# Finnex Planted+ 24/7 LED light configuration for low-tech 30 gal tank



## DeepAsHadal (Jul 27, 2020)

I'm not experienced, and am sure others will chime in, but it might help to still reduce the lighting and ferts. Or maybe just go back to your other light...I don't know if the par values in the link are accurate, but it seems 20% would still be more than enough for your plants.

Finnex Planted+ 24/7 HLC Aquarium Light Review - Spec-Tanks

Hopefully more knowledgeable people will help with specifics to your set up and your fish. It sure is frustrating to deal with.

I have a finnex 24/7 alc in a 20 gallon long and ran it with no CO2, It was algae mob until I turned the whites way down to like to 10-20%, and adjusted the other colors low too. 6 hours straight. This helped, but still was getting gooey string and that hard algae that attached to the leaves of plants. I tested the tank for nitrate, phosphorus, iron, GH and ultimately realized my root tabs were leaching into the water column (the tabs have high GH when my water is not), and I needed to reduce macros to half or a quarter as much as the bottle said and micros 1/month, seachem excel every / other day, and nothing on water change days because of Prime. That balanced out the algae mess and I could grow plants. I slowly increased dosing, but still not to the label recommendation, until I decided to use CO2 recently. I only have a betta and he doesn't mind the light, but every fish is probably different.


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## Thihal (Jun 2, 2011)

Thank you DeepAsHadal, that's very helpful to know. I'll reduce the intensity further to 20% and also reduce the fertilizer dosing. PPS dosing if probably not even needed for this low-tech tank with low-light plants. 

When you turned your W down to 20% and ran the light for 6 hrs, was this still with the gradient intensities (ramp up and ramp down for every 3 hr cycles that Finnex 24/7 uses), or did you use a timer along with one of the set memory options for providing the same intensity for 6 hrs straight?


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## Mcnugget (Mar 1, 2021)

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https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/comments/c1jn3w/_/erftsia

I recently saw this post on reddit where someone sort of faked in a siesta at noon by putting in 0%s at the noon period and said it helped with algea in a low tech 36...

Did you ever find any good solutions for your setup?


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## Plinkploop (Jan 24, 2021)

Mcnugget said:


> __
> https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/comments/c1jn3w/_/erftsia
> 
> I recently saw this post on reddit where someone sort of faked in a siesta at noon by putting in 0%s at the noon period and said it helped with algea in a low tech 36...
> ...


This is how mine is configured, too, only at 50% instead of 100% I have low light low tech plants and I've finally gotten my algae under control.


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## Thihal (Jun 2, 2011)

Mcnugget said:


> __
> https://www.reddit.com/r/PlantedTank/comments/c1jn3w/_/erftsia
> 
> I recently saw this post on reddit where someone sort of faked in a siesta at noon by putting in 0%s at the noon period and said it helped with algea in a low tech 36...
> ...


Sorry for the late response, just checking the site again after a long gap. After a few more months of trying, I finally gave up and went back to the old fashioned T8 fluorescent light (Hagen Power-Glo, 36 inch) in the summer 2021, and everything quickly returned to normal....until now. The light needs to be replaced every year and Hagen apparently stopped manufacturing many of the lights in its fluorescent light Glo series. So it looks like I will be forced to try out the LED again by next month.

Thank you for sharing the schedule, I'll try to incorporate it into my trials.



Plinkploop said:


> This is how mine is configured, too, only at 50% instead of 100% I have low light low tech plants and I've finally gotten my algae under control.


Good to hear you have positive results, thanks for sharing. May I please know the dimensions of your tank and if the LED you have is based on a ramp-up/ramp-down intensity pattern, or constant intensity between the set points?


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Although reducing light can certainly be helpful for algae control, you should also look at it from many facets. The less organics you have in the water the more light you can get away with before algae sets in. Fast growing stems are the best way to rid the tank of decomposing organics. For tanks without those other methods come into play and become more important for algae control. Increasing water changes, reduce feeding, remove any dying or dead leaves on a regular basis. Add carbon to the filter. These will reduce organics sitting in the water that cause algae to develop.

I have a 36"x8"x10" tank approx 12 gallons and run my Finnex 24/7 currently on the default cycle without algae issues. I am running co2, but with the limited plant mass I have the co2 has little effect on algae control.


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