Photoperiod for my tanks. Advice, please :)

[Angharad]

Hi all!

These are all doesed weekly with API Leaf Zone and Daily with Liqiud Carbon. Adding root tabs shortly. Two large tanks are aquasoil and sand, small tank is gravel only atm. Not that it bothers the cambomba.

So, what I want to know is, how long should I leave the lights on for each tank, per day? At the moment they are all on for 6-8hrs, as I am establishing new plants, which I want to root in.

Tank One:

DImensions: H 15" x W 36" x D 12"
Litres: 80L
Lights: T5 HO 24" x 2
Plants:

• Cabomba caroliana (lots of!)
  
• Pogostemon erectus (6 of)
  
• Anubias nana 'Bonsai' (2 of)
• Echinodorus bleheri (1 of)
• Myrophyllum tuberculatum (6ish of)
• Pogostemon helferi
• Bacopa amplexicaullis

Tank Two:

Dimensions: H 23" x W 14.5" x D 10"
Litres: 64L
Lights: Interpet 15W Bright Day White (240V/50Hz) AND Interpet Cool Blue Moon 15W
Plants:

• Cabomba caroliana (Approx 6)
  
• Myrophyllum tuberculatum (4 of)
• Fontinalis antipyretica (I Think. Sold as Christmas Moss)

Fish:

• 2 Dwarf Gourami
• 4 mollies
  
• 2 guppies
• 3 zebra loaches

Tank Three:

Dimensions: H 10" x W 9.5" x D 9.5"
Litres: 15L
Lights: LED lighting (12 volt, 3.5 Watt) - White and Blue: 4 Settings White, 2 Blue.
Plants:

• Cabomba caroliana (Approx 6)
• Brown Hairy Algae... >:/

Fish:

• Male betta (juvenile)

 

[Vazkez]

Hi there and welcome 🙂

Tank 1 and 2 are kk with 6-8 hours. You got to see by yourself if you have any problems with algae...

Tank 3 however have too much light. Do you dose liquid carbon to that tank as well? Also any chance you can reduce the light via controller?

 

[Angharad]

Hi there, and thanks.

Tank three is dosed with liquid carbon and ferts, though not as often on the carbon as the cabomba would threaten the entire tank =p

I can have it set in four stages of white light (100% down to approx 50%) or off.

 

[Vazkez]

Good I will try to reduce the light and start to dose the Carbon properly as that is why you have the algea I think.

 

[Angharad]

I have BHA in my 80L too, have been fighting it since I set it up. 🙁 But yes, I will try that. How many hours should I have it on for, and what setting?

 

[Vazkez]

I can try to overdose the carbone a bit to kill it... Remove as much as you can manualy as well ... I will try 4 hours 50% then leater on on 6 hours after few weeks.

 

[Angharad]

Will ODing on carbon harm the fish? I already use a toothbrush to remove as much as I can when I am in there pruning, so glad I am doing that bit right ^-^

I have also found that the Mollies in my 64L are eating the BHA from the myrophyllium I moved over there temporarily.

 

[Vazkez]

Some of the plants do not like liguid carbon. Even more if you overdose, however fish should be ok 🙂