# Can RCS have too much lighting?



## DylanTheHim (Jul 6, 2017)

Hey Guys
(First post so here goes!)

I am planning on starting a 60l (or 13-ish gallon) Red Cherry Shrimp planted tank. I want nearly the entire aquarium to be planted, so there is a natural feel to it.

To make the question as brief as possible, is there any amount of lighting that RCS can't handle? I understand that plants need lighting to thrive. I was hoping to add 1x24watt Light and 2x9watt Light (in total 42watt). If this would be too hot for the shrimp, i would rather leave it out. Please help and recommend whatever lighting you think best!

Thanks guys
DylanTheHim :grin2:


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## H_C (Feb 25, 2017)

DylanTheHim said:


> Hey Guys
> 
> (First post so here goes!)
> 
> ...




Dont know much about correct lighting but the RCS like 69-74 Fahrenheit. As long as you have dark places for them to hide i dont see a problem


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## DylanTheHim (Jul 6, 2017)

Thanks for the reply!

The thing is I read that shrimp will hide a lot if the lighting is too bright, but at the same time I want my plants to grow. Maybe even just one extra 9watt light would work?

Like you say I would provide hiding spots anyway but i would like to see them sometimes XD


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

DylanTheHim said:


> Hey Guys
> (First post so here goes!)
> 
> I am planning on starting a 60l (or 13-ish gallon) Red Cherry Shrimp planted tank. I want nearly the entire aquarium to be planted, so there is a natural feel to it.
> ...


I keep mine in a high light tank .It's LED, so not a lot of extra heat.Normally it stays about 74 degrees. As long as they have a few places to hang out, they will do well. My shrimp love this large clump of moss. It has become a shrimp hatchery !









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## H_C (Feb 25, 2017)

Deedledee said:


> I keep mine in a high light tank .It's LED, so not a lot of extra heat.Normally it stays about 74 degrees. As long as they have a few places to hang out, they will do well. My shrimp love this large clump of moss. It has become a shrimp hatchery !
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Looks like a pretty nice tank, is it high tech since you have red plants?


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## DylanTheHim (Jul 6, 2017)

Deedledee said:


> I keep mine in a high light tank .It's LED, so not a lot of extra heat.Normally it stays about 74 degrees. As long as they have a few places to hang out, they will do well. My shrimp love this large clump of moss. It has become a shrimp hatchery !
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the response!

These are the two lights I was gonna go for, what do you think? They are not LED, but designed for plant growth.

Dennerle Scaper's Light 24W / 8000K Aquarium Light - Pro Shrimp UK
Dennerle Nano Light 9W


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

DylanTheHim said:


> Thanks for the response!
> 
> These are the two lights I was gonna go for, what do you think? They are not LED, but designed for plant growth.
> 
> ...


You are welcome !
Your lighting depends on a few different factors ,(1) lush plant growth, with possibly high temp.due to excess lighting. (2) will you add C02 ? needed for many plants. (3) depth of tank. Par value is the key. Or, do you just want a nice shrimp colony, with a few hardy plants for them to feel comfortable ? There are many people on this forum that keep shrimp only tanks, I imagine one of them can advise you about the lighting you are considering . The first one at 8000k sounds pretty powerful, but I personally am not familiar with that brand. Just remember though, there are lots of "experts" on this forum, and just as many "know it alls" So take what you need, and leave the rest . Best of luck with your new tank !



H_C said:


> Looks like a pretty nice tank, is it high tech since you have red plants?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Well the term High Tech means different things to different people. There isn't really a clear definition. It's my understanding that high tech involves a lot of fancy luxury items & excess $$$$
I'm like you, just here to see what works & what doesn't 😊
Thanks for the compliment too !

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## H_C (Feb 25, 2017)

Deedledee said:


> Well the term High Tech means different things to different people. There isn't really a clear definition. It's my understanding that high tech involves a lot of fancy luxury items & excess $$$$
> I'm like you, just here to see what works & what doesn't
> Thanks for the compliment too !
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk




No problem. I should have been more clear, have you got CO2 running , are you dosing ferts etc? 



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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

I think the biggest concern with lights is if the lights create too much heat, thus boiling the tank water....

Or there's too much light and not enough plants, thus you get algae growth... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as some algae can be beneficial to the tank. Some people even intentionally (or unintentionally) grow algae for their shrimp.


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## Deedledee (Sep 13, 2016)

H_C said:


> No problem. I should have been more clear, have you got CO2 running , are you dosing ferts etc?
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Oh, okay . Yes I try to stay consistently @ 30 ppm of C02 from 6:00 am to 4:00 pm. I have my regulator solenoid on a timer. I use the E.I.dosing method, which uses macros & micros alternating everyday,Macros are :Seachem Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) + Micros are : Seachem Flourish , Iron , and Advance . I do a 50% water change every Saturday.
My lighting is a Fluval Plant & Fresh LED. 7500 K. Max Par at the substrate is 120, but I mounted my lights up higher because it was too much light& was promoting a lot of algae. You have to strike a balance between high light & abundant fertilizers. Too much of one or the other can cause a multitude of algae !! 

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