# iwugami dwarf hairgrass - light period



## Jmitchem (May 28, 2012)

Hey guys need some advice on how long to run my lights.

i have 4xt5 24watt 6500k sitting on top of a 20 gallon long - 96 watts total - thats 4.8 watts per gallon 

how long am i suppose to be running these lights?

floramax substrate and diy co2 1bps hob-filter inlet fed 

my co2 is reading anywhere from 18-20 on the co2 chart using the kh and ph depending on which chart you look at

thanks a bunch


----------



## wwh2694 (Aug 15, 2008)

Too much light and low co2 = algae. Ur going to kill ur grass coz algae will grow on it. I suggest u lower ur light and increase Co2. U didn't mention fertz??? U have any?.


----------



## Jmitchem (May 28, 2012)

ok, removed 1 light strip - making it 2x24watt so I am at 2.4 watts per gallon - I am worried about the grass on the edges getting enough light though

yes i have been dosing flourish

I just ordered some dry ferts

KN03
KH2P04

EI dosing will begin as soon as I get those ferts based off this guide:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilizing/15225-estimative-index-dosing-guide.html

with that in mind how long should I run the lights?


----------



## Jmitchem (May 28, 2012)

anyone else? how long should I run my lights?


----------



## _chicken_ (Oct 7, 2007)

I would suggest you start off by only running your lights 7-8 hours at most. You can always increase the photoperiod later if things are going well. It's a lot easier to do that than to turn things around once algae has taken hold. 

Are those high output t5s? Because even the one light strip may be more light than you need on a tank that shallow. 

I would try to be as consistent as possible with dosing, and keep co2 levels high. How many bottles of diy co2 are you running? When I did diy co2 on my 20 high and my 29 gallon, I had two 2-liter bottles going at a time. I would alternate when I refreshed the yeast mixture on the bottles (rather than doing both at once), so as to keep co2 levels as consistent as possible.


----------

