# Light suggestion



## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

I am planning to set a 30cm cube tank for iwagumi HC cuba. Is a 6500K 23W CFL bulb enough for this set up?


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

alexxa said:


> I am planning to set a 30cm cube tank for iwagumi HC cuba. Is a 6500K 23W CFL bulb enough for this set up?


it should be, along with CO2 supplement and ferts.


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

doesn't HC require high light? i am scared that 23W CFL is not enough as i see people using much more lights for HC cuba


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## ThaChingster (Feb 25, 2011)

23 divided by 7 is almost 4 WPG 
even though this rule doesn't apply to nano's, 
it's still a lot of light.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

I have it growing (submersed) in a 5.5 gallon with 15w cfl, pressurized co2 and daily fertz grows fine. I'm also growing it emersed in the 30cm cube with 1 26w cfl, it's grows but slow....


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

coldmantis said:


> I have it growing (submersed) in a 5.5 gallon with 15w cfl, pressurized co2 and daily fertz grows fine. I'm also growing it emersed in the 30cm cube with 1 26w cfl, it's grows but slow....


its slow because it is emersed?


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

do you have any photos of your 30cm cube?


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

alexxa said:


> its slow because it is emersed?


ya I find that weird too, I thought it was suppose to grow faster, guess not in my case. But anyways most people plant the cuba in clumps but since I didn't have a large portion to start out with I was cheaping it and planted it 1 stem at a time. The cube has been in emersed mode for like over 2 months it has cuba and dhg both nothing really to go wow about, but my 29 gallon with 3x26w cfl diy fixture also planted 1 stem at a time about 1/2" apart is fully carpeted in 1 month.


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

coldmantis said:


> ya I find that weird too, I thought it was suppose to grow faster, guess not in my case. But anyways most people plant the cuba in clumps but since I didn't have a large portion to start out with I was cheaping it and planted it 1 stem at a time. The cube has been in emersed mode for like over 2 months it has cuba and dhg both nothing really to go wow about, but my 29 gallon with 3x26w cfl diy fixture also planted 1 stem at a time about 1/2" apart is fully carpeted in 1 month.


maybe u can just try to submerse it?


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

what type of substrate is that?


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

They don't grow that well in substrate when emersed. Taking a guess, it might be difficult for the plants to syphone nutrients from dry rocks as compare to submersed. They do grow rapidly on peat/soil mix though.
Oh, and 23 Watts should be OK. This is because of your small tank's proximity to the source of light making it a high lighted tank.

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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

Zebrapl3co said:


> They don't grow that well in substrate when emersed. Taking a guess, it might be difficult for the plants to syphone nutrients from dry rocks as compare to submersed. They do grow rapidly on peat/soil mix though.
> Oh, and 23 Watts should be OK. This is because of your small tank's proximity to the source of light making it a high lighted tank.


can i mix peat moss and soil to get them grow faster?


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

alexxa said:


> can i mix peat moss and soil to get them grow faster?


Peat moss and soil in a fish tank is a bad idea. Unless you know what you're doing (ie., a Diana Walstead setup).
I would probably go with what you have now and go full blown Co2, fertz and top up with water.
Personally, I alway start the first 4 weeks with Seachem Excel ( 1.5 - 2 times overdosed). This prevents algae from setting in while allowing the plant to grow stronger. After that, I'd go with whatever regiment you choose on fertz. If you manage to keep every thing right, your tank should be 75% - 80% covered in 2 months time.

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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

alexxa said:


> what type of substrate is that?


it's the fluval stranum,I was going to setup another shrimp tank but all of my crs and cbs except 2 cbs died, so now I'm thinking about what to do. the reason I didn't start it submerged is because that cube is in my bedroom and I have very good hearing so I was trying to look for a super quiet filter, now since my shrimp hit the fan I'm not sure what to do anymore, 2 many tanks and no livestock. I think I'll just make that my culled PFR tank. I currently have a 10g rimless tank divided into 3 separate sections, 1 for culled yellows, crs/cbs, regular cherries, I think I'm going to divided my 20g Long into 4 sections. It will be my new shrimp breeding tank, that way I can use my 10g as a grow out for carpeting plants and clippings and get rid of my 3 gallon vase, 2x5.5 gallon grow out plant tanks. my plant grow out tanks are first layer peat, then miracle gro organic potting soil, then 1.5" of schultz aqua soil.


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

coldmantis said:


> it's the fluval stranum,I was going to setup another shrimp tank but all of my crs and cbs except 2 cbs died, so now I'm thinking about what to do. the reason I didn't start it submerged is because that cube is in my bedroom and I have very good hearing so I was trying to look for a super quiet filter, now since my shrimp hit the fan I'm not sure what to do anymore, 2 many tanks and no livestock. I think I'll just make that my culled PFR tank. I currently have a 10g rimless tank divided into 3 separate sections, 1 for culled yellows, crs/cbs, regular cherries, I think I'm going to divided my 20g Long into 4 sections. It will be my new shrimp breeding tank, that way I can use my 10g as a grow out for carpeting plants and clippings and get rid of my 3 gallon vase, 2x5.5 gallon grow out plant tanks. my plant grow out tanks are first layer peat, then miracle gro organic potting soil, then 1.5" of schultz aqua soil.


why did the crs died?


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

not sure, lately all my tanks have a high nitrate problem, even in tanks I don't dose fertz, my shrimps were fine for 1+ years, just recently all my shrimp tanks I been seeing deaths a few times a week and I can't get the nitrate down it's always around the 40ppm which is way to high for shrimps. even in my firered tank which has been running for like 4+ months without a single death, they started dying on me and the only thing I can think of is that I added floating water lettuce about a month ago but that should cause them to die water lettuce is like the best floating plant for sucking up nitrates.


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

coldmantis said:


> not sure, lately all my tanks have a high nitrate problem, even in tanks I don't dose fertz, my shrimps were fine for 1+ years, just recently all my shrimp tanks I been seeing deaths a few times a week and I can't get the nitrate down it's always around the 40ppm which is way to high for shrimps. even in my firered tank which has been running for like 4+ months without a single death, they started dying on me and the only thing I can think of is that I added floating water lettuce about a month ago but that should cause them to die water lettuce is like the best floating plant for sucking up nitrates.


maybe something to do with your water?


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## alexxa (Jun 27, 2010)

would u suggest fluval stratum or netlea?
and also how much do i need for a 30cm cube?


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

alexxa said:


> would u suggest fluval stratum or netlea?
> and also how much do i need for a 30cm cube?


I think I used a little over 2kg bag of fluval


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