# lighting advise needed for growing Hemianthus callitrichoides



## Omegatron (Feb 13, 2013)

Hi,

Recently i made an attempt to create an Iwagumi scape, sadly after 3 weeks my Hemianthus callitrichoides started to turn brown, this is a picture of it:












I asked around what was causing this problem and people told me that because of the lights i lack co2. The lack of co2 is causing this they say. So now i cranked up the co2 and went back from 10 hours of light to 8 hours.

I dont know if my tank can be considered a high lighted tank but this is what i have:

Im using a Juwel Trigon 190 (corner tank). The default light is only 2x 590mm T5

So i added some DIY lights, this is what i have now:


1x Juwel Day 438mm 24watt T5 (9000 kelvin)
1x Juwel Day 590mm 28watt T5 (9000 kelvin)
1x Dennerle Color Plus 590mm 28watt T5 880 lumen (for some reason they dont add kelvin on the tube or boxing)
1x Dennerle Special Plant 590mm 28watt T5 2.400 lumen / 3.000 kelvin


For all 4 i have reflectors added aswell.


Now when i bought my HC they stated that its a plant needing a lot of light, though after the HC turning brown i looked up this plant on the internet including this awsome forum. (i know now i shoud have done it before buying) Now im reading its not high light it needs but a good amount of Co2.

So now my question for you planted tank guru's, Do i have too much light in my aquarium for this plant to grow nice (aswell for dwarf hairgrass), Do you reccomend to change some or all the lights for something else?


If so what should i be looking for? I live in the netherlands and im not keen on ordering stuff outside the country due to shipment cost and damaging.


Maybe you could tell me how much kelvin/lumen i need for each light i have now. Maybe its not the lights? I dont know. I was hoping you nice people could help me out so im not going to waste money.


thanks very much!


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## gnod (Mar 24, 2011)

i just posted this in someone else's thread above yours but please read this: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=85667&page=2

it would be hard to definitively tell you if it's high or med light without a par meter but i'm "guessing" that's probably too much light. 

as for co2, i think that's more finicky than most people give credit. i try not to mess with it other than set it at 1bps as a consistent variable.

the only "easy" variable that i work with is high long my light is on, and how far it's from the tank.


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## homemadepopcorn (Mar 19, 2012)

If plants are melting slowly its because too much light is driving their need for nutrients which aren't being supplied. CO2 is probably deficient.


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## Omegatron (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks for the response, much appriciated,

@gnod @homemadepopcorn: i've been reading through the thread you linked and i understand that its very hard to say when you have too much light. But I was hoping giving the current lighting specs one could say it was too much or not.

Im beginning to understand its all related, if you have a lot of light you need to keep up with the nutrient and co2 aswell. 

I know for a fact i was lacking the nutrient part. As of last week i started dosing powder (mixed with distelled water) using the Estimative Index. So as of last week the nutrient side should be fine now.

As i said I also cranked up the Co2, someone told me, looking at the same picture, it was definatly a lack of co2. Also, i was using an glass diffusor but tomorrow im going to recieve the UP inline atomizer (hopefully for better co2 disolvement in the water).

But im wondering, and reading through a lot of posts, is it better if I would buy different T5 tubes, and if so. Witch one would be good (or the best).

Im happy to invest in better equipment but i dont want to make the mistake of buying something that wouldnt make a difference at all.

thanks again!


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## homemadepopcorn (Mar 19, 2012)

If it isn't broken, don't fix it. If you do in fact have too much light, then your bulbs are working just fine and there's no need to change anything. I would just make sure that you are using bulbs in between 5000k and 10000k. Those unknown bulbs could lead to algae problems although its unlikely if you havent seen anything by now.


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