# lighting help?



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

This is my first post so go easy if this is a repeatative issue. 

I have a 10 gallon black sand substrate tank. I have 5 glo tetras one mystery snail and 2 ghost shrimp. I'm turning my water over 9 times an hour. I run diy co2 with an air stone 24/7. I run air pump at night. temp at 78f.

For plants i have dwatf hair grass, java fern, water wysteria, telanthera cardinalis, and amazon sword. my question is how much light should i run. I have a dual 18" t5ho setup at 6500k. I was running just one bulb 18w 6 hours a day before co2. Now that i have co2 i run one bulb at 8 hours a day. Would it b OK to run both bulbs 36w? Maybe like 6 hours a day? i also have 6 root tabs in and use api leaf zone water fert. The only plant that pearls is the cardinalis.. And should i do water changes before or after the light cycle??

Im fairly new to the planted tank thing so if u see anything I should change let me know. Thanks for any help.


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

Also how far above my tank should I keep these lights? I have a glass top if that makes any difference. Its a standard 10 gal. I think 10x20x12.


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You can go with the full 36W for 8 hours, if you'd like. When I had DIY CO2 on my ten gallon, I ran a 48W 24" T5HO fixture over it for 12 hrs a day and got great plant growth and pearling on my riccia fluitens. Only reason I didn't have algae was because there were about a hundred RCS in there that munched on everything.


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

Awesome thank you. Should I leave the fixture right on the glass or raise it up? My water wysteria looks like the leaves are twisting. Idk if that is just a trait of the plant tho?? Growing plants almost more fun than raising the fish lol


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I would raise it, heat buildup with a T5HO is a force to be reckoned with. Wisteria leaves grow in different based on your water parameters. Give it some extra light and see what happens.

For my own posterity - you're not running DIY CO2 and an air system at the same time, are you? That totally defeats the purpose of the CO2, if you're doing that.


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

No I turn off air about an hour before lights come on and I turn it on when I go to bed about 11 ish. How high do you recommend I raise it? 2-3"?


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You can raise it less than an inch if you want. Just don't block it up with anything flammable, like wood.


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

OK yeah I just put two plastic rods under it. I'm trying to upload a pic of my tank but can't remember my photo bucket account.


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

[/IMG]


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Sweet tank


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

For that much wattage, you may also need to look into using ferts. Higher the light, higher the need for them. Google esitmative index (EI)...it will give you a good starting basis.


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

jrman83 said:


> For that much wattage, you may also need to look into using ferts. Higher the light, higher the need for them. Google esitmative index (EI)...it will give you a good starting basis.


I use api root tabs and I dose with the api leaf zone liquid fert every third day after my 10% water changes. 

Are you suggesting i use the dry ferts? I looked at the macro/micro at aquariumfertilizer.com but was unsure about measuring and dosing so i passed.. i will have to research that some more if u think it would help...


And also another question for gizmo..... Should i have more than 2 ghost shrimp and one mystery snail for a 10 gal?? I saw you said you have 80 shrimp... Should i up it to maybe 10 or 15 and another snail or two to combat the algae??? I dont have any yet but have only had lights running for a week now.


----------



## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

The single bulb alone will be more than enough light for the 10g. I run several high tech 10g tanks. And based on your plants, you really don't need the extra light.

Are you using a drop checker by chance? The reason I ask isn't for over gassing in your case it's for balance. With intense light and fluctuating CO2 levels, it will definately give algae like BBA a foot hold if not closely watched. Once you see the DIY CO2 tappering off, recharge it.

As for the dry ferts, EI is an excellent course. Again with the plants, they aren't high demanding so not much needed there. You can definately start with (and I also recommend it) the micro/macro mix from AquariumFertilizer. Good way to start with dry ferts.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

The micro/macro mix is also just $12. For the amount you get you could make probably 100 bottles of leaf zone and each bottle of it is almost as much. For the long run, dry ferts is the ONLY way to go. Some believe it is difficult, but far from it. They give you instructions on how to dose. The mix also covers everything your plants will need...not just mostly what they need....everything.


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

James0816 said:


> The single bulb alone will be more than enough light for the 10g. I run several high tech 10g tanks. And based on your plants, you really don't need the extra light.
> 
> Are you using a drop checker by chance? The reason I ask isn't for over gassing in your case it's for balance. With intense light and fluctuating CO2 levels, it will definately give algae like BBA a foot hold if not closely watched. Once you see the DIY CO2 tappering off, recharge it.
> 
> As for the dry ferts, EI is an excellent course. Again with the plants, they aren't high demanding so not much needed there. You can definately start with (and I also recommend it) the micro/macro mix from AquariumFertilizer. Good way to start with dry ferts.



I have a drop checker and a ceramic disc diffuser from aquatic magic I think in the mail right now. I read somewhere that my diy co2 setup wouldn't register on a drop checker tho???? And will the ceramic disc diffuser work with my low pressure co2? I'm at about 1 bps. I might add another bottle once I get my drop checker and diffuser to try and get my co2 levels right. 

Right now I just check the pH and its dropped from 7.8 to about 6.4w co2


----------



## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

A drop checker will definately measure the CO2 from a DIY setup. I have them on all my tanks. Some of them I can even get to glow yellow.

I have tested several different types of ceramic diffusers all with positive results. The only thing I had to do was ensure the bottles are sealed up completely. Due to the pressure, I developed a couple of leaky bottles so I siliconed all around the tubing. No leaks now.

If you have critters in the tank....I would shy away from (2) bottles on a 10g. ;oP


----------



## fml123denney (Jan 10, 2013)

James0816 said:


> A drop checker will definately measure the CO2 from a DIY setup. I have them on all my tanks. Some of them I can even get to glow yellow.
> 
> I have tested several different types of ceramic diffusers all with positive results. The only thing I had to do was ensure the bottles are sealed up completely. Due to the pressure, I developed a couple of leaky bottles so I siliconed all around the tubing. No leaks now.
> 
> If you have critters in the tank....I would shy away from (2) bottles on a 10g. ;oP


OK sweet then I didn't waste my money. I didn't know if I would need two bottles to build enough pressure for the diffuser.. My bottles r sealed tight. If I pop the line it sounds like a mini compressor hose. Lol.. 

I used a jello recipe for my co2 generator.. Is that better than the 2 cups sugar 1/4 tsp yeast recipe I see everywhere??


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I've used Jell-O recipes before and like them.

You can keep your current population. Only reason mine is so big is my RCS make a lot of babies.

EI is very easy to use. I've been using dry chem fertz for a long time.

Use a drop checker, don't use pH-KH charts. Much more accurate. Also, look into buffering your KH with some baking soda to prevent your pH from dropping out the bottom from CO2 fluctuations.


----------



## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

fml123denney said:


> I used a jello recipe for my co2 generator.. Is that better than the 2 cups sugar 1/4 tsp yeast recipe I see everywhere??


Good choice!


----------

