Fluval Spec III Lighting Issues

[Kaddock]

Hello,

I bought one of the Fluval Spec III tanks about a month ago and after setting up now have added anubias, fire moss and java ferns (and duck weed accidentally). I will continue to add more plants to see if I can balance everything out, but I'm having some very fast growing algae issues. My last planted tank took quite a while to find a balance with the lighting, but this tank comes with it's own pretty decent light (3rd gen Spec III think? I've heard the light is much more powerful than before).

Does anyone have any advice about LED lighting in a small tank, spec III especially if possible? I have the timer running only 5 hours a day now to try and battle the algae... \

Here are the specs on the Spec III:

 

[Byron]

I won't comment on this specific light since I have no data on it. I may be able to offer a couple suggestions.

Light is generally the problem with troublesome algae, but the nutrients are part of the equation, along with the plant species and numbers. The plants mentioned are low light requiring, so if the light is very "bright" this will inevitably lead to problem algae. Duration can sometimes solve the problem, but only if the intensity is not too far out to begin with; duration (increasing or decreasing) cannot substitute for intensity issues (too much or too little, whichever).

I have had problem brush algae due to lighting, and also over fertilizing. Nothing has been mentioned of fertilizers, or the initial GH of the water (a source of the hard minerals primarily). The fish load and feeding amounts also factor in here.

Last, but not least, welcome to TFF.

Byron.