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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #402>>Tank Imbalance

Dennis replies to me about green water:
 
> Green water is usually a form of algea.  In that case there are two strong
> factors that come into play.  First off is Phosphates in the water which is
> usually caused from over feediing or using non-aquarium fertilizers.

Agreed. I feed the fish sparingly, sometimes only once every couple of days.
I believe that fish are more healthy/active if they are always hungry,  But
that's another topic....

I barely have measurable levels of Phosphate, < 0.1

> The second element is excessive light.  Especially in the wrong ends of the
> spectrum.  You noted that your using a 96 Watt PC plus a 30 watt Triton.
> To me for a 40 gallon tank this is a bit powerful unless your really trying
> to work with some plants that have super high light demands.

Hmmm... The possibility of too much light for this tank had not occurred to
me. Dimensions of this tank are 36"L x 12"D x 24"H. Pretty deep tank in my
estimation. Plus, the stupid glass top (Oceanic) that came with it has
clear, textured, translucent glass, like a shower door. Seems to diffuse the
light some, reducing its intensity. I have been meaning to replace it with
"real" glass. Still sound like too much light?

The kicker in my situation is that I also have a 29gal planted tank with the
exact same problems. I maintain these two tanks exactly the same, imposing
the same techniques as on the 40gal. But, it has less light (55watts
composed of 2 x 20 watt + 1 x 15 watt NO florescent tubes). No reflectors.
Does this sound like excessive light?

> Also what is the color balance of the pH unit?

I don't understand what you mean. Perhaps you mean the PC unit? 6700K.
Please clarify...

> How long are you using your lights?

I have been slacking off on consistency of duration the lights are switched
on. Need to invest in a timer. :) I try to keep them on for no more than 12
hours a day.

> With that type of wattage I'd say 8 hours a day should be max.  On my
> 55 gallon tanks I only use 80 watts of light for 10 hours a day, and on my 120
> gallon only 160 watts 8 hours a day.  On a 30 gallon breeder I only have 40
> watts
> of light and whenever I run it over 12 hours a day (like when I have spawning
> going on) I get a real bad bloom of green water.

Something to think about. Thanks for the advice.

Phil Behrends
Colorado Springs, CO