# T6 96W 6,700K Lights



## Cachimbo (Jun 25, 2011)

Hello,

I just started my first planted 50 Gal tank with DIY CO2 with diffuser 6 bubbles per second. I plan it to be heavy planted, but have started medium planted. I have two T6 96W 6,700K Lights wich sums up to be 3.84wpg. Reading some posts I found out that de wpg thumb rule varies between T4, T6, T8 etc.
The question is if 3.84wpg is to high or medium for a T6. Should it be better then to have 1.92 wpg and is this medium or low light?

Please help, I am a little confused here with the wpg.

Cachimbo


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Cachimbo,

There is really no way to accurately answer your question; watts per gallon don't really tell us about the light intensity in your aquarium. The use of reflectors, reflector material and shape, and tank depth all enter into the equation.

That said, when I started planted aquariums I used one (1) 96 watt PC on a 45 gallon tall (24" deep) aquarium with DIY CO2 and had good results. My photoperiod was about 5 hours and I used SAE and Otos to help minimize algae.

45 Gallon Tall w/ 1 96 watt PC bulb


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## Cachimbo (Jun 25, 2011)

Thaks for your comments Seattle_Aquarist,

That is some information definitely needed.

Have a parabolic type reflectors, the ones from AH supply. Tank is 20" deep and have DIY CO2 with Aquatek diffuser 5 to 6 bubbles per second. I am in the 11th day of cycling so otos will get wiped out. However I will get them later on. As far as I know they a very sensitive to ammonia and nitrites. 

Photoperiod was reduced form 10hrs to 6hrs to try and control green algae, green thread, brown algae bloom. Algae is allover the place and I discussed it in another forum. They told me that I had too much light and that triggered the bloom.

So then again, I am not sure of I should use both lamps or just one. According to your experience what would you suggest?

Guess I have to lower the light a bit and let the cycling to take its course.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Cachimbo,

You made a good choice on the reflectors! If it were me I would only use one bulb. I would start with a photoperiod of 4 hours and increase the photoperiod by 1 hour per week until it was obvious that algae growth was becoming an issue; then I would back off to the level of the previous photoperiod.

I like a good "cleaning crew": 1 cory cat per 5 gallons; 1 Siamese Algae Eater (SAE; except no substitutes) per 10 gallons; 1 Otocinclus cat per 10 gallons. The corys are good "general purpose" scavengers for excess food. The SAE are good on hair and thread type algaes. The Otos are good on soft flat green algaes and Diatoms (brown algae). Blue-green algae (BGA) is not an algae but a bacteria and Otos will not touch it.

Ferts and water changes. Start fertilizing once the tank is up for a couple of days. If you are new to fertilizers I recommend a good general purpose fert like Seachem Flourish Comprehensive, just follow the instructions on the bottle. For a little extra carbon; and as an algae inhibitor I like Seachem Excel. Dose per instructions for extra available carbon for your plants and dose at 2X the Daily Dosage (5 ml / 25 gallons) as an algacide if your algae starts to take off.

Do at least one 50% water change per week. If algae is a problem, or is starting to try to take over do two water changes per week. Algae is a more simple form of plant life and cannot adapt as well to changing water conditions as the "higher" more evolved plants species. Extra water changes weakens them and makes them more suseptable to control measures like SAE, Otos, and Excel. I do remind myself however that algae is usually in almost every river or lake I have ever seen, even the most healthy rivers or lakes. Some algae in an aquarium is not bad, but it should not become excessive.


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## Cachimbo (Jun 25, 2011)

Seattle_Aquarist,

Thanks for your advice to the point and clear

Only thing is that I have been fertilizing with Seachem flourish, Trace, Fe and nitrogen. I'm not sure if I should stop the fertilization and continue until the algae bloom it is significantly reduced. I am following the dosing recommendations from Seachem.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Cachimbo,

Just call me Roy! I would continue the Flourish and stop the Nitrogen. As for the Trace and Fe, it is up to you.


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