# Photo period and light amount (WPG) advice and suggestions wanted.



## Sepincourt (May 14, 2009)

Hello, 

Just after some opinions of my lighting setup, I’ve finally gotten around to buying some timers for my lights so can finally set it all up correctly, I’m just a little curious as to what you experts would recommend. (I’m new to planted tanks; my current one has been running for about 4 months) I will be experimenting a bit in regards to times and amounts and watching the effects carefully, but thought asking people with years of experience in this area would give me a great starting point rather then me just jumping in with no “real” idea.

Anyway the tank is about 127 gallons (That’s actual water volume); the system total (It’s sumped) is around 145g. It’s 5X2X28inch, so it’s a tad bit higher then a standard-ish tank.

I use pressurized CO2 and PPS Ferts. Currently it houses, various Echinodorus (Amazonicus, Bleheri, Tenellus and the Crimson Sails and P.Klockner (Spelling?) as well as Hair Grass, Vallisneria, Red Lotus, Java Fern and Java Moss (The fern is actually looking rather odd, when I got it, it had long dark leaves on but since then the large ones have died off and the new ones and much shorter and rather pale, and more recently it’s become completely covered in pups, I mean COMPLETELY. Any thoughts?)


I have 3 custom made light units on my tank, they all house T5’s with individual parabolic reflectors. 

The first (Central One) has 2 2foot (24watt) Gro-Lux bulbs. (48 Watts)
(They are side by side so cover most of the tank length)

The second and third units, (Back and Front) each have 2 4foot (54watt) bulbs, one is a Tri-Phosphor the other is a Gro-Lux. (108Watts Each)
(They are staggered in each unit to provide full coverage of the tank length (Also the Grow-Lux bulbs are on opposite sides of the tank so the color isn’t all odd on one side, lol))


I was thinking of running them in this order: (Aiming for a “natural” feel (Sort of a purist like that))

11:00-11:30am – 48watts (.4WPG)
11:30am-4:30pm – 216watts (1.7WPG)
4:30-7:30pm – 264watts (2WPG)
7:30-10:30pm – 216watts (1.7WPG)
10:30-11:00pm – 48watts (.4WPG)

(I’m also working on some moonlighting which I will likely run for additional 1-2 hours at night, so I can watch my fish be nocturnal (Provided I am as well) though it shouldn’t add to actual photo period for plants)

Total Photo Period is 12hrs, the first and last half hours are sort of a “wake up” and “chill out” period and the middle 3 hours are a bit brighter for a “natural” light progression. It gives an average of just under 1.7WPG over those 12 hours. 


Is this high enough given they are T5’s (I’ve heard a 1.7WPG considered Low-Medium before) but does that apply to T5’s, that rule has been around long before T5 lights, so is there a new “Rule” for lighting amount and photo period?

Also the tank is rather deep is there anything I should take into account there? Would I be better off running the higher amount for longer for better light penetration?

Should I increase/reduce photo period? Or the timing/length of my High Light/Low Light periods? 

Also does running extremely low light, ie .4WPG actually achieve anything for plants or is it basically like not having light on at all? 
(The .4 WPG is mostly for the fish’s sake and to make things “Natural”, those lights are the Grow Lux ones that have an odd purple-redish hue, it actually does looks sort of sun-rise, sun-set like)

Additionally I have heard some claims of a “wake up” or “siesta” period being beneficial for plants and to prevent algae growth respectively, what are your thoughts on this? 
(I’ve always taken it with a pinch of salt as they are generally just whispers.)


At the moment I have been running just the 216watts for around 11-12 hours per day, which is equivalent to what I’d get with the new setup. So I assume it should be fine, but any suggestions towards a better setup would be GREATLY appreciated. From what I’ve heard and read here I think this set-up should work ok, but thought I should ask in case there was something I was over looking. (BTW this site is great, it has a fantastic wealth of information, thanks to all who contribute, it’s an awesome resource)


Thanks heaps in advance and sorry for the long post,
Cheers,
Stevo.


----------



## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I like the staggered schedule you've come up with and I think it will be good. Having very low light at the start and end IS beneficial to the plants, in my opinion. In nature they the same treatment and I think it helps in keeping uniform growth (not too tall and leggy, not too short and squaty....just natural). 

-Dave


----------



## Sepincourt (May 14, 2009)

Hello,

I assumed it would be fine, just wanted to see if anyone could find any flaws in my numbers…. Better to ask and be sure then to stuff something with lack of knowledge. 

Thanks for the reply mate, good to know some else else agrees with the low light at start and end of the day, I was mainly doing it for a natural look and fish stress issues but helping the plants is a huge plus.

Cheers,
Stevo


----------



## shark1505 (Jan 24, 2010)

Yes that seems fine. You don't really have any high light plants so that photoperiod seems great.


----------



## killacross (Apr 29, 2010)

why are you starting/ending so late tho? by 11a you would have some natural light and your fish would already be awake...in theory, without eyelids...you would keep your fish up and sleep deprived

...just my opinion tho


----------



## Sepincourt (May 14, 2009)

Thanks for the replies,

killacross, thanks for the good point, I was actually worried about the same thing. 

I’m hoping it should be ok. The tank is in a very large room on the end of my house, while the other 3 walls (The tanks not against) have large sliding doors the room is surrounded by gardens and verandas on those 3 sides as such it NEVER receives any direct sunlight and only a little sunlight filters through, it is a fairly dark room (I feel the need to have the lights on whenever I’m in here) additionally the curtains are always drawn on the eastern facing side, so there isn’t much light until mid-late morning. (Admittedly there is still some, not saying it's like eternal twilight in there, lol)

The reason I’ve started so late in the day and is so I can end later…. If I get home late from work I wouldn’t get much of a chance to admire the tank also I’m a bit of a night owl anyway, so most nights the rooms lights will be on till around 10:00-10:30 anyway. 

It’s defiantly something I will keep a close eye on and give more consideration to though, mainly in the summer months where it’s brighter, earlier.

Cheers,
Stevo


----------

