# fluval flex



## Orionjp

Can somebody direct me to any useful posts about the Fluval Vlex? I just got a 15g for Christmas and would like to learn more about it. Specifically about lighting and stuff like that.


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## silvercymbal

If you search on youtube for Fluval flex lighting you will see a pretty cool video with some options for you. That tank looks really great too.


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## Ravynn

Pecktec on YT has great videos on the Flex.


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## Orionjp

Honestly I'm trying to figure out what the best combo in the lighting is. I know there are posts about various lighting systems and their effectiveness. I've seen the video you speak of and he shows how the remote and the lights work, but I'm more concerned about the most effective lighting combination for plant growth in relevance to the rgb lighting. I even had someone tell me they have the light cycle feature on while the white light is on, which can't happen because they are separate functions. I'm a member of the Fluval Flex Enthusiast page on FB, but nobody there has a breakdown of the numbers and science in the lighting effectiveness.


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## PlantsForHire

I have the 9 Gallon version. The stock lighting isn't strong, but it does support plant life. I have nice s repens, ludwigia, crypts, buce, fern, and anubias growing. Granted these are low level light plants.

FLEX Aquarium Kit, 15 US Gal (57 L) | 15006 | Aquariums &[censored]Furniture | Fluval

Those are the technical specs of the fluval flex 15. Just keep on the white lights for growth. It is supposedly 7500K light.


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## Orionjp

Ok, I understand what the white light is good for, that is not my issue. I know that plants grow better under different colors of lighting, which is why some of the best led lighting for plants adds colored led. Plants absorb red and blue light, reflecting green light. My Beamswork on my 20 gal has rgb to assist with plant growth, but it can't be adjusted, just has the lights pre-set. I'm asking about possible setting for the rgb lights in addition to the white lights.


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## Ravynn

Are you looking to have multiple colors on at once? I don't think it's possible. Only 1 RGB color and the white lights on at the same time.


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## Orionjp

You are correct, with the red, green and blue lights you can only have 1, but there are sub colors, different oranges, yellows, blue greens and purples that mix the colors at different intensities. So you can light up a combination of colors if you know which one would be better. Like should you have one more red than blue find a lighter color of purple.


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## Cally95

I have this tank but the lights are a bit odd. I just set mine to all white and after reading this I added Red. I would think you could do all 3 (RGB) but it looks like you can’t, is that right??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jeffkrol

Common ratios are like 4R:1B for vegitative growth though, to be honest different wavelengths than you probably have..well for red at least.
Royal blue/ deep red vs "blue" / "red"
Don't actually know if it makes much of a difference though.



Suggest picking a "color" you like for the most part.


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## charlie 1

https://youtu.be/L1j4NxZUx5Y


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## Orionjp

Cally95 said:


> I have this tank but the lights are a bit odd. I just set mine to all white and after reading this I added Red. I would think you could do all 3 (RGB) but it looks like you can’t, is that right??
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That is correct, you can only do 1 of the 3. However, all those other colors underneath are combinations of RGB. So I guess if you want to have a combo that has a good red with some blue would be a light colored purple because it has more red than blue and no green. I don't know why they have green, doesn't do much for plants.


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## Ravynn

I was just reading up more about this and magenta is the color that is used for house plants which is red/blue. There is a magenta setting on the flex. Red for leaf growth and blue for stem growth, i'm pretty sure. I wonder if it would be good to have 100% magenta and a certain % for white?


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## Orionjp

Ravynn said:


> I was just reading up more about this and magenta is the color that is used for house plants which is red/blue. There is a magenta setting on the flex. Red for leaf growth and blue for stem growth, i'm pretty sure. I wonder if it would be good to have 100% magenta and a certain % for white?


Hey, that is actually very useful information. I'll probably do 100% for both considering it's a low/medium light set.


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## MochaLatte

There is a button on the light controller that cycles through all the different colors while the white is on steady. Does cycling through the multi colors do any good?


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## touch of sky

I would think the white supplemented with the magenta would be the best choice. I use the last button under the blue group. The only problem is that I have my lights on a timer and when they come on in the morning, they revert to all white, so I have to add the magenta each morning. I have heard some people say the Flex lights don't work on a timer, but I am using a mechanical timer and they work fine, other than reverting back to all white. I just bought a digital timer marked 'cfl/led ready', and I am going to try that one today. I have had my 9 gallon Flex set up for a month and things are going well so far.


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## touch of sky

The lights work on the digital timer, too. I have Hydrocoytle tripartita, Hygrophila pinnatifida, Rotala rotundifolia, Anubias barteri 'nana', Cryptocorne 'Tropica' and 'Wendtii' and all are doing well so far.


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## dmastin

Just having this issue myself, that is, the colored lights only can be turned on manually.
The colored lights can be on when your timer turns off, but the colored lights will not be on when your timer turns back on.
Fortunately the white lights do work with a timer, but it would be great if the colored lights did as well.


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## cfield80

I have two Flex Fluval 57l tanks, both on digital timers for the lights - one tank the lights come back on with white & colour and the other only the white comes on. Tanks were bought from different stores about 9 months apart so not sure if it is a defect or something changed in the tanks (as the newer tank also came with the plastic grill guards that the older tank didn't have).
I've just e-mailed Fluval to see if it is configurable or a defect and then started to search for anyone else with the same problem...


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## TXLutzy

UGH. Come on Fluval - don't do fancy until you've done basic. Light timers are pretty important.


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