Ztremeled light advice

amazontank

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Nov 14, 2010
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Hope everybody is having a great day. I had a question for the plant legends on mfk.
I just got a Xtremeled Model XLED-130.
I have a pair of jumbo black ghost knifes in a 240 8x2x2 and half the tank is full of Mother Anubias, giant marimo moss balls and java ferns!
My question is can I just use this high tech grow light for all my plants and can I rest it on the top or should I hang it a few inches from the surface?
I am using 4 florasun bulbs on light fixtures but really want to start growing amazing plants on driftwood.
Filters for this tank are 2X 2229 Eheim wet dry canisters stuffed with cermedia along with wave makers and nice air pump. Lots of floating catapa leaves. I have not seen any babies yet but always hope full...

s-l1600_light.jpg
 

xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 10, 2011
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Denver, CO.
Is this the 660nm red LED/455nm blue LED light?

If so it'll definitely grow plants, but here's my suggestion...

I would raise them 3"-4" above the top of the tank, and I would also replace 2 of the florasun bulbs with 2 x 6500k bulbs in the T5HO... The reason is plants also need a form of light that's close to natural sunlight and 6500k is pretty close to natural sunlight...

The reason I asked if it's the 660nm/455nm LED light is because of this...



Plants have 2 chlorophyll stages, chlorophyll A & chlorophyll B and they peak at different wavelengths... So your 660nm red LED/455nm blue LED lights are perfect for growing plants, but like I said you also want to add a 6500k light source as well. And YES these are perfect for a high tech plants tank!!!
 
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xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx

Candiru
MFK Member
Jul 10, 2011
696
104
46
Denver, CO.
Yeah the XLED-130 appears more red to the human eye, but it has both the deep red 660nm LED's and 455nm blue LED's... When it comes to aquarium lighting 420nm-460nm is referred to as actinic lighting, actinic lighting is well known in the saltwater side of the hobby but because plants chlorophyll stages have a peak in them that corresponds with "actinic" spectral wavelengths it's starting to ease its way into the planted tank side.
 
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amazontank

Redtail Catfish
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Nov 14, 2010
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Miami and San Diego
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Mike thank you so much for taking the time to dial me in. I feel really enlightened, especially about the daylight bulbs idea.
I wanted to ask, if I do not put light above the water can I just put the light on the glass cover above the planted side of my 240 or does it need to be a foot above the water to work properly. It does mention in manual to keep light away from water so I was not sure if precipitation could ruin it if i just set it this way.
Thanks again bro!
 
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