LED lighting Question

[Bradders]

I think I get this, and then I realise I know very little!!

As most of you know, I am running a 100L low-tech aquarium. I have a Fluval Plant 3.0 32W for lighting. That part seems easy.

You then purchase a plant from Aquarium Gardens (they have great plants and customer service, by the way), and it says the following (take note of the lighting part).

• Name : Microsorium Pteropus Windelov (Java Fern)
• Home : Asia
• Preferred Ph : 5.5-8
• Temp range : 20-30C
• Size : 15-30cm
• Tank location :Midground
• Lighting : 30-50w/100litres

So, my questions are

1. Am I meant to run the LEDs at full whack (100% on) to achieve what is required? (Which would be a very bright tank!)
2. Is there some 'math' about an LED's actual wattage output, which is not necessarily correlated to the unit wattage?
3. I am always concerned about having the lights too high due to algae, etc., but I assume I could be giving myself an issue by not having the lights high enough?

Any ideas on how to unconfuse me and get me in, at least, a fair ballpark?

As always, I am forever in the community's debt ......

Thanks
Brad

 

[oreo57]

I think I get this, and then I realise I know very little!!

As most of you know, I am running a 100L low-tech aquarium. I have a Fluval Plant 3.0 32W for lighting. That part seems easy.

You then purchase a plant from Aquarium Gardens (they have great plants and customer service, by the way), and it says the following (take note of the lighting part).

• Name : Microsorium Pteropus Windelov (Java Fern)
• Home : Asia
• Preferred Ph : 5.5-8
• Temp range : 20-30C
• Size : 15-30cm
• Tank location :Midground
• Lighting : 30-50w/100litres

So, my questions are

1. Am I meant to run the LEDs at full whack (100% on) to achieve what is required? (Which would be a very bright tank!)
2. Is there some 'math' about an LED's actual wattage output, which is not necessarily correlated to the unit wattage?
3. I am always concerned about having the lights too high due to algae, etc., but I assume I could be giving myself an issue by not having the lights high enough?

Any ideas on how to unconfuse me and get me in, at least, a fair ballpark?

As always, I am forever in the community's debt ......

Thanks
Brad

First you need some background in their recommended light levels:

Lighting levels using T5 bulbs
Below we have indicated what we consider to be low, medium and high lighting when using T5 bulbs.
This is a rough guide and not set in stone for every aquarium. The distance the light is raised from your plants and the type of lighting your using should also be factored in.

0.25 Watts per Liter = Low Lighting
0.50 Watts per Liter = Medium Lighting
0.80 - 1.0> Watts per Liter = High Lighting

Then you need to understand LED "efficiency" (physically and electrically though the electrically part can be questionable due to led quality) is much higher
than the t5's used for the above.
In one estimate that would mean the 30-50W/100 L of t5 is really
15-25W / 100L of LEDS.
Or .15-.25W/L
Or in your case your light could be at overall 50-75%
When confronted on stats like this I prefer to be more conservative and use .75W led = 1W t5ho especially if one is replacing t5's with leds.
Adjusting for depth (shallow or deep compared to a "standard" depth) and the fertilizer and CO2 levels.
Plants will adapt for the most part.

Oddly they would list that Fern as medium light under .3-.5W/Liter of t5's..where most would categorize it as a low light plant.
Of course doesn't mean it cant grow with more light.



Currently most measurements besides "PAR" (PPFD) are very crude guidelines.
The designation of high,med,low is also a bit fluid.

Really its best to set the light level at how your tank responds .

 

[Bradders]

Thank you for this starting point @oreo57. Awesome.

In my 100L aquarium (approximately 70cm x 30cm x 50cm), I currently use the Fluval Plant 3.0 at around 25% for whites, 15% for reds and 5% for blue). Moving closer to 50% to 75% to achieve a good level scares me a little!

I guess my question is for my Java and Crypto: Am I technically starving them of the right amount of light at ~25%, and I should increase?

Sorry for such basic questions—lighting is really quite confusing for me, and I'm trying to find a base level to start from!

 

[oreo57]

Thank you for this starting point @oreo57. Awesome.

In my 100L aquarium (approximately 70cm x 30cm x 50cm), I currently use the Fluval Plant 3.0 at around 25% for whites, 15% for reds and 5% for blue). Moving closer to 50% to 75% to achieve a good level scares me a little!

I guess my question is for my Java and Crypto: Am I technically starving them of the right amount of light at ~25%, and I should increase?

Sorry for such basic questions—lighting is really quite confusing for me, and I'm trying to find a base level to start from!

So what do you have growing in there now?
And how well is it growing?

Many crypts have no issue with real low light.
Same w the ferns
Both also do fine in higher light.

 

[Bradders]

I have easy plants, Cryptocoryne Petchii and Java Fern Microsorum Windelov.

They have only just been placed in there, so very hard to know how well they are doing. That is why I am looking for a reasonable base level for Plant 3.0 to start with. i.e. at the moment I am running at 25%, but I cant work out if that is OK and they will grow, or too little and wont grow!

 

[castle]

… at the moment I am running at 25%, but I cant work out if that is OK and they will grow, or too little and wont grow!

Not super helpful, but there is more to this than just light to be successful. Just adjust your lights to see how plants respond, and eventually you’ll get there.