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Anyone else have problems with T5 lighting?

Not a clue, It was something I was considering for my tank but I really could do with a better filter.
I'm sure practical fishkeeping did a sump pump test. Eheim do them so do aquamedic.
Ask a reefer, they're likely to know better than any of us.
 
Aquamedic do a 2000lph pump for £45, a veritable bargain for that kind of turnover, and it uses just 12w.
 
Yeah, I just found the review. Maxijets are supposed to be silent too. There's a 3000lph one of those!
 
then there is the Hydor Koralia range of flow pumps as well. Am probably going to get one of these myself sometime soon.
 
They're internal though. In this instance I was suggesting an external pump so that it's outside the tank and it can power an external reactor.
 
Right some photos as promised.

Full tank, intakes on either side.

Full-1.jpg

Left side, with extra internal and filter intake in corner

Left-1.jpg

Right side with 2nd intake, outlet and CO2 diffuser

Right-1.jpg

Close up of the DC near top of tank on right side, its actually a bit greener than it looks here, but still in the yellow/green range

DCtop.jpg

The 2nd DC close the bottom of the tank at the other end of the tank to the diffuser, difficult to see but it too is in the yellow/green range.

DCbottom.jpg

Close up of the diffuser with the bubbles being blow around the tank, I think!

CO2.jpg

And finally too of the glosso thats been in the tank a week, you can see the algae and the fact that the leaves really aren't right.

Glosso2-1.jpg

Glosso-1.jpg

Any words of wisdom?

Sam
 
Well, I'd probably move that internal to the center back wall for starters. I'd think you'd want to push as much water down to the substrate. How many hours into the photoperiod do you get this color on the drop checker? Also, try moving that first dropchecker near the substrate. I can't see the point measuring the CO2 levels at the surface right now. How much time prior to lights on is the gas on? You may need to think about pushing that time back an hour or so as well as increasing the injection rate.

Cheers,
 
I just had an even better thought, you could use a needle wheel pump rather than an external reactor. You'd get a much better mist and your levels would be much easier to regulate.
 
Well, if you drive to higher levels 24/7 you risk losing your fish. I guess you have a good reason for the 24/7 approach so the only other option may be to supplement via Excel, which on this size tank is handcuff city. Yet another scenario of self imprisonment by adding livestock earlier than necessary....

Cheers,
 
Sam,

Hang in there. My cryptocoryne parvula looks exactly like this too:

Glosso2-1.jpg

This weekend I wanted to take a baseball bat to my tank. I did a 90% water change, snipped off a million algae coated leaves and next morning I had milky water - bacterial bloom or Aqauasoil particles, I can't say. :evil: Still milky when I got home from work last night but bizzarely, after lights and CO2 running for 4 hours it was crystal clear and a little pearling on some of my crypts. I'm feeling a bit more zen now...

I thought it was ammonia triggered by my Aquasoil, but maybe its a generic new tank, bacteria not established, leaves transitioning to underwater thing? Anyway, cheapest solution I can see is to plumb a CO2 reactor - Aquamas or Aquamedic (if Green Machine can get with 16mm fittings) - on your existing filter and put a nice Koralia 2 at the far end to boost flow right back down the tank completing the circle. Or do like Clive and James and use spraybars. If you plumb a normal powerhead or your internal to output into a spraybar right down the back of the tank that will pass water accross the top, down the front and along the carpet. Another thought, maybe you could use a Koralia to blow your CO2 mist directly down the tank above the carpet? I think Ed does something like that.

Oh, sympathy on the Tetratrec too - my 1200ex was so noisy I was almost relieved when it turned out to be faulty. Glad yours was sucking air and not the opposite like mine 😀
 
PM said:
For the record, I filled my 54 liter tank with HC, and I was using 96 watts of T5 for 10 hours a day! And the HC loved all the light, it grew low and dense. 😀
Click to expand...

Yes but I'll bet you added CO2 right? It's 10X easier to have good flow and CO2 saturation in 10 gallon tank than in a 100 gallon tank. You don't need 7 WPG to grow carpet plants.


Cheers,
 
Just so I'm not relying on you guys to be too prescriptive, what is the aim of increasing the flow? Reduce the barrier effect? I can only assume that the CO2 is diffusing into the water due to the DC's but despite this is not actually getting to the plant leaves?

If I were to put a powerhead into the tank, any advice on where it should go?

Thanks for the word of encouragement Ray 🙂 I get HC to grow nicely in my nano, but as Clive says its easier to get good flow in a 25lt tank!

Sam
 
Sam, the issue is discussed a little bit in this recent thread viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2965

In smaller spaces it's easier to move the smaller mass of water. In larger volumes the average velocity at any one point in the tank is lower because the energy of the inflow peters out by the time it gets to the far reaches of the tank. Think of kicking a football in an indoor gymnasium. It's fairly easy to get the ball from one end to the other but suppose you were at Wembly. You'd have to kick a lot harder to get that ball to the other end and you'd probably pull a groin muscle trying...

Cheers,
 
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