How to Balance Aquarium Lighting the Easy Way
- Oct 23, 2022
- Anshika Mishra
- 426 0 0
There is nothing like setting up a brand-new tank. It's so beautiful and pristine, but our dreaded enemy algae covered it in just a few months.
So, here's how you can balance aquarium lighting the easy way:
You might have heard the term balanced aquarium where we want to have the lighting, nutrient, and carbon dioxide all in equilibrium so that the plants are happy and grow faster and out-compete the algae. Unfortunately, when it comes to lighting, too much or too little light can cause algae.
So, the trick t to fine-tune it because the correct amount is for your particular tank and plant load. The only problem is plants are living creatures. So, it's wise to wait a few weeks before adjusting your lights in a small tank.
You don't want to make too many changes at once. Otherwise, you don't know what worked.
No Direct Sunlight
There are different amounts of lighting from the sun every day. So that's why it will be a lot easier for beginners to control that environment and not have the light changing all the time, especially when we're trying to balance the aquarium.
Get Lights to Aquarium Plants
Yes, almost any light can grow plants, even the shop light you found at home depot. But it will make things a lot easier for you if you get lights optimized for plants.
The Time Factor
Once you have your light, the next question is how long you should have it on. If you haven't already, make sure to get a timer. It will be much more reliable than humans because we get sick or forget and our aquarium plants have too much or little lighting.
Start with around 6-8 hours, especially for new tanks when the plants are smaller and not as developed or mature yet. Then, gradually increase that lining as the plants get bigger and bigger. You can also split the timing.
Brightness and Intensity
If you have decreased the lighting duration but are still getting algae growth as soon as new shoots form on the plants, you want to reduce the brightness or intensity of the light. So, for LED lights, start with around 20%-40% of power and gradually increase it until you see algae growing on the new shoots again.
If it grows, then decrease the intensity and adjust it that way.
Be Prepared
Be prepared to change your lighting if needed. This is a living ecosystem. So, you'll constantly need to adjust. For example, will want fewer lights with a new tank with baby plants.
Versus a mature tank that has a vast jungle, they're probably shading out everything. So, you will need to prune the plants or increase the lighting to ensure everybody is getting enough photons.
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