I have a 30cm(approx 12") cube planted aquarium lighted with a 12W Chihiros A201 led. Plants are all growing well. Even the cuba which was planted 1 week ago is started to spread fast, but some of the reddish plants like the rotala rotundifolia and colorata aren't red. CO2 on drop checker is always lime green and I also tried varying the EI dosing by leaning the nitrates and by increasing the micros, and plants still grew very well but no color change. I was thinking of changing the light, maybe with one which has some rgb light. I found the Finnex Fugeray Planted+ which has some white blue and red leds and even some good reviews online. Do you think it will be better for the rotala plants? Or do you have any other light suggestions of what I can do. Thanks.
Light for a 30cm cube aquarium.
- Thread starter dmallia
- Start date
Zeus
Active Aquascaper
Hi and welcome
Can be tricky to get the plants to go the colour you want. Your plants look healthy too. So going for a more powerful light may be the wrong thing to do.
But if you was going for an LED RGB setup the Chihiros RGB-Series Aquatic Aquarium Colorful LED Lamp is a good chioce the RGB-30 model should fit and it does come dimmable out of the box too, works well in conjunction with a TC420 controler too. as for the light output check out
[The power of light]
Zeus
Can be tricky to get the plants to go the colour you want. Your plants look healthy too. So going for a more powerful light may be the wrong thing to do.
But if you was going for an LED RGB setup the Chihiros RGB-Series Aquatic Aquarium Colorful LED Lamp is a good chioce the RGB-30 model should fit and it does come dimmable out of the box too, works well in conjunction with a TC420 controler too. as for the light output check out
[The power of light]
Zeus
Aqua Atelier
New Member
I personally use the Pro LED Freshwater Light, Z Series by UP Aqua and that thing will grow anything. Aqua Lab Aquaria has them on their website for $55 i think?
Zeus
Active Aquascaper
I wouldnt go down reducing the Ferts route, (yes lean ferts can help get certain colours from certain plants.)
What photo period are you using.
A pic of the whole tank may also help.
rotala rotundifolia tends to go red as it closer to the light source where the light intensity is higher OFC also the rotala rotundifolia species does vary in its redness, from plant to plant due to selective line breeding, and tank to tank the same plant will show different colours.
Getting a more powerful light may be just what the plant needs, but that route could lead to lots of algea. Do you have a desk lamp handy? plants arent fussy about the colour of the light so doesnt matter about the colour output, the extra light would then enable you to see if more light helps without the initial cost
What photo period are you using.
A pic of the whole tank may also help.
rotala rotundifolia tends to go red as it closer to the light source where the light intensity is higher OFC also the rotala rotundifolia species does vary in its redness, from plant to plant due to selective line breeding, and tank to tank the same plant will show different colours.
Getting a more powerful light may be just what the plant needs, but that route could lead to lots of algea. Do you have a desk lamp handy? plants arent fussy about the colour of the light so doesnt matter about the colour output, the extra light would then enable you to see if more light helps without the initial cost
John Whatmough
Aspiring Aquascaper
Suppose as with these questions and there is no right or wrong answer ,example strong light,long photoperiod,poor dosing of N on the fertilser and mainly dosing of K,micros and Fe will or can lead to red plants but everything else has to be right,flow,Substrate etc that’s the balance. First time I used EI I increased dosage with growth increase and the stems went on overdrive growing emersed through a duckweed surface.
John
One point you will learn on Aquarium Forums no two tanks are ever the same. This makes it practically impossible to give a Step by Step instruction plan.
Its a matter of checking and, adjusting practicality every thing if required slowly and waiting for a result.
Over all its a matter of finding that "Sweet Spot" and keeping it there.
Keith
One point you will learn on Aquarium Forums no two tanks are ever the same. This makes it practically impossible to give a Step by Step instruction plan.
Its a matter of checking and, adjusting practicality every thing if required slowly and waiting for a result.
Over all its a matter of finding that "Sweet Spot" and keeping it there.
Keith