# Suggest LED for Red plants



## PsymonPsays (Jul 1, 2015)

I use the Planted+ on a 54g bowfront, over 20" to the substrate, and it's not enough to keep red plants red. I'm switching to the Ray2 soon.


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## shakeelzahoor (Aug 12, 2014)

So planted plus is not an option for red plants but I have read on forums that ray2 don't have the spectrum required by the red plants. Ray2 only increases PAR value but won't effect the spectrum.


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## xmpjx (May 31, 2015)

I have Nymphaea Lotus 'Red', Alternanthera Reineckii, and Ludwigia Repens in my 29g. They arrived in the mail beautifully colored and sent out lots of great colored growth since being added to my aquarium. (The Ludwigia is being a little more challenging, but is coming along)

I have Laterite, with organic black earth, capped with small size gravel. For lights I have a Finnex 24" Planted+ and Finnex 30" Ray2 Daylight. 

I'm quite happy with the color of my plants.


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## shakeelzahoor (Aug 12, 2014)

it means that i have to get finnex planted+ with finnex ray2 to get red plants. i think that will get a bit expensive for 48inch fixture. i have seen some good reviews about the Pro Led U Series P Lights which are cheap and works very well the link at the end of the post clearly shows that it grows red plants with single fixture and its cheap. I recently found about them and i am going to get them.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=674465


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## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

I have a 30" Planted+ AND a 30" Ray2 on my 36bow (21" deep) and I can't get the red root floaters at the top to turn red 2" away from the light. The only fixture that grows them red is the sun. ;-) (RRF are a terrible example)

My Rotala and Lugwigia turn red, but only in the top half of the tank.


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## keymastr (May 25, 2015)

Lighting is only one part of keeping red plants. They often require more iron than normal also.


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## shakeelzahoor (Aug 12, 2014)

i have looked around in other forums as well they also say that its hard to grow red plants with single fixture of finnex u need to have two of them planted plus and ray 2 but even that is not enough, there are other factors also like iron. The main thing is light with T5HO people get red plants more easily. i have found on other forums these leds (UP Pro led U series P) they grow red plants easily with a single fixture u can google them. i wonder if anyone here use them ?? i have already placed order their website i think it will do the trick.


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## littlefish_ (Aug 4, 2014)

I have a single planted+ 48" over my 55 gallon tank. It's about 18" above the substrate. I dose EI and supply CO2 through a pressurized setup. The tips of my Ludwigia Repens sp. Red start to turn red about 1/4 of the way up the tank. Just be careful that red plants aren't shaded by other plants. One of my ludwigia stems has grown beside a stem of myriophyllum mattogrossense and shaded itself. The tip turned green again.

I'm thinking of getting a second fixture, though. The spread isn't enough IMO.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

I have two dutch bml xb series and they grow red plants no problem, but like someone else said, red pigment doesn't just come from the lighting but from the ferts and CO2 as well. Not so much the Fe necessarily.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

Like others have said you should be all set with high light, CO2, good ferts, etc...

IME plants only get red if you hit them with HIGH light.

Good explanation for what makes plants red:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4WNMBKKVjU


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## micheljq (Oct 24, 2012)

Personally i would go with the first choice BML. They are the most powerful i think in those choices, you want red, you want a lot of light intensity. You can talk with them, BML.

When you have found the level of light you want you can adjust their intensity, even possibly decrease a little.

What will be the distance from the light to the substrate?

Michel.


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

+1 to the above post. You want high light eventually to bring out the reds but you want to be able to tweak it so you don't get attacked by algae. BMLs are great because they can be VERY powerful if you put them on full blast and it is very easy to adjust brightness as you see fit. I love my BMLs. Cost a pretty penny for two of them but they are fantastic fixtures.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

micheljq said:


> Personally i would go with the first choice BML. They are the most powerful i think in those choices, you want red, you want a lot of light intensity.


BML dutch series does have the highest PAR amongst those listed above, and has a more color balanced spectrum too.



klibs said:


> +1 to the above post. You want high light eventually to bring out the reds but you want to be able to tweak it so you don't get attacked by algae. BMLs are great because they can be VERY powerful if you put them on full blast and it is very easy to adjust brightness as you see fit. I love my BMLs. Cost a pretty penny for two of them but they are fantastic fixtures.


You can probably add three or four ray2's to a tank, tripling or quadrupling PAR, but you still won't get the red coming out in the plants without the right color spectrum.


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## antoniopereira (Jul 28, 2015)

I'm looking for same thing,a good led fixture for the red and carpet plants,so, I saw on Build my led site, some pictures of the BML and I thought very yellow the water color , I'M wrong ?


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## rballi (Mar 4, 2010)

they have several spectrums available. The Dutch or "Dutch II " (secret menu if you will) is the way to go if you want nice reds. The reds in my tank look awesome after a month with the fixture


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

antoniopereira said:


> I'm looking for same thing,a good led fixture for the red and carpet plants,so, I saw on Build my led site, some pictures of the BML and I thought very yellow the water color , I'M wrong ?


 I wouldn't say this looks yellow...


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## shakeelzahoor (Aug 12, 2014)

micheljq said:


> Personally i would go with the first choice BML. They are the most powerful i think in those choices, you want red, you want a lot of light intensity. You can talk with them, BML.
> 
> When you have found the level of light you want you can adjust their intensity, even possibly decrease a little.
> 
> ...


BML are the lights to go with then i have ordered other LED lights UP pro led U series P which claim that they can grow red plants but if i dont get any luck with those then i will get BML for sure and the distance is about 16 to 18 inch


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## shakeelzahoor (Aug 12, 2014)

exv152 said:


> I have two dutch bml xb series and they grow red plants no problem, but like someone else said, red pigment doesn't just come from the lighting but from the ferts and CO2 as well. Not so much the Fe necessarily.


yes i totally agree with that i have MTS with clay mixed in, pressurised co2 system, seachem flourish for dosing my plants, the only think i m missing are high lights with good spectrum which from all this discussion seems like BML is the best option.



littlefish_ said:


> I have a single planted+ 48" over my 55 gallon tank. It's about 18" above the substrate. I dose EI and supply CO2 through a pressurized setup. The tips of my Ludwigia Repens sp. Red start to turn red about 1/4 of the way up the tank. Just be careful that red plants aren't shaded by other plants. One of my ludwigia stems has grown beside a stem of myriophyllum mattogrossense and shaded itself. The tip turned green again.
> 
> I'm thinking of getting a second fixture, though. The spread isn't enough IMO.


okay point noted i wont let the green plants cover the red ones.



klibs said:


> Like others have said you should be all set with high light, CO2, good ferts, etc...
> 
> IME plants only get red if you hit them with HIGH light.
> 
> ...


very informative video it, as u all says their r alot of factors and this video has explained them all thanks.

Bump:


rballi said:


> they have several spectrums available. The Dutch or "Dutch II " (secret menu if you will) is the way to go if you want nice reds. The reds in my tank look awesome after a month with the fixture


BML does a great job and the picture exv152 posted proves it.



exv152 said:


> I wouldn't say this looks yellow...


very impressive this is what i was looking for


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## antoniopereira (Jul 28, 2015)

Wow,very nice this picture, how many fixtures have this aquarium.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

antoniopereira said:


> Wow,very nice this picture, how many fixtures have this aquarium.


I'm borrowing Dennis' photo here, I believe it's 2 dutch BML xb leds and a regular white fluorescent. I've also got two BML dutch on my tank but don't have a camera at the moment. But I'm experiencing similar colors and I'm equally pleased with mine.


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## antoniopereira (Jul 28, 2015)

Ok ,but who knows two could be enough,one 6300k and one 7000k,what do you think Exv152?


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## rballi (Mar 4, 2010)

I have heard that the 7000k gets returned a lot. I have a nature style and the Dutch II and it is a great combo


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## antoniopereira (Jul 28, 2015)

Good idea Rballi, what is the size this waterbox how long do you have of this way?


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## bsantucci (Sep 30, 2013)

Another vote here for BML. I had one dutch and one 10k on my 48g tank, but recently upgrades to 2 Dutch MC's. Love them. The dutch/10k combo was a bit too washed out for me (due to the 10k). 

The dual dutch MC's I have are great though. I really love the color control.


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## rballi (Mar 4, 2010)

antoniopereira said:


> Good idea Rballi, what is the size this waterbox how long do you have of this way?



72" 125 gallon. I have had both fixtures running for about 1 month, I had just the nature style fixture running for about 8 months and the additional light has improved growth so much. The additional PAR is great, but just having a better spread on a 18" wide tank was very beneficial.


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## antoniopereira (Jul 28, 2015)

Thanks Rballi.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

antoniopereira said:


> Ok ,but who knows two could be enough,one 6300k and one 7000k,what do you think Exv152?


I also got a 125g (72"x18"x22") and I'm using 2 dutch XB series BMLs because when I did all my research prior to ordering, I was advised that a 10k and a dutch would be too white, and two dutch would give me more full spectrum colors. Which I have to agree with now.


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## bsantucci (Sep 30, 2013)

exv152 said:


> I also got a 125g (72"x18"x22") and I'm using 2 dutch XB series BMLs because when I did all my research prior to ordering, I was advised that a 10k and a dutch would be too white, and two dutch would give me more full spectrum colors. Which I have to agree with now.


As a user who had 10k and dutch, completely agree. 10k washed out the tank completely. I couldn't be happier with my two dutch MC BML's.


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