Higher or Lower (tech)

[jameson_uk]

I bought a Rio 180 tank without doing too much investigation into the tank as the advice was just buy the biggest you can afford and fit it... Turns out the stock lighting on the Rio is based on bespoke tubes (so you cannot just source alternatives) that are actually quite strong. They are 2 x 45W T5 giving me 2W/l.

I had some amazon frogbit floaters that reduced the amount of light reaching the tank but this has pretty much died off do to lack of nutrients (which have probably be taken by the plants because of the high light).

As the tank was always setup to be a low tech I have been struggling a bit with plant growth and now algae. The root cause behind most of this looks to be the strong lighting and needing to balance everything around that.

So other than getting a bespoke lighting unit (not really an option as everythnig is nicely integrated now and that is one of the reasons I was allowed to buy the tank... I see two options

• Replace the T5s with the new Juwel LED unit and reduce the amount of light (go lower tech)
• Go the full hog and add CO2

I have not researched CO2 too much but it looks like the costs are not massively different (the LEDs and controller are £275 at LFS and it looks like decent end CO2 systems are in the same ballpark).

I am currently leaning towards the LEDs as

• No need to learn about CO2 and spend ages trying to get the right balance
• No danger to the fish
• Adds the option for a blue moon light
• The fish don't seem to like the high light
• Less maintenance
• No issues when going away for a week (?)
• No ongoing costs

I still love nice CO2 injected tanks but I suspect my (lack of) artistic ability might mean I would never get anywhere near the tanks you see on here. In my head I have CO2 associated with carpeting plants but I have corys who want to rummage through the sand and there is little floor space left to add any carpeters.

Thoughts on this?

 

[foxfish]

Decomposing soil tanks seem to work better with higher light but why cant you just use one of your lights, if they are not switchable then you could just shade it.
Of course it would be nice if you had an LED but without being able to measure the amount of light you have now it could be a rocky ride finding the right setting?

 

[zozo]

A high tech and high light tank is still very susceptible to grow algae if the plants are slow growing low light plants.. So depending on you choices in this still can be to much light despite it is high tech.. It doesn't realy matter how you turn it around, high tech or low tech, but imho you might be better off in investing an a dimmer option, also possible for T5 tubes. Having to strong lights and a dimmer always gives you the best options, for now and for the future.. Because you can always (learn to) play with the light intensity, at startup you need less, while plantmass evolves you can ramp it slowly up and or down again.

Investing in new lights which give less, then you will be stuck with that and have to invest again the day you discover it just aint enough and could use a tad more.

 

[jameson_uk]

why cant you just use one of your lights, if they are not switchable then you could just shade it.

From what I have read the unit will not start up with only a single tube. Had not thought about just shading out one of the tubes but slightly concerned about the build of heat (the unit is enclosed and plastic)

]Of course it would be nice if you had an LED but without being able to measure the amount of light you have now it could be a rocky ride finding the right setting?

imho you might be better off in investing an a dimmer option, also possible for T5 tubes. Having to strong lights and a dimmer always gives you the best options, for now and for the future.. Because you can always (learn to) play with the light intensity, at startup you need less, while plantmass evolves you can ramp it slowly up and or down again.

Investing in new lights which give less, then you will be stuck with that and have to invest again the day you discover it just aint enough and could use a tad more.

The quoted Lumen output of the LED unit is basically the same as the 2 x T5 unit and they apparently have a similar output spectrum. The difference is that you can set the LEDs intensity.
The ballast is embedded within the sealed unit and given the bespoke size of everything else I am not sure I fancy pulling it all apart to find I can't replace the ballast. (Searching t'interweb suggests a few others have tried and failed)

 

[john dory]

I've shaded out enclosed lighting units before.
Use foil,to wrap around the tubes

 

[simon Coram]

Or hang the reflector upside down. I've just stayed with algae on my rio 180 so might try and remove one reflector to start with.

 

[zozo]

From what I have read the unit will not start up with only a single tube. Had not thought about just shading out one of the tubes but slightly concerned about the build of heat (the unit is enclosed and plastic)



The quoted Lumen output of the LED unit is basically the same as the 2 x T5 unit and they apparently have a similar output spectrum. The difference is that you can set the LEDs intensity.
The ballast is embedded within the sealed unit and given the bespoke size of everything else I am not sure I fancy pulling it all apart to find I can't replace the ballast. (Searching t'interweb suggests a few others have tried and failed)

What a hassle with Juwel tanks.. Didn't know that..

 

[jameson_uk]

Whilst at LFS over the weekend I realised I could get a blue (reef?) tube.

Would this work to reduce light as I assume that although it is still 45w, the output spectrum is of little use for plants and algae?

 

[HiNtZ]

I am currently leaning towards the LEDs as

• No need to learn about CO2 and spend ages trying to get the right balance
• No danger to the fish
• Adds the option for a blue moon light
• The fish don't seem to like the high light
• Less maintenance
• No issues when going away for a week (?)
• No ongoing costs

Don't be fooled by LEDs thinking you wouldn't need CO2. I run a high power (for the area used) custom LED setup that would kick T5's out the water for brightness and fry the tank in a day if CO2 or nutes had a problem. You will still need to consider the power of them either way..... there are LEDs for high tech, and LEDs for low tech.

Fish eyes are on the side of their head - high light really doesn't bother them as far as I'm concerned. Have you ever been in a pool with the sun beating down and looked up with goggles? It will still blind you!

 

[jameson_uk]

Don't be fooled by LEDs thinking you wouldn't need CO2. I run a high power (for the area used) custom LED setup that would kick T5's out the water for brightness and fry the tank in a day if CO2 or nutes had a problem. You will still need to consider the power of them either way..... there are LEDs for high tech, and LEDs for low tech.

Indeed, the Juwel LED and T5 unit both have the same lumens output and whilst the LED looks a little less bright I think this is just colour and looking at the spectrum chart I think the actual light plants want is pretty much the same.
The big difference is that I can dim the LEDs and run them at 50% if I wanted.

Fish eyes are on the side of their head - high light really doesn't bother them as far as I'm concerned. Have you ever been in a pool with the sun beating down and looked up with goggles? It will still blind you!

I have certainly seen a difference in some of the fish when there is cover or floating plants to lower the light and the fact that you leave the lights off in a hospital tank to reduce stress makes me think there is something in some fish being unsettled by very bright light

 

[HiNtZ]

Indeed, the Juwel LED and T5 unit both have the same lumens output and whilst the LED looks a little less bright I think this is just colour and looking at the spectrum chart I think the actual light plants want is pretty much the same.
The big difference is that I can dim the LEDs and run them at 50% if I wanted.

Yeah. dimming is a big plus - I'm waiting on some new drivers and dimmers for mine as they are a bit much still. Can't moan at a tenner from China 🙂

I have certainly seen a difference in some of the fish when there is cover or floating plants to lower the light and the fact that you leave the lights off in a hospital tank to reduce stress makes me think there is something in some fish being unsettled by very bright light

I think it depends on the species really. My Chilli & neon green rasboras are always out in the light, my green neons and barbs tend to sit in the shade of the plants. Of course, having plants for them to shelter under as an option is a good idea in any high light tank since they can choose what they want to do.