Looking for advice on light settings

[Bennyrub]

Hello all,

This is my very first aquarium and I am looking for help with light settings. I am looking for a general lightning schedule. I have also added a 2 hour ‘moonlight’ window after the schedule with 3% blue light.

Any tips on these settings for my tank and also how high should I be handing the light above my tank?

Tank Specs
• Size: 240L (90cm × 60cm × 45cm)
• Light: Chihiros WRGB II 90 10th anniversary
• Substrate: ADA Amazonia & ADA Colorado sand
• Water: RO remineralized with Salty Shrimp GH+ (GH 5-6)
• CO2: Pressurized system, ~3-4 bps

Plant List

Stems (Background): Ludwigia palustris “Super Red”, Rotala sp. “Cambodia”
Midground: Hydrocotyle tripartita “Mini”, Alternanthera reineckii ‘Mini’, Staurogyne repens

Foreground: Micranthemum tweediei (Monte Carlo)

Epiphytes: Weeping Moss, Mini Christmas Moss, Anubias nana ‘Mini Coin’, 4 Bucephalandra varieties (Kedagang, Serimbu Brown, Velvet Tricolor, Melawi Fine Edge)

Floater: Phyllanthus fluitans (Red Root Floater)

 

[Bennyrub]

I had a play around and have made this setting. Will this be suitable for a new tank of my size with the amount of plants I have? It’s quite heavily planted.

From 4pm until 10pm (30 min ramp up and down)- r39 g28 b16

CO2 runs from 2:30pm until 9pm

10pm until midnight - r0 g0 b4

Will this be okay?

 

[Administrator]

Your schedule can work, but it’s safer to fine-tune.
1. Light Intensity
For a new setup, recommend starting at ~25% red / 20% green / 15% blue.
2. CO2
Recommend start/off 1h before the light on/off.
3. Light Height Above Tank
Recommend 15-30cm from light to water surface.

Add light intensity and photoperiod gradually after 2 weeks.

 

[Bennyrub]

Your schedule can work, but it’s safer to fine-tune.
1. Light Intensity
For a new setup, recommend starting at ~25% red / 20% green / 15% blue.
2. CO2
Recommend start/off 1h before the light on/off.
3. Light Height Above Tank
Recommend 15-30cm from light to water surface.

Add light intensity and photoperiod gradually after 2 weeks.

Could you possibly advise on how much to increase schedule and intensity by? And would you recommend me to increase intensity and time at the the same, or one week intensity by something like 5% then next week increase light by 30 mins?

I’m very new to this, any help would be really appreciated. I currently changed the light to your recommended intensity and it’s looking great so far. My plans seem to be settling in with minimal melt and so far no algae! Thank you!

 

[Administrator]

Could you possibly advise on how much to increase schedule and intensity by? And would you recommend me to increase intensity and time at the the same, or one week intensity by something like 5% then next week increase light by 30 mins?

I’m very new to this, any help would be really appreciated. I currently changed the light to your recommended intensity and it’s looking great so far. My plans seem to be settling in with minimal melt and so far no algae! Thank you!

Add 5% 1-2 weeks for growth, photoperiods you can increase gradually to 8h when it's mature.