How Would People Rate My Lighting?

[TrickySpot]

Hi,
 
I have a Juwel Vision 450 with the stock 4 x 50 watt bulbs, which I believe are 2 x 'normal' and 2 x 'full spectrum', i.e. cover blue/green (+- 6400K).
 
I've got the reflectors on them and with CO2 injection my plants grow like crazy, except some that should grow well, but don't!
 
Anything thats not carpeting grows like wildfire, but carpeting plants like HC, dwarf hairgrass, etc, etc just dies off.....
 
1. how is my lighting rated? hi/med/low?
2. any tips on carpeting? Currently am trying Pogostemon Helferi...also just dissolving/dying....
 
Thanks!!
 

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The thing with lighting is that the best way to know what the true 'rating' is, is with a PAR (Photosynthetically Available Radiation) meter.  And, you'd be able to determine the value at different levels of the tank.
 
 
A lot of the new LED lighting units come with PAR readings for various depths of water.  

 

[techen]

Hey, I have the same tank as you, So long as its the standard lights that I have I'd rate it medium light. Considering there T5s and not T8s unless you have the older models it might be T8s am not entirely sure.
 
What are you dosing other than Co2? Do you dose EI ferts? This may help a lot, It's something I recommend to anyone trying to grow high tech plants, However I did rate lights medium, It's a deep tank so the light normally does not hit the bottom of the tank that well.
 
I dose liquid ferts and liquid CO2 and I normally get this effect.
 

 
However, My plants are a mixture of low/medium demanding light plants, Not a fan of doing high tech unless I have some insanely powerful LEDs, Even then I notice a lot of fish get stressed out from this so it's entirely up to yourself.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Good heavens techen, that's a shedload of plants!

 

[TrickySpot]

I did get an aftermarket LED panel (not installed) which claims to be equivalent to 3 x 50 watt T5 bulbs, which would give me roughly 4x50=200 plus 3x50=150, so 350 watts for 105 gallons (estimating displacement of about 50L through substrate), so that gives 3.3 watts / gallon.....still in the medium range if max lighting is at 5-6 watts / gallon. I guess it might be slightly higher because of the T5 reflectors. 
 
I'm thinking artificial carpet and the rest real
 
Oh yes, I use the Tropica liquid fertiliser, my tank grows as well as yours and I get the reds and oranges out of the plants that should have them...its just the carpeting plants that don't thrive.

 

[shoulders]

if its only your carpeting plants that are not doing well i would say that is a flow problem not a lighting problem