# Can you hurt your plants with too much light?



## Lorazoo (Jun 8, 2006)

I have a 120 planted. I had T12 fluorescents on there, about 2WPG. I recently upgraded to 330Watts of compact fluorescents from AH supply. They are a mixture of 9325K and 5500K lights. Some of my plants are loving the extra light and they have been pearling like crazy. However, I noticed today that one of my plants looks like its not doing so well. The big, top leaves are melting away. I think Im giving it too much light? I do fertilize following the EI program and do have presurized CO2.

Can anyone help me here?


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

What trace dosing routine are you using and what product? You may be running low on iron. 

That much light should never hurt plants. It's causing a defiency somewhere due to the increased growth rate.


----------



## Lorazoo (Jun 8, 2006)

OK, well, i just dosed yesterday. I was using EI dosing, with Greg Watsons ferts for Micro and Macro. However, with such low light I had before i had cut back to once a week. 

However, if it was a deficenency, wouldnt i see it in everything and not just this one type of plant?


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Not all of the plants will necessarily show deficiencies. Some plants require more nutrients than others. That's the tricky part of keeping so many diverse species in one community tank such as most of us do. 

Could you give specifics as to your dosing? I know it's a bit tedious to type it all out, but it's really the best way for us to help you.


----------



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

Is your melting plant a Crypt by chance?


----------



## Lorazoo (Jun 8, 2006)

I think it is a crypt, yes. I have heard that they do this sometimes. It was doing so well at first, pearling away like the others and then one morning it just looked awful. I am dosing:

1/2 tsp KNO3 (I was ahving to high of Nitrates, so I cut back)
1/2tsp KH2PO4
1/2 tsp K2SO4
37.5mL Trace (CMSB plus Mg mixture from Greg Watson)

I do this as frequently as I need to, which has increased to 2-3 times a week since I put the new lights on.


----------



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

> I think it is a crypt, yes.


 There's your answer. Whenever you change any environmental condition, you will likely have a meltdown. It's the nature of the beast. You increased your lighting and you changed your fert regimen = Crypt meltdown.

Any environmental changes need to be slow and gradual if you have Crypts, otherwise, expect melting.


----------



## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

I agree with Bert. Give it time and they will bounce back. Do not uproot them even if all of the leaves come off. So long as the roots and rhizome are still there they grow back.


----------

