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Re: Light/? Problems




Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 23:53:39 -0600 (CST)
From: Matt Kowske <xc at innocent_com>

>Hello, I've been reading the list for a few weeks now and I've finally got
my own aquarium up and running.  I really want to have a lush aquatic
jungle of plants, so I've done a lot of reading in books and on the web.
Before I go any further, here are the stats on my setup:

--snip--



>The first problem I'm having is getting plants to grow.  I bought a very
healthy looking Amazon Sword at the fish shop, brought it home, and within
2 days it's already starting to look sick.  The edges of the leaves are
curling in and it isn't nearly as green as it was before.  My first
thought is I don't have enough light.  Although most sources say to have 2
watter per gallon, I only have 1.7 (added to the fact that the aquarium is
much taller than your standard 55 or 20 gallon).

--snip--

I also am having trouble growing plants.  My setup (started in September)
is similar to Matt's although I do not have CO2 and at first my light level
was 50 W (=just over 1 W per US gallon) on for 12 hours per day, and my pH
is 6.7.  I planted a range of low-ish light loving plants in October.  The
Lilaeopsis braziliensis grew and the Anubias seemed to be holding its own.
Three weeks ago I doubled the amount of light and I see that the
Echinodorus bleheri is making small new leaves.  The Anubias is also.  The
Java Fern is looking manky but is making several new shoots.  All the rest
have died or are in their death throes.  Bogwood stained the water the
colour of whisky which might have reduced light levels.  This has more or
less gone now.  I am feeding the plants with a plant food liquid.

I have read that many plants shed their leaves after encountering a change
in water conditions (from dealer to the tank).  Perhaps that is the cause,
as well as the earlier low lightlevels.  I really would like to have strong
growth but want to avoid CO2.

I think that Mattt's 1.7 W per gallon of light is too low, even for
low-light-level plants.

Any comments on all this?

Thanks

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