen
of all forms out of the water in lightly stocked tanks and then starve.

I have a 10 gallon heavily planted tank with only 4 guppies and 2 Otos
in it at the moment. Nitrates go to zero a couple days after a water
change with my 4 ppm tapwater unless I add more. If I don't add
nitrates, the java moss goes brown, the rotala stalls, the baby's tears
stop pearling, and sheets of blue green algae form over the substrate.
I add about 8 ppm nitrates, siphon off the BGA, and all is well again.

Another thing Mr. Zee should be adding is potash, if it isn't in his
trace element mix. KN03 adds some, but ideally you want around twice as
much potash as nitrogen.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Mr. Zee]

I'll check out the potash but I assume it's in the Seachem trace
fertilizer that I added. My nitrates are from 5 to 10 ppm (I added a couple
of teaspoons over the week.) Also using Excel and as I mentioned , the
Fluorite gravel with 2 65 watt lights on 12 hours.

Things seem to be doing better with the added nitrates and added iron
trace from Seachem. Not much algae and the plants are starting to look a
little more green. The only plat I can't seem to keep is the Val's. They
just decay. (55 gallon regular tank, 81F very soft water with ph about
6.2.) I can't seem to find ANY compact fluorescent lamp over 65 watts in a
21 inch size. Anyone know where I can find one? Thanks for all the help.
It's made a difference.

[Elaine T]

Mr. Zee wrote:
> I'll check out the potash but I assume it's in the Seachem trace
> fertilizer that I added. My nitrates are from 5 to 10 ppm (I added a couple
> of teaspoons over the week.) Also using Excel and as I mentioned , the
> Fluorite gravel with 2 65 watt lights on 12 hours.
>
> Things seem to be doing better with the added nitrates and added iron
> trace from Seachem. Not much algae and the plants are starting to look a
> little more green. The only plat I can't seem to keep is the Val's. They
> just decay. (55 gallon regular tank, 81F very soft water with ph about
> 6.2.) I can't seem to find ANY compact fluorescent lamp over 65 watts in a
> 21 inch size. Anyone know where I can find one? Thanks for all the help.
> It's made a difference.
>
>
>
Glad to hear the plants are greening up. IME val likes harder, higher
pH water. Try saggitaria instead. Not every plant likes every tank.

http://www.hellolights.com/ has a 20" Coralife 96W fixture and sells a
96W 6700K bulb to you can use to replace the 50/50 actinic bulb.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[Mr. Zee]

Thanks very much Elaine!
"Elaine T" > wrote in message
. com...
> Mr. Zee wrote:
>> I'll check out the potash but I assume it's in the Seachem trace
>> fertilizer that I added. My nitrates are from 5 to 10 ppm (I added a
>> couple of teaspoons over the week.) Also using Excel and as I mentioned
>> , the Fluorite gravel with 2 65 watt lights on 12 hours.
>>
>> Things seem to be doing better with the added nitrates and added
>> iron trace from Seachem. Not much algae and the plants are starting to
>> look a little more green. The only plat I can't seem to keep is the
>> Val's. They just decay. (55 gallon regular tank, 81F very soft water
>> with ph about 6.2.) I can't seem to find ANY compact fluorescent lamp
>> over 65 watts in a 21 inch size. Anyone know where I can find one?
>> Thanks for all the help. It's made a difference.
>>
>>
>>
> Glad to hear the plants are greening up. IME val likes harder, higher pH
> water. Try saggitaria instead. Not every plant likes every tank.
>
> http://www.hellolights.com/ has a 20" Coralife 96W fixture and sells a 96W
> 6700K bulb to you can use to replace the 50/50 actinic bulb.
>
> --
> Elaine T __
> http://eethomp.com/fish.html <'__><
> rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

[silvrsteln]

Free nitrate and really depends on plants and roots label matrix. Potassium nitrate is applied to dry plants and floating plants. Sword and Like the substrate of recess.

[robertjackman]

I am very curious, this is a good idea in any case of any fish you want to add an aquarium full of nitrates. Nitrate is because we tried to play down out to change the water. I think that this is not a good idea to start something interested in joining.

[pitterritz]

Things assume to be accomplishing bigger with the added nitrates and added iron trace from Seachem. Not abundant algae and the plants are starting to attending a little added green. The alone blueprint I can't assume to accumulate is the Val's. They just decay.