Lights And Co2

[Zachary1941]

Hi,
I have my lights set to come on for 4 HOURS.... off for 5.... then on again for 4 HOURS....When i get around to adding CO2 do i do the same with the CO2 on and off etc or leave it on all day and just switch off at night ..Regards Zac

 

[RadaR]

When you get CO2 there is no need to do that anymore. Have them on for 7-9hours a day, straight.

 

[baron von bubba]

When you get CO2 there is no need to do that anymore. Have them on for 7-9hours a day, straight.

agreed,
the lighting break you are doing benifits by letting the residual co2 levels get back up again for a 2nd period of growth. there fore not needed if you are adding co2.

 

[Geoff1991]

Something i found earlier written by george farmer,

Im trying it just so i can have the lights on at times when im around and off for a couple while im at work.

Photoperiod Gaps and Timers

A relatively new concept in lighting is to have a gap or “siesta” in the photoperiod. Plants can apparently adapt to a small dark period whereas algae is not so adaptable. Recommended siesta periods can be from 1 hour to 4 hours with a minimum of 4 hours of lighting either side of the siesta. This is a popular method of limiting algae growth and personally of have had great success with it and still run my lighting with a 2 hour siesta, with 5 hours of lighting either side (5 on, 2 off, 5 on). I can assume that the plants recognise that there is 12 hours of light even though the tank actually illuminated for 10 hours.

Timers are a very effective and convenient method of controlling photoperiods. One can set the timer to switch off at a time most suitable to the viewer. Personally my lights switch off just before my “bed time”.

 

[baron von bubba]

Something i found earlier written by george farmer,

Im trying it just so i can have the lights on at times when im around and off for a couple while im at work.

Photoperiod Gaps and Timers

A relatively new concept in lighting is to have a gap or “siesta” in the photoperiod. Plants can apparently adapt to a small dark period whereas algae is not so adaptable. Recommended siesta periods can be from 1 hour to 4 hours with a minimum of 4 hours of lighting either side of the siesta. This is a popular method of limiting algae growth and personally of have had great success with it and still run my lighting with a 2 hour siesta, with 5 hours of lighting either side (5 on, 2 off, 5 on). I can assume that the plants recognise that there is 12 hours of light even though the tank actually illuminated for 10 hours.

Timers are a very effective and convenient method of controlling photoperiods. One can set the timer to switch off at a time most suitable to the viewer. Personally my lights switch off just before my “bed time”.

i dont believe that its because the algae is less adaptable!

the only thing that makes sense to me is, the fact that after a few hours light in a low co2 tank then the co2 could be totally limited, turning the lights off for a few hours lets the co2 reach equilibrium again.
when the lights come back on there will be fresh co2 for the plants to continue to grow.

if the co2 is exhausted as it may in a continuous lighting period then the plants will stall their growth and the algae will then get its chance.

conversly i believe there is a possibility that a light break in an injected tank could actually cause algae because of uneven co2 levels??
just my theory tho......

 

[Geoff1991]

Ill see how it goes anyway, i dont even have a problem with algae, just better for me.

 

[aaronnorth]

siesta is only good for allowing CO2 levels to build up. Algae is one of the most adaptable organisms in he aquarium.

 

[Geoff1991]

Ah right, i gave up on that idea anyway, remembered my crypts melted last time i messed with my lighting.

 

[baron von bubba]

Something i found earlier written by george farmer,

Im trying it just so i can have the lights on at times when im around and off for a couple while im at work.

Photoperiod Gaps and Timers

A relatively new concept in lighting is to have a gap or “siesta” in the photoperiod. Plants can apparently adapt to a small dark period whereas algae is not so adaptable. Recommended siesta periods can be from 1 hour to 4 hours with a minimum of 4 hours of lighting either side of the siesta. This is a popular method of limiting algae growth and personally of have had great success with it and still run my lighting with a 2 hour siesta, with 5 hours of lighting either side (5 on, 2 off, 5 on). I can assume that the plants recognise that there is 12 hours of light even though the tank actually illuminated for 10 hours.

Timers are a very effective and convenient method of controlling photoperiods. One can set the timer to switch off at a time most suitable to the viewer. Personally my lights switch off just before my “bed time”.

do you have a link to the complete article dude?
thanks

 

[RadaR]

George probably wrote that before he knew that this method is old and was only used in the past when us hobbyists couldn't maintain a good constant level of CO2. When the lights were off the plants would respire and not take CO2 in. Therefore the CO2 being injected by whatever method would be allowed to build back up to a good level, ready for the plants to use when the lights came back on.
Therefore, because we now do have good ways of getting CO2 into the tank, this method is really not needed. Algae is far more adaptive than plants IME.

 

[baron von bubba]

George probably wrote that before he knew that this method is old and was only used in the past when us hobbyists couldn't maintain a good constant level of CO2. When the lights were off the plants would respire and not take CO2 in. Therefore the CO2 being injected by whatever method would be allowed to build back up to a good level, ready for the plants to use when the lights came back on.
Therefore, because we now do have good ways of getting CO2 into the tank, this method is really not needed. Algae is far more adaptive than plants IME.

Something i found earlier written by george farmer,

Im trying it just so i can have the lights on at times when im around and off for a couple while im at work.

Photoperiod Gaps and Timers

A relatively new concept in lighting is to have a gap or “siesta” in the photoperiod. Plants can apparently adapt to a small dark period whereas algae is not so adaptable. Recommended siesta periods can be from 1 hour to 4 hours with a minimum of 4 hours of lighting either side of the siesta. This is a popular method of limiting algae growth and personally of have had great success with it and still run my lighting with a 2 hour siesta, with 5 hours of lighting either side (5 on, 2 off, 5 on). I can assume that the plants recognise that there is 12 hours of light even though the tank actually illuminated for 10 hours.

Timers are a very effective and convenient method of controlling photoperiods. One can set the timer to switch off at a time most suitable to the viewer. Personally my lights switch off just before my “bed time”.

i dont believe that its because the algae is less adaptable!

the only thing that makes sense to me is, the fact that after a few hours light in a low co2 tank then the co2 could be totally limited, turning the lights off for a few hours lets the co2 reach equilibrium again.
when the lights come back on there will be fresh co2 for the plants to continue to grow.

if the co2 is exhausted as it may in a continuous lighting period then the plants will stall their growth and the algae will then get its chance.

conversly i believe there is a possibility that a light break in an injected tank could actually cause algae because of uneven co2 levels??
just my theory tho......

i agree totally! :0)

i do think maybe there is still a place for this in low tech tanks with no co2 supplementation.

even in the dennerle guide to setting up a planted aquarium they talk about this "siesta" and that's in a high tech tank, they also state its because plants adapt better than algae.
so i was curious weather i misunderstood or misinterpreted something.....

 

[RadaR]

even in the dennerle guide

Who still believe in heating cables

 

[baron von bubba]

even in the dennerle guide

Who still believe in heating cables

which i happen to have! :0/
got it dead cheap with the duomat controller along with some bad advice at start up!! :0/

i can kinda understand them pushing these things tho, after all it does benefit them financially to sell them.

the light break however dosen't make any sense to me in a high tech tank!
could it be that its because they recommend a lower ppm of co2 in that book than most of us would run our tanks at?

 

[waterdrop]

The GFarmer quote was one of the bits, along with a discussion with Diana Walstad, that got me doing a "siesta" in my "low-light" tank, but part of the whole thing was that I was definately not doing CO2, am doing excel for now. I think perhaps Diana has had some success with siesta's when most of the CO2 is coming from soil in the tank. Perhaps the gap time to let the CO2 build back up really works out in those tanks. For most tanks I don't think a photogap is a very effective way to help with most algae types except as a way to cut down light hours and still have a lighted tank during times when you are there most.. kind of a nice practical thing in those cases. So I agree with the others, the kinds of advice given here in the TFF planted forum for dealing with individual types of algae and the things pertaining to good water flow, to reduce dead spots and non-fluctuating CO2 are all more up-to-date things than the siesta for most tanks discussed here.

RadaR (and others), I'd be really interested in hearing the "heater cable" story boiled down, both the "why people did it" and "why they mostly don't anymore." I don't think I understand it.

I ran into a small number of people still using heater cables in their substrate in casual conversations at that last international aquatic gardeners association meeting in Atlanta that I attended. I think I got it explained to me but I've forgotten it now. I was kind of surprised because I think I'd already heard in places that it was considered out of date.

thanks! WD

 

[RadaR]

Hey WD.
Check out this link.
There are 23 comments regarding the topic at hand underneath the article.
Of course it's best to read all of the comments however ones to pay close attention to are Dave Spencer's, Matthew Holbrook-bull's, Ed Seeley's and Tom Barr's.
You should find everything there.