my first planted tank!!!!.....epic fail...help me please!
- Thread starter trojan09
- Start date
collectevly u should have around 630 watts then
u will need a co2 set up and if not fert tabs gl
u will need a co2 set up and if not fert tabs gl
if your interested where i got the information its from here http://www.fitchfamily.com/lighting.htmlsostoudt;3556385; said:
the points where taken from specs on takashi amano tanks, a very famous planted tank guy.
the way i understand it is.dudey;3556435; said:
saying kelvin rating is important is kinda misnomer, as kelvin is combonation of parts of spectrum of light output. and spectrum is important. spectrum is basically the wavelength. there are different photosynthetic pigments in plants that absorb different wavelengths of light. if the bulb you have only produces wavelengths of light the chloroplast cant use or only use a few of them the growth wont be good.
however watts are also such a misnomer, as actually lumens are important, lumens are a measurement of light output where watts are a measure of electricity used. however most lighting types have a comparable value of efficiency, excluding incandescent. the efficency is measured as lumens per watt. this is why we use a wpg recommendation or some other equation to recommend how much light is needed
so you need both enough lumens and the right spectrum or wavelengths of light.
plants basically convert light to cellular food.
so i find it helpful to think of lumens or watts as the amount of food. where the spectrum or wavelength is the type of food being consumed.
so to survive you need a certain amount of food, and the correct type of food(as not everything is nutritious or even digestible)
dudey;3556435; said:
i disagree, Ive seen plenty of tanks that grow all sorts of plants that use different kelvin ratings.. (4500 - 18,000K). besides certain plants need high wattage or something equivalent to even grow.
check out my planted tank journal in my signature; i document what happens when i added 4X more wattage to my tank and kelvin rating was the same.
however.... i do recommend having bulbs that are between 5500-10,000K.. my all time personal preference is 6700K.
Let me try to clear this up a little. First off, the watts thing is a bit misleading. What you are really trying to achieve is the correct lumen reaching the plants that need more light. Now this is intensity. The second and most important measurement for light is PAR, PAR stands for "Photosynthetically Active Radiation". PAR is the measure of the photons in the usable spectrum for photosynthesis in the range of 400-700 nano meters. The 400-700nm is the optimal wavelength/color range for photosynthesis to occur.
As to the whole Kelvin rating of the bulbs. The Kelvin scale describes the color of a light source when compared to the color a theoretical "blackbody" radiates when heated at the same temperature. The normal range that people use for planted tanks ranges from 5500°K to 10000°K with the full spectrum bulbs falling in the 5500°K range. Full spectrum is a combination of all the wavelengths which is sunlight measure at noon. As you go up in Kelvin rating the visible light become cooler and takes on a more bluish tint.
I think your problem with your plants was mostly due to the fact that the temps in your tank were very high for plants and that most plants you buy from commercial vendors are grown emersed (standing out above water) and it takes a while for plants to adapt to a imersed enviorment.
As to the whole Kelvin rating of the bulbs. The Kelvin scale describes the color of a light source when compared to the color a theoretical "blackbody" radiates when heated at the same temperature. The normal range that people use for planted tanks ranges from 5500°K to 10000°K with the full spectrum bulbs falling in the 5500°K range. Full spectrum is a combination of all the wavelengths which is sunlight measure at noon. As you go up in Kelvin rating the visible light become cooler and takes on a more bluish tint.
I think your problem with your plants was mostly due to the fact that the temps in your tank were very high for plants and that most plants you buy from commercial vendors are grown emersed (standing out above water) and it takes a while for plants to adapt to a imersed enviorment.
