Anubias Barteri Var. Nana & Algae

Fish_Mike

Fishaholic
Joined
Aug 3, 2005
Messages
633
Reaction score
0
Location
Canada
Alright, I need to grow lots of algae in my tank so that my up&coming tropheus will have that to munch on. (It greatly reduces aggression by occupying them with grazing. Tropheus are better algae eaters than plecs ;))

I also need my Anubias var. Nan to do well.

Looking at those two criteria, what spectrum light would you recommend? I'm sure that for both of these, simply one tube will be enough.

Will the tube cause any odd discoloration?
 
ok firstly you dont "Try" to grow algae. do that any you will end up with a sess pit of a tank very quickly, way too much for the fish to cope with.

you dont mention how large the tank is, i would need to know this to advise you properly.

say for example you have 2 WPG with no co2. if you are lax with your fertalising and water changes algae will inevitably take off without you actually doing anything.

should you only have 1 or under 1 wpg then you wont get a lot of algae growth but the anubias will still survive.

i am no fish expert but most fish will only eat a couple of different types of algae of the millions that are out there. putting a 10,000K tube in will result in many different types of algae growth, if your fish eats one or 2 of those you are still going to be over run with the other types.

as i dont know which type of algae your after i cant really help much more. personally if i were only using one tube i would go for an arcadia freshwater (7500K full spectrum) it gives the most natural light you will get with one tube. if your going to go for 2 tubes mix it with something around the 4000K range.

sorry for the rambling reply but thats about as much as i can tell you without knowing more about the fish's requirements (as i've never heard of those before)

hopefully someone else with more fish knowledge will reply soon
 
Tubes with a lot of blue content are ideal for such tanks. The blue content is prefered by the algae and also similates the light produced at the sort of depths Tropheus and other similar cichlids live at I believe.

You should be able to find 10000K tubes fairly easily, they may be sold as marine tubes.

Aim for arond 1 to 1.5 Watts per Gallon and light the tank for 8 to 10 hours a day. This should provide an ideal balance between plant and algae growth.

Depending on the type of Tropheus you keep will depend on how good they will look under such blue light. Black and white markings will look great, as will blue, but any red or yellow won't render too well.
 
Sorry about the lack on info.

Jim- It's a 90 gallon, and many Mbuna keepers and Tropheus keepers do TRY to get algae to grow. It's a very important behavioral aspect. These fish are better at algae eating than plecs. I understand the risk of growing improper algae, but it's a risk I must take for the benefit of the fish.

Gf- I definately though about 10k k bulbs, but how would the Nana fare? Also, good thing I asked about colour distortion, my tropheus are MAINLY red and yellow, so what would you recommend for those?

I also have red rocks (Not my ideal option, but it was cheapest at the time. Will change them in about a year) and brown gravel.

Any advice with this further knowledge?
 
I definately though about 10k k bulbs, but how would the Nana fare? Also, good thing I asked about colour distortion, my tropheus are MAINLY red and yellow, so what would you recommend for those?

I also have red rocks (Not my ideal option, but it was cheapest at the time. Will change them in about a year) and brown gravel.

Any advice with this further knowledge?
Plants are generally unfussy regarding colour temp so 10000K isn't an issue (despite what you may have heard) in your situation. Some planted hobbyists use 10000K exclusively with great success, it is only when one plants with low growth rates/higher lighting ratios then colour temp becomes important regarding problem algae.

In short your Anubias will be fine with whatever lighting you decide, assuming it doesn't get covered in algae that is (which apparently won't happen with your Tropheus).

It sounds like you may want to opt for a lower temp though given your colourations. Most 10000K tubes have little red content so your fish and decor may look a little washed out. Sticking to 4000-6000K would look better IMO. The Hagen Sun-Glo is one tube I can think of from the top of my head that is commonly available and should bring out the colours very well, and yes the Anubias will grow under it too.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top