# 90 litre 18 inch tall lighting?



## Goose157 (20 Feb 2018)

Hi all,

I am running a 90 litre - co2 fe tank, just swapped my old tubes for a 18 watt led overhead (removed the lid completely).....this is to my eyes way brighter, buy i have no par meter. I dose weekly with a all in one fert. On reading many great articles on here it has made me realise this is still classed as a low light tank?
I would like try some ‘red’ plants but don’t want to be disappointed. Would this be ok in my 18 inch tall tank? Or should i increase the lighting??
P.s the tank is growing well with ‘easy’ plants - swords, java stuff etc...also i am getting slow but steady growth of hair grass....
Any help/suggestions appreciated......
Thanks


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## kadoxu (21 Feb 2018)

How do you know it's still classed as a low light tank?

LED's output don't just depend on it's wattage like other types of lights (like T5s). The specs/quality of the LED play a huge role in the light output, so you won't know for sure unless you have the LED specs or get a par meter.

One good thing though... if the hairgrass is growing, you're probably in the right track with the light (and probably everything else).


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## Goose157 (21 Feb 2018)

Hi , and thanks.... just looked at the spec of my lamp it’s rated at 1,200 lumens....
The light is a nicrew delux. 20 inch.... 
Cheers


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## ian_m (21 Feb 2018)

20 inch @ 1200 lumens is roughly equivalent to 22" T5 tube @ 1220 lumens.
http://www.arcadia-aquatic.com/product/freshwater-lamp/

Thus for 18" tank, you are probably in the medium light region if it is a known make of LED light. If from China it will be low light due to the probably overstated lumen value. I would assume T5 with reflector value as hopefully all the LED light is pointed into the tank.




From the thread here http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc-new-chart.html

So you should be dosing more frequent ferts and supplying a carbon source and thinking about more frequent water changes with these (estimated) light levels (or reducing LED brightness).


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## Goose157 (21 Feb 2018)

This is very interesting... I dose currently 20 ml all in one Fert once a week and also for what it’s worth 2 bubbles a second with a co2art regulator.... as a novice I have just been following the recommendations on the Fert instructions. My drop checker tells me things are ok plus the fish seem happy...
Also algae is quite low... but this is early days with the new light - only had it fitted 1week. I am curious about ferts  as I did assume if more light then more Fert. But I am unsure what and how much to increase.... 
thanks for this info ... Chris


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## ian_m (21 Feb 2018)

You haven't stated your what your "all in one" is, so we can't recommend a dosing. But I would if you suspect light is now higher, move to daily dosing, say 4-5ml per day (just lob it in, accuracy doesn't matter), based on your existing 20ml per week. All in one certainly won't survive more than a day or two (in higher light), the micro/trace elements will quick degrade in the presence of light.

Sounds like your CO2 level at the drop checker is OK. However try moving the drop checker around the tank and see what it says at CO2 on time ? Algae generally appears due to poor plant health and 99% of the time is poor CO2 levels and distribution for the supplied light and ferts levels.



Goose157 said:


> Also algae is quite low


It will be as this is still quite low light than compare to high, very high and silly high light tanks where it all goes wrong in a matter of days. My beyond high light level tank that is normally algae free is starting to get algae (BBA) appearing, as I did not do my water change this Saturday. It will be done tonight. You probably have at least a week or two before it starts "going wrong", plenty of time to fix things in the mean time.


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## Goose157 (21 Feb 2018)

Hi, and thanks for taking time to help.....
I am home now and checked the Fert i am using - jbl ferropol weekly plant Fert. ‘Contains iron,potassium, sulphur and trace elements..’. ...according to the blurb!
This is just the rip off stuff i know from my local aquatics outlet ....i intend to read up and watch vids etc on Fert usage....but i though to just get things going i would buy something before going down the home brew Fert route....
Cheers
Any thoughts on jbl Fert??


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## ian_m (21 Feb 2018)

Check if it contains nitrogen and phosphorus as they are major macro elements and will be required for decent plant health.

Dosing with EI is much much cheaper and easier.
http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/fertilisers/dry-chemicals/starter-kits/ei-starter-kit.html


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## Goose157 (22 Feb 2018)

Hi and thanks for the link.... this is next on my shopping list!!! 
Cheers Chris


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## Goose157 (4 Mar 2018)

ian_m said:


> Check if it contains nitrogen and phosphorus as they are major macro elements and will be required for decent plant health.
> 
> Dosing with EI is much much cheaper and easier.
> http://www.aquariumplantfood.co.uk/fertilisers/dry-chemicals/starter-kits/ei-starter-kit.html


Hi just ordered the ei starter kit!!
Can’t wait to make my own home brew doses....
Wanted to order earlier but as we have had the bad weather around here (i actually live about 30 mile away from their base) the store was not taking orders...
Cheers
Chris.


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## ian_m (4 Mar 2018)

This is my "dosing cupboard". Three peristaltic pumps, one for macro, one for micro and other for liquid carbon. As well as two bottles of mixed up EI mixes for when the two containers run empty.


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## Goose157 (4 Mar 2018)

Nice set up.....mine will be manual (tip it in by hand lol) with only one tank i actually like doing it myself....if i had more tanks i see this would make things more manageable.....thanks for showing this to a novice....
The more i find out about all these systems the more i am hooked....
I have had a pretty mundane 90l tank for many years and in the last few weeks since getting into planted....pressurised co2 and better lighting my tank has been transformed (even my wife likes it! - so much so she is looking forward to my planned bigger tank) 
I am very greatful to the friendly and helpful people in this forum.....
Cheers
Chris


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## ian_m (4 Mar 2018)

I automated my dosing in 2012 as I went away for 3 weeks (Disney, Florida) so tank left for 5 weeks and neighbour got scared about adding liquids to tank...

Works well. I always have some mix ready to top up bottles, which last ages on my 180l tank.

Can set my controller to dose less when I go on holiday.


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## Goose157 (4 Mar 2018)

Though this is nothing special its the first time i have actually had successful plant growth to the extent i will have to start trimming lol....the plants are thriving - by the time i get home from work on a daily basis i can see from the previous day they have grown by an inch or two....bloody fantastic....
Cheers


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## Goose157 (4 Mar 2018)

Yes that is a good set up - if i left the tank for an extended time i know my wife would overdose on fish food and ferts....
Though from what i have read i would be better shortening light say 4 hrs a day and dimming??...and of course cranking back on the co2??
Cheers
Chris


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## Angus (4 Mar 2018)

Goose157 said:


> Though this is nothing special its the first time i have actually had successful plant growth to the extent i will have to start trimming lol....the plants are thriving - by the time i get home from work on a daily basis i can see from the previous day they have grown by an inch or two....bloody fantastic....
> Cheers


Nothing better than getting home from a full days work and seeing new roots and shoots.


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## Goose157 (4 Mar 2018)

I think this is what i find so enjoyable - something different every day without fail...you notice little changes...and new shoots - it really is magical...Cheers Chris


fozziebear said:


> Nothing better than getting home from a full days work and seeing new roots and shoots.


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