getting the right light for your particular use can make a big difference in how your plants grow, how bad / good your algae grows, how your fish look ( making their colors pop )… I’m not very knowledgeable about light colors, I’ve seen, but not memorized the color charts… light… I’m not sure of the correct term, so I’ll say intensity, because at this point, I’m only talking about white light, can be warm, to sunlight bright, I think is usually measured in “K” with a number of K…
in this case, I have a rock pile I’m trying to grow algae on, so I have supplemented several 7 watt LED spotlights illuminating my rock pile… it’s as bright as sunlight, yet in a week, it has grown no algae the fish colors pop in this light… 7 watts 6000 K per light X 3… it would seem a great light for someone not actually trying to grow algae… this is not my main light, only supplemental, with a 48 inch aquarium LED light, as the main tank light… I’m not sure the “K” range of the actual aquarium light, but note that their are red and blue, and maybe green LED bulb options with the programmer, which I don’t use… my nicest looking, and actively growing coffeefola is in this tank, and seems to like the aquarium light, but that light, does actively grow algae, so I place a piece of tinted plexiglass over the top of the tank above the typically slow growing coffeefola, to limit the algae growth on the coffeefola…
anyone into “light” enough to fully understand what is needed to grow plants, but not overwhelm your tank with algae, or in the case of the rock pile I’m actively trying to grow algae the light that would be best, or a specific light, that makes the fish pop like sunlight, but wouldn’t grow excessive algae, yet allow enough light to grow other aquatic plants
I know water quality and nutrition ( fertilizer ) makes a difference in individual plant growth, but seems the light makes an equally big difference
todays LED options are amazing, and to think back in the dark ages I started using incandescent bulbs, because I didn’t like dealing with the fluorescent bulbs going bad, ( dark ends ) and the starters failing…
in this case, I have a rock pile I’m trying to grow algae on, so I have supplemented several 7 watt LED spotlights illuminating my rock pile… it’s as bright as sunlight, yet in a week, it has grown no algae the fish colors pop in this light… 7 watts 6000 K per light X 3… it would seem a great light for someone not actually trying to grow algae… this is not my main light, only supplemental, with a 48 inch aquarium LED light, as the main tank light… I’m not sure the “K” range of the actual aquarium light, but note that their are red and blue, and maybe green LED bulb options with the programmer, which I don’t use… my nicest looking, and actively growing coffeefola is in this tank, and seems to like the aquarium light, but that light, does actively grow algae, so I place a piece of tinted plexiglass over the top of the tank above the typically slow growing coffeefola, to limit the algae growth on the coffeefola…
anyone into “light” enough to fully understand what is needed to grow plants, but not overwhelm your tank with algae, or in the case of the rock pile I’m actively trying to grow algae the light that would be best, or a specific light, that makes the fish pop like sunlight, but wouldn’t grow excessive algae, yet allow enough light to grow other aquatic plants
I know water quality and nutrition ( fertilizer ) makes a difference in individual plant growth, but seems the light makes an equally big difference
todays LED options are amazing, and to think back in the dark ages I started using incandescent bulbs, because I didn’t like dealing with the fluorescent bulbs going bad, ( dark ends ) and the starters failing…
Last edited:
