# Light period (hours) first week to one month



## vador (11 Oct 2015)

Dear all,

I will setup my new aquarium soon and I have a question related with light duration. My setup will be an ADA 60p, amazonia soil,  Aquasky 601 lights  and CO2 pressurized bottle. Furthermore, I will have fast growing plants (including some "red plants") on the aquarium.

Taken this scenario in consideration, I am thinking on doing the following concerning lights and co2 (co2 starts one hour before lights are on and it ends one hour before lights are off):

*First 4 days* : 6 hours of light and co2 (drop check color will be green tending to yellow)
*day 4 to 2nd week*:  7 hours of light and co2 (drop check color will be green tending to yellow)
*3rd to 4th week *: 8 hours of light and co2 (drop check  color will be green)
Introduce 10 to 15 shrimps (if water already cycled)

*after 4th week*: assess if is required to increase to 10hours (drop check  color will be green)
Introduce fish (starting with 4 otocinclus)


My objective is to support the plants to adapt to the new aquarium and avoid an algae explosion in the initial stages of the aquarium. Does it make sense? Anyone have/had a similar setup that could shed some light if I am thinking on the right direction?

Thank you for the help!


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## Dantrasy (12 Oct 2015)

I don't think you'll ever need 10 hours with an aqausky.

I have a 361 over a mini m.

If I were you, I'd start with 5hrs for the first 2weeks (assuming the lights are not dimmed). It's a seriously powerful light, the legs aren't tall enough imo.
Plants heavy from day 1.
I'd consider switching the co2 on 1.5-2hrs before the lights come on.
For the first week do 50% wc'es daily, then 1x 50% wc per week.
Monitor and after the 2 weeks is up makes some new decisions eg. Covering over the centre strip of leds with black electrical tape.


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## vador (12 Oct 2015)

Hi,

I will follow your advice. On your setup you end by covering some leds? How many hours you currently have on your tank?

Thank you


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## foxfish (12 Oct 2015)

Hi Vador, in your fist post you say ... " I am thinking on doing the following concerning lights and co2 (co2 starts one hour before lights are on and it ends one hour after lights are off):" 
I don't know if you meant to say  that but it would be better to switch off the c02 one hour before the lights go off.
It might be possible to build your lights up from 5 hours to 10 hours but probably not necessary or required for the best plant health!
Bright light requires maximum levels of co2 and that can be difficult  to achieve without killing fish, most people seem to use 6-8 hours of light.


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## vador (12 Oct 2015)

Hi foxfish,

I meant what you said concerning the CO2. I edited the post, thank you!


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## 5678 (12 Oct 2015)

I'm using an Aquasky 451 over a 45C. 

I run with 6 hours of light and CO2 on 24/7. This seems to be going fine so far.

One thing that can make life easier in the early weeks is to run the tank without plants, co2 or light for the first 3 weeks. This reduces the need for water changes to one per week. You then plant on the start of the 4th week. This worked well for me. Id then run that for a week and start dosing ferts and stocking with shrimp after that.


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## Dantrasy (12 Oct 2015)

5678 said:


> I'm using an Aquasky 451 over a 45C.
> 
> I run with 6 hours of light and CO2 on 24/7. This seems to be going fine so far.
> 
> One thing that can make life easier in the early weeks is to run the tank without plants, co2 or light for the first 3 weeks. This reduces the need for water changes to one per week. You then plant on the start of the 4th week. This worked well for me. Id then run that for a week and start dosing ferts and stocking with shrimp after that.


 

I did that once too. I had the tank and filter, but the light took 6 weeks to arrive. So everything had cycled prior to planting. Doing it this way worked and it was easy, fewer wc'es. Depends how patient you are. If you have a nice new light you'll probably want to see it working sooner rather than later.


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## ian_m (12 Oct 2015)

Remember a dimmer (or some other way of controlling the light) is a must, especially when starting off, unless you are farming algae of course....


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## 5678 (12 Oct 2015)

ian_m said:


> Remember a dimmer (or some other way of controlling the light) is a must, especially when starting off, unless you are farming algae of course....



See, I've not done this. I know it won't be popular on here, but I've made the decision to follow the ADA (money making!) "system" pretty much to the letter. I was just curious to see if it worked for me. 
I'm probably tempting fate, but I'm several weeks into the tank now with no algae issues and I run the Aquasky for 6 hours a day.
I also run a Twinstar <ducks for cover>!!


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## vador (12 Oct 2015)

I am starting all ADA (including fertilizers). So I agree with 5678 it might work quite well if you follow their instructions, however in the long run I will see if I continue with their products. Probably I will switch to other brand less expensive but with the same quality reputation.

@*ian_m*
On other note I read that dimming Aquasaky lights could potentially break/damage the system. However I do not know if this is just rumors or in fact it happen to someone. What dimming system do you recommend?


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## 5678 (12 Oct 2015)

vador said:


> I am starting all ADA (including fertilizers). So I agree with 5678 it might work quite well if you follow their instructions, however in the long run I will see if I continue with their products. Probably I will switch to other brand less expensive but with the same quality reputation.
> 
> @*ian_m*
> On other note I read that dimming Aquasaky lights could potentially break/damage the system. However I do not know if this is just rumors or in fact it happen to someone. What dimming system do you recommend?



FWIW, I use the ferts and dosing instructions too. I used Power Sand special, but not all of the additives. I'm intending to run it for 12 months and see how it goes. 
I know I'm paying more for things I could mix myself. My time is at a premium though so I'm happy to just grab a bottle and add what I'm told. If this costs me more then that's fine with me.


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## vador (12 Oct 2015)

My current setup is as following:

Substract
Power sand S
Bacter 100, Clear Super, Turmaline BC, Penac-W, Penac-P
Aquasoil amazonia  9l
Aquasoil amazonia 3l powder
Aquasoil Colorado Sand

Fertlizers
Step 1
Bright K
Green Gain
Green Bacter
ECA
Phyton-GIT

Equipment
Sodastream bottle with adaptor (one stage pressure valve), bubble counter and  connected with inline atomizer (up aqua)
Hydor inline thermostat
Eheim 2217 with glass lily pipes
drop checker
Aquasky 601
60p tank
Ikea bestå (reinforced)

Now I might have gone overboard here, but I wanted a clean aquarium and good quality products. The question is if I will have pretty setup of plants and fish or a nice algae soup 

Thanks


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## ian_m (12 Oct 2015)

vador said:


> What dimming system do you recommend?



This thread has info about dimming Aquasky units. You can of course use variable height and/or grey plastic to reduce light levels until things settle down.
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/led-dimmer-solution-but.35341/


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## 5678 (12 Oct 2015)

vador said:


> My current setup is as following:
> 
> Substract
> Power sand S
> ...



Quite similar to me. I'm dosing Step 1, K and ECA at the moment. 

Some comments, 
- I've found powder is very keen to shift with water movement. Be wary and use LOTS of substrate supports. 
- Give up on the sodastream bottles and get a FE. I started with them but got tired of replacing them often. Much cheaper with FEs.


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## ian_m (12 Oct 2015)

5678 said:


> Give up on the sodastream bottles and get a FE.


I get through 20gr of CO2 a day on 180litre and green/yellow drop checker. Thus your 60l may get through 7gr a day, with 420gr per sodastream  bottle that's 60days, 2 months odd for £10. I get a 2Kg FE for £10.


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## vador (13 Oct 2015)

Hi Ian_m.

I get what you are saying, on my previous first aquarium (2009  - 2011).  I had a 2kg CO2 bottle, actually I still have it in Portugal. However I am living in Sweden now and here there is not accessible places that you can fill in your bottle. I do not have a car or motorcycle in Stockholm, you go everywhere with public transportation, so even if there is a place it takes me time to go there. While sodastream is so popular in Sweden that even near me this convenience stores sells them (70sek ~ 5.58pounds), therefore this makes my life way easier.

Some pictures of my aquarium (planted yesterday  )


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## vador (19 Oct 2015)

Hi guys,

Just to report back on my first week. Routine maintenance for the week:

5 hours of light
5,5hours of co2 (1,5 bubbles per second - drop check deep green and starts one hour prior to the light)
50% water change everyday
Bright K everyday
Green Bacter everyday
Green Gainer on the first 3 days
To facility my water changes I did the following:

Bought a big bucket (30 liters)
Used the inflow hose (connected to the lilly pipe) to remove water from the aquarium
Filled the bucket with tap water (my tap water is KH 5 GH 8, Swedish water is amazing)
Used seachem water conditioner and wait 5 minutes
While waiting have a check on the aquarium plants et cetera.
Used the inflow hose (connected to the cannister) to suck the water from the bucket 
Current water parameters:

Ammonia 1,5ppm
Nitrite 0,25ppm
Nitrate 5ppm
PH 6.4
KH 4ppm
GH 7ppm

*In summary the tank is crystal clear and I did not have yet spot any algae. 


 


 
*


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## DanielC03 (19 Oct 2015)

Sorry but I think the plant  left is not aquatic . Maybe Spathiphyllum


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## Nelson (19 Oct 2015)

DanielC03 said:


> Sorry but I think the plant  left is not aquatic . Maybe Spathiphyllum


Is it not an Anubias ?.


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## vador (19 Oct 2015)

nelson said:


> Is it not an Anubias ?.



 You are right Nelson is an Anubis gracilis. 

Here is my plant list:

Hottonia palustris
Eleocharis sp - montevidensis
Lindernia rotundifolia
Alternanthera reineckii ´Lila´ (in-Vitro)
Pogostemon erectus (In-Vitro)
Cyperus helferi
Sagittaria subulata var.pusilla (In-Vitro)
Ammania Sp. Bonsai TC (1-2-Grow)
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Ammannia praetermissa
Staurogyne repens TC (1-2-Grow)
Cryptocoryne parva
Pogostemon stellata (Eusteralis)
Microsorum pteropus Windelov
Anubias gracilis
Ranunculus inundatus
Fissidens fontanus
Taxiphyllum barbieri (Vesicularia) TC (1-2-Grow)
Taxiphyllum sp. 'Flame'


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