# In a low tech 55 gallon, how much par should I shoot for these plants?



## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

I will not be growing super low light plants.. mostly slow growing(for low tech) plants like dwarf hairgrass, crypto parva, pygmy chain sword, dwarf sag, marsilea hirsuta or minuta...etc. 

I'll probably remove all my java moss and java fern.

In a 55 gallon tank with 3" of EC(so around 18-19" from floor to light fixture), how much par should I shoot for before I start worrying about algae?

Would the Finnex Fugeray planted+ work for this?


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

A. Anything under 20" and you should invest in a dimmer switch/w that light.
Which btw depends on your DIY skills and willingness to cut into the line on it.
B. It depends on how many of what kind of plants you use.
First thread on the "Low Tech" section of the forum list plants which have been grown
in low light by various people on here. Some of those are really not low light category
plants. I'd suggest you individually look them up through Google and pick out one or two which say faster growth(hopefully they will also give the adult size of it)and use
those for helping/w the algae.


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

Raymond S. said:


> A. Anything under 20" and you should invest in a dimmer switch/w that light.
> Which btw depends on your DIY skills and willingness to cut into the line on it.
> B. It depends on how many of what kind of plants you use.
> First thread on the "Low Tech" section of the forum list plants which have been grown
> ...


Would the weaker, stingray be the better model in this case?

As for the types of plants being used, I just orderd some Staurogyne repens, cryptocoryne parva, marsilea hirsuta, and pygmy chain sword. I'm not trying to get fast growth. Just enough light to keep them alive but not so much that I will have algae problems. I understand most of these are very slow growers(especially in a low tech setup).


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Insufficient evidence of PAR on the Stingray to say for sure. Seems they intentionally 
made it a lower level of PAR. One person on here says it's perfect for his 10g tank, but another says it's just a bit to much for his 20T tank.
Speculating that in the 10g there IS enough faster growing type plants and in the 20T
there is NOT enough of those type which creates the different opinions on those two 
tanks....you would be speculating at best to think it would still be adequate light in
a taller tank.
One person gave it a review(with pictures) comparing the Planted+ and the Stingray 
and because the Stingray includes blue spectrum bulbs which the Planted+ does not
that showed that the Stingray has a better look in the same tank. Color of the tank/fish
and plants etc.
So back to that dimmer thing again, I'd rather buy a fixture which I know to be over
what I need and tone it down rather than end up/w one which isn't enough.
But then I'm addicted to pushing the PAR to the limit of just past where algae begins.
And no I don't use injected co2 but only Excel.


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

Raymond S. said:


> But then I'm addicted to pushing the PAR to the limit of just past where algae begins.
> And no I don't use injected co2 but only Excel.


Interesting, so what is the main factor in keeping algae in control when the light is just at/over the limit? I'm assuming you just feed conservatively and do shorter light periods.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Raymond S. said:


> Insufficient evidence of PAR on the Stingray to say for sure. Seems they intentionally
> made it a lower level of PAR. One person on here says it's perfect for his 10g tank, but another says it's just a bit to much for his 20T tank.
> Speculating that in the 10g there IS enough faster growing type plants and in the 20T
> there is NOT enough of those type which creates the different opinions on those two
> ...


 Planted plus has blue moonlight's (8) in addition to the red and 7000 K bulbs
I run the moonlight's along with the daylight bulbs.
Most bulb's advertised as full spectrum will also have enough red/blue for plant growth.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

A couple of kinds of algae are caused by chemical imbalances. One kind seems to show 
up mostly when the CO2 is too low for the light level.
I think the rest mostly go by either/or too high/too long on the light. Plants use the energy provided by the light. Slow growing plants use less of it. Faster growing plants use more of it. Put in more light than your plants use and algae will use it.
Then also certain plants create chemicals when growing that algae can't or have a hard time living in. A faster growing plant would produce those faster.
Gathering all this info is good. But growing plants is how you find out what will or won't work in your tank. Each one is an individual environment that needs for someone to learn how it works if it's to be successful.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

As a general answer to your question, I would aim for 30-35 PAR maximum, for a low light tank, using Excel/Metricide, but not CO2. It is certainly possible that you could get good results with 40-45 PAR, but I'm pleased with what I get with 30-35, and BBA has not visited me with that level.


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

Hoppy said:


> As a general answer to your question, I would aim for 30-35 PAR maximum, for a low light tank, using Excel/Metricide, but not CO2. It is certainly possible that you could get good results with 40-45 PAR, but I'm pleased with what I get with 30-35, and BBA has not visited me with that level.


Doesn't the fugeray planted+ provide 35 PAR for a 55 gallon?(3" substrate so 18" distance). If so would that even need a dimmer since I will be using excel?


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189944
Regular PAR meters don't recognize the red light well. The plants use all or almost
all of the red light however so no energy is wasted from those bulbs.
That makes the Planted+ a higher PAR than the Fugeray.
Estimates range from 10 to 20 % higher.
You can always get a dimmer later or even just place a piece of screen wire between the
fixture and the tank.


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

Raymond S. said:


> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=189944
> Regular PAR meters don't recognize the red light well. The plants use all or almost
> all of the red light however so no energy is wasted from those bulbs.
> That makes the Planted+ a higher PAR than the Fugeray.
> Estimates range from 10 to 20 % higher.


Ohh I see. I'll probably just get the 24/7 then and tone it down. I don't think they've released the PAR values for 24/7 yet(at least not from Finnex themselves).. now i just have to figure exactly how much to tone it down to get to that level.


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## BradH (May 15, 2008)

Get the 24/7 and run it on the 24/7 cycle and you'll be good to go. It'll tone itself down and peak in the middle of the day.


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

Sorry, just one more thing before deciding which one to buy. I've been going back reading the comments on the light threads, and it was said that the planted+ is low-medium light and I should only start seeing problems with algae if I move up to the ray2. 

However in this thread, it's been said that the planted+ might be too much light for a low tech(35 par reading, with 10-20% more in actual PAR value) Just want to clear up the contradicting points.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=903089 



> Would be low to medium light for 55 gal low tech.
> You would struggle with it and carpet plant's, but would be fine otherwise I feel.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

General good tank husbandry will go a long way towards preventing algae, regardless if you have 25 par or 45. Clean filters, clean tank, regular water changes, etc. Plant heavy from the start and provide a full range of ferts.

Just because a particular light didnt work out for one person on a certain size tank doesnt make it a universal rule. There are many other factors involved.


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

burr740 said:


> General good tank husbandry will go a long way towards preventing algae, regardless if you have 25 par or 45. Clean filters, clean tank, regular water changes, etc. Plant heavy from the start and provide a full range of ferts.
> 
> Just because a particular light didnt work out for one person on a certain size tank doesnt make it a universal rule. There are many other factors involved.


Definitely this.... Much more important than small differences in lighting levels


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Low Tech Tank Lighting*

Hello jc...

Low tech is pretty simple. I have a 60 gallon, very similar in most respects to the 55. I don't figure par, I just use four 32 watt florescent, T8 bulbs in a shop light set up from the local hardware store, about $40.00. This gets me to the 2 watts per gallon of light I need to grow most of the aquatic plants on the market.

Easy peezee.

B


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

BBradbury said:


> Hello jc...
> 
> Low tech is pretty simple. I have a 60 gallon, very similar in most respects to the 55. I don't figure par, I just use four 32 watt florescent, T8 bulbs in a shop light set up from the local hardware store, about $40.00. This gets me to the 2 watts per gallon of light I need to grow most of the aquatic plants on the market.
> 
> ...


Are these tanks heavily planted?


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Low Tech Tank Lighting*



jcmv4792 said:


> Are these tanks heavily planted?


Hello again jc...

I'd say it's heavily planted. Mostly Anubias nana and nangi. Has some Java fern. Floating there's Anacharis, Horn and Pennywort. Attached is a pic of the tank when it had a bit less lighting. Florescent lighting is very inexpenisive, burns at a cooler temperature and is fine for plants that require lower light.

B


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## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

BBradbury said:


> Hello again jc...
> 
> I'd say it's heavily planted. Mostly Anubias nana and nangi. Has some Java fern. Floating there's Anacharis, Horn and Pennywort. Attached is a pic of the tank when it had a bit less lighting. Florescent lighting is very inexpenisive, burns at a cooler temperature and is fine for plants that require lower light.
> 
> B


Nice, that looks very dense.


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