# LED Lighting for 40cm cube planted tank



## StevePLYM (29 Apr 2015)

Hi Guys,

I have a planted 40cm cube tank, it's been running for a few years and I have had issues growing HC and dwarf hair grass, not to mention the odd bba outbreaks. I'm making a few changes starting with my current lighting. I am looking to change my T5 lighting over to Led. Any recommendations for a suitable light? would the Tmc Grobeam 1500 nd be overkill?. Any Suggestions, esp more affordable the the TMC range.

Tank 40cm Cube
Filter - Fluval 106 (Spraybar attached)
CO2 - Fluval mini (Though changing for larger canister with difuser. Dont seem to see much improvement from fluval mini)
Lights 3x8w T5 + 1 pl18w
Substrate - Eco complete
EI Dosing

Cheers

Steve


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## banthaman.jm (30 Apr 2015)

Hi Steve, welcome to ukaps.
Can you post pics of the tank, we all like pics on here...



StevePLYM said:


> Lights 3x8w T5 + 1 pl18w



Use the chart below to work out PAR




Jim


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## zozo (30 Apr 2015)

II got a 60 x 30 x 30 cm tank  just started it.. I'm using simple ledstrips 3 x 5050smd 12 volts 7 watt 800 lumen 50 cm x 30 leds IP68  each.. Its a Cool white - Warm white and a RGB strip. I run it on the TC420 controller. There are stronger strips on the market, but i settled for these.

I've bein testing this set for a few months on some simpe plants like Elodea and Cabomba and they went totlay crazy under it, it's more than enough. so i decided to build me a heavily planted tank under these lights i believe it can. Because im still not sure what it realy does with these plants i did choose medium light plants for the most, but also hair grass and HCC and till now its growing steadily. There is not much algea in there (yet) i keep mi fingers crossed..

The HCC isnt fully on color yet, still got a few yellow leaves, do not now if this is a normal die off in the plants transition from emersed to submersed or because of the lights,, we shall see, but it is growing quite fast. The hai grass already needed pruning after 4 weeks and also is doing very well. Also the phoenix moss which should be a slow grower is growing very well under it

So its a 30 cm high tank and the lights are 10 cm above it.. I think thats about it, can't go any higher. For higher tanks than 30 cm 5050smd probably isnt enough. But leds are getting stronger and better every day.

This is my light schedule and for now it still works like a charme.. CH1=RED, CH2=BlUE CH3=GREEN, CH4=CW and CH5=WW




Im becoming a firm believer in LED for small tanks. Even the fish love it and do very well under there.


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## banthaman.jm (30 Apr 2015)

Steve,
could you supply details for your photo period as in lights on, lights off and what config of bulbs.  

Spot treatment of liquid carbon on to the plants might help but be careful, here is a link to a very good article by James C http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm 

You might want to have a look at the flow in your tank and how the co2 is delivered.  I have just changed over from in tank atomiser to in line and the difference it is making is quite obvious already.  The old way: fluval 206 with spraybar and two TMC V2 power flow (one 1000 and 1 2000)  The new way: just using 206 with spraybar, the drop checker turns lime green by lights on.

Jim


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## Rahms (30 Apr 2015)

You can grow absolutely any plant under 3 T5s, your lighting isn't the problem, and spending more money will not change anything (unless you end up with a much weaker light...).


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## StevePLYM (30 Apr 2015)

Hi guys. Thanks for tips.

Lighting period is at 8 hrs a day, I am spot treating with flourish at present. I have a fluval spray bar and hob fluval 106 and can see good flow in the tank, I believe it's the actual fluval mini co2 chambers which I constantly have to refil causing co2 issue, looking into pressurised from CO2art, was not as bad when I ised DIY co2 but had issues with it running 24/7 and had some fish fatalities. @ Rahms I didnt think 3x 8w T5 (not t5ho or the larger T5s) would be sufficient to grow things like HC or dwarf hairgrass? I might just change bulbs if thats the case.

Thanks again guys


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## Rahms (30 Apr 2015)

As far as I know the non-HO T5s are similar to T8s, just a bit more efficient. 3 of them is still a lot and then you have something else as well.  8 hours is a long photoperiod, too. I'd drop your light intensity (get rid of the extra 18W thing) and period (go to 4 hours) and see how that serves you.

Plants do have a minimum light requirement, but its not the major factor in choosing high/medium/low light.  For all intents and purposes you should consider high, medium and low light as high, medium and low growth rate.  Dwarf hairgrass and HC can be grown in low light, but they'll be very slow growers and not particularly dense. And to reiterate, you certainly don't have low light. If your plants are just outright dying, something else is off, which isn't surprising because you've set yourself quite a challenge with that much light!


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## StevePLYM (30 Apr 2015)

Hi Rahms. Thanks for the info.

I disconnected PL light and have actually been running off the T5s, I only added PL18 as I didn't know/think the light T5s were sufficient. I didnt notice any new growth and even upped co2 using flourish as well as pressurised to match. No improvement and algae outbreak so I removed it. Plants are not outright dying lol. I have had issues with HC melt so stopped trying to grow it and now I am having same issue with dwarf hairgrass, most melted except for a few patches. (also some bba outbreaks) So I thought I'd look into better lighting and a regulated co2 unit. My question was about what led lighting would be sufficient for HC and dwarf hairgrass btw. I believe alot of issues are CO2 related rather than light in this instance though I am looking for suitable LED's.

Steve


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## StevePLYM (30 Apr 2015)

Looks better in photo than eye view.


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## StevePLYM (30 Apr 2015)

My anubias used to be so much healthier, some brown areas and some bba atm. Treating with flourish. Eleocharis sp mini, a large amount melted whats remaining is not really rooting well or growing. I have started to add some root tabs.


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## Andy Thurston (30 Apr 2015)

tmc 1500 tile is a bit overkill on a 40 cm cube. I run mine at 70%.
I couldn't grow hc or glosso under 3x8w t5 lights in my cube but I do need to try again now that flow and co2 are much better


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## StevePLYM (30 Apr 2015)

Thanks Andy,

I've tried on and off for a couple of years with HC and not had any success, planting in Eco complete is hell too lol. I thought the 1500 tile would be overkill but thanks to the TMC Controller you can alter the intensity. I have been looking around and have seem some success with the 400 tile and carpeting plants.

Steve


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