New Lights, cycle, need help!

K

Kingumar

Member
I switched from 2x250w mh to 6x54w ATI t5 fixture. I was trying to take it slow and letting everything acclimate over 2 weeks but i guess i wasnt successful.

My rocks are going brown, so is the sand. Looks to me like diatoms. I need some tips on how to get over with this cycle quick. The lights r on about 12 hrs a day. They were 2 feet above the tank the first week and moved em down a feet the second.
 
sasquatch

sasquatch

Brunt of all Jokes~
PREMIUM
don't think your T5's are greater than the MH so your probably enjoying some die off from lack of light, the algae should pass quickly, water changes and some nitrate removal media?
 
K

Kingumar

Member
sasquatch said:
don't think your T5's are greater than the MH so your probably enjoying some die off from lack of light, the algae should pass quickly, water changes and some nitrate removal media?
Click to expand...
What kind of die off could be caused by greater or less light? The mh fixture I had was an ebay one. Though it was decent, it seems like the ati t5 is puttig in a lot more light :/. I will do weekly water changes and see how that goes. Thanks.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
It's possible that since you went from an "Ok" light fixture to an WOW light fixture you are getting more light energy into the water. The "die-off" would be from anything that's photosynthetic in your tank. It was used to a specific amount of light and any change can cause it to have photo-shock from too much or not enough light. In time it should pass as long as you stay on top of your water parameters. As Steve said Water Changes and keep an eye on your Nitrates. He knows what he's talking about for sure.
 
sasquatch

sasquatch

Brunt of all Jokes~
PREMIUM
BigAl07 said:
It's possible that since you went from an "Ok" light fixture to an WOW light fixture you are getting more light energy into the water. The "die-off" would be from anything that's photosynthetic in your tank. It was used to a specific amount of light and any change can cause it to have photo-shock from too much or not enough light. In time it should pass as long as you stay on top of your water parameters. As Steve said Water Changes and keep an eye on your Nitrates. He knows what he's talking about for sure.
Click to expand...


don't make me blush Buddy! relating T5ho to MH is hard to find research on but what I found was 4x54 w t5ho are roughly equivalent to 1 400w mh, But... MH is a shot gun blast of spectrum and T5's are much more specific in their spectrum bands, so Kingumar could be putting in more light and tightening the spectrum, end result would be the same, adjustments will happen in the algae base
 
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