Lighting Problems - please help!

[Gee]

I am having hard time growing my dwarf babytears it look like my lights is not reaching all the way to the bottom cause they are not growing but they are not dying ether is like they are frozen🙁,
This is what I have:


55G aquarium - 48" Long and 20" top to bottom
4 = T5 6500k Coralife ( I though putting 4 T5 can reach all the way to the bottom)
C02 everyday till lights on
Iron
for substrates I have fluval stratum
and also good circulation fan

According to my lighting research I think my problem beggings with my coralife T5 the spectrum and the PAR are not strong enough to reach all the way to the substrate

Can anybody tell me a cheap way to get a better lighting, thanks!!!

 

[Sarpijk]

A pic of the problem would help immensely. You don't mention anything about fertilising besides dosing iron. Any algae problems? Do you have green spot on the glass?

 

[MedicMan]

Almost always the issue is co2. In the same tank I have now, with the same lights, I used to always have problems with HC. It would look gold for a week then start to die off.
I upped my co2, to the point it is getting a little more than 1ph drop at lights on, and dosed EI. Now I've got a full blown carpet of HC.

From your post I see these two problems :
?co2 timing : you turn it off once lights turn on?
?ferts: are you dosing NPK? Are you using EI? Iron on its own is not enough.

Please excuse grammar and spelling mistakes in this post. I'm posting from my phone/tablet.

 

[Gee]

sorry guys for the bad explanation I was falling asleep, I meant to say I dose Seachem Iron and Seachem Flourish 3 times a week and I do everyday c02 injection for 9 hours when lights are on and i have to shutdown at night
..Yes Sarpijk i have notice some green spot on the glass i will upload some pics really soon

 

[MedicMan]

Yes, so there's your problem. CO2 might well be adequate but you're not dosing fertilisers needed for high light and co2.

Get yourself a complete NPK fertiliser and you'll see things improve. Don't bother with flourish and Iron, they're not going to help in this instance. get something like Neutro + and dose that or, if you can, try EI. It's not very complicated, it's far cheaper and more importantly, it's the best way of making sure the plants are getting enough.

With the Co2 - do you see the bubbles hitting the substrate? How is it controlled? (manual vs solenoid vs ph controller) How are you measuring if you've got enough CO2 in the tank?

 

[Sarpijk]

The reason I asked about green spot algae is because it is usually a sign of too much light. I suggest you start your co2 two hours before the beginning of the lighting period. As it has already been stated you should start dosing macro nutrients as well and make sure you have enough co2. A presentation of your tank would give a better idea about your setup.

 

[Gee]

Ok guys i was working in some pics to upload to this page and i was having some difficulties
yes i do have a problem i don't know if my baby tears are getting enough CO2 cause i don't see them
pearling and i am injecting enough CO2 cause i have a CO2 tester on the glass and the color is light green

this is my baby tears after 5 days




and here my baby tears after 5 weeks look a big difference



and these helferi i have to move it on top of a driftwood i have by the middle of the tank cause i planted in the
substrate and they were melting/dying so now they look better now that i move them





Now MedicMan you mention NPK Fertiliser and EI also and am not familiar with this two ferts can you explain more and how can i get it
and no my CO2 doesn't reach the substrate it goes all the way to the top and moves around and even though i have a good circulation
i don't see it reaching the bottom and they don't pearl, do you know a way i can push it to the substrate i think that will be my first problem
and they way i controlled my CO2 i have a solenoid valve on a 5lb tank


Sarpijk yes i noticed the green spot on the glass and i cut two lights so now instead of four i have two so if i start the CO2 two hour early
do you think this will minimize the green spot algaes when lights turn back on

I will be uploading more pics of my aquarium very soon, thank you guys for your help!!!

 

[MedicMan]

Get hold of neutro+. This contains the NPK you need. Google estimative index fertiliser
As for your co2, how are you diffusing it? Your flow can't be very good if its not reaching substrate.
Turning the co2 on for longer will be good overall.