Fluval Plant 3.0 Scheduling and Programming

[johnjohnjohn87]

This might be a bit off topic, but does anyone know how one might approach going from a simple 8 hour photo period to a multi-peaking siesta program? Being home now, it would be really cool to have the tank light up in the AM as well as afternoon, but I’m worried about lots of algae. My tank is a moderately planted 90g and I’m dosing Easy Green and have Seachem Flourish Tabs too. 

[Streetwise]

22 minutes ago, johnjohnjohn87 said:

This might be a bit off topic, but does anyone know how one might approach going from a simple 8 hour photo period to a multi-peaking siesta program? Being home now, it would be really cool to have the tank light up in the AM as well as afternoon, but I’m worried about lots of algae. My tank is a moderately planted 90g and I’m dosing Easy Green and have Seachem Flourish Tabs too. 

Not off topic at all. This thread is for many types of lighting schedules, and I discuss my siesta programs early in the thread. I used paper graphs to map everthing out, and I considered any right-triangle section as being half of the equivalent rectangle period. With only ten points, I had just enough to schedule: ramp up 1, ramp down 1, seista 1, ramp up 2, ramp down 2, siesta 2, ramp up 3, ramp down 3, minimal blue wind-down bit, night. Once I got my schedule to fill my day, I slowly ramped up peak power based on my algae levels.

So I basically sliced up a six-hour schedule to allow twelve hours of light, with two one-hour siestas, and a one-hour 1-2% blue period.

Cheers

Edited August 17, 2020 by Streetwise
Details

[Leo2o915]

1 hour ago, Streetwise said:

Not off topic at all. This thread is for many types of lighting schedules, and I discuss my siesta programs early in the thread. I used paper graphs to map everthing out, and I considered any right-triangle section as being half of the equivalent rectangle period. With only ten points, I had just enough to schedule: ramp up 1, ramp down 1, seista 1, ramp up 2, ramp down 2, siesta 2, ramp up 3, ramp down 3, minimal blue wind-down bit, night. Once I got my schedule to fill my day, I slowly ramped up peak power based on my algae levels.

So I basically sliced up a six-hour schedule to allow twelve hours of light, with two one-hour siestas, and a one-hour 1-2% blue period.

Cheers

So this is my set up for my planted 20 long got the pro setting from @Bentley Pascoe it’s doing really good so far just need to find away to get rid of my hair algae 

[Streetwise]

Nice. I am glad we are getting these in the thread!

For any program, you can always scale it up or down.

If you just implemented this new schedule, give it two weeks or a month and see if your algae goes up or down. Use that as a metric to scale your power. Do not change anything else while testing your lighting. If you want to test some other factor, leave your lighting alone for that period.

Cheers

[Leo2o915]

10 minutes ago, Streetwise said:

Nice. I am glad we are getting these in the thread!

For any program, you can always scale it up or down.

If you just implemented this new schedule, give it two weeks or a month and see if your algae goes up or down. Use that as a metric to scale your power. Do not change anything else while testing your lighting. If you want to test some other factor, leave your lighting alone for that period.

Cheers

Awesome thanks so for the green hair algae what should I lower in it and see if it helps ?

[johnjohnjohn87]

2 hours ago, Streetwise said:

Not off topic at all. This thread is for many types of lighting schedules, and I discuss my siesta programs early in the thread. I used paper graphs to map everthing out, and I considered any right-triangle section as being half of the equivalent rectangle period. With only ten points, I had just enough to schedule: ramp up 1, ramp down 1, seista 1, ramp up 2, ramp down 2, siesta 2, ramp up 3, ramp down 3, minimal blue wind-down bit, night. Once I got my schedule to fill my day, I slowly ramped up peak power based on my algae levels.

So I basically sliced up a six-hour schedule to allow twelve hours of light, with two one-hour siestas, and a one-hour 1-2% blue period.

Cheers

I went back and reread your opening posts again (our newborn is happily destroying our sleep schedule hahaha). Really clever way to slice up the photo periods and I will definitely give this a shot. Thanks for expanding on a fantastic post. 

[Streetwise]

43 minutes ago, Leo2o915 said:

Awesome thanks so for the green hair algae what should I lower in it and see if it helps ?

Let's take a guess that this program is for a larger tank. You could try just keeping the exact same time points, but halving the color percentages for each time point. Wait, watch the results, and then try a different fraction of power for that schedule.

Edited August 17, 2020 by Streetwise
Details

[Leo2o915]

On 8/16/2020 at 10:04 PM, Streetwise said:

Let's take a guess that this program is for a larger tank. You could try just keeping the exact same time points, but halving the color percentages for each time point. Wait, watch the results, and then try a different fraction of power for that schedule.

It’s for a 20 long is it too strong ? 

[Streetwise]

2 hours ago, Leo2o915 said:

It’s for a 20 long is it too strong ? 

It sounds like most of the programs from @Bentley Pascoe are based on 40 gallon breeder tanks, so try a 50% reduction in power and then go up or down from there.

[Leo2o915]

6 minutes ago, Streetwise said:

It sounds like most of the programs from @Bentley Pascoe are based on 40 gallon breeder tanks, so try a 50% reduction in power and then go up or down from there.

Awesome thanks 

[Leo2o915]

31 minutes ago, Streetwise said:

It sounds like most of the programs from @Bentley Pascoe are based on 40 gallon breeder tanks, so try a 50% reduction in power and then go up or down from there.

So like that should be good ? And work with it? Cause how I had it I was getting good growth just algae too 

[Streetwise]

It looks like you scaled it down. Give it some time and observe your tank. I would suggest clicking the three dots to name your light!

Cheers

[ADMWNDSR83]

I apologize for this, but the site won't allow me to start a new thread, and this at least is close to the topic.  I work from 2-12 each night, and spend a good amount of time not being able to see my fish with the lighting schedule I have now.  I don't want to leave the lights on so long and create an algae issue, but I'd love to be able to see them both before and after work.  Would it be detrimental to the fish in my tank if I had the lights on in the morning before I go to work, and then in the evening when I get home, with the lights off in the meantime so the algae bloom doesn't overwhelm?  Thanks for any insight.

[Streetwise]

Siestas are great. From what I understand, plants ramp up photosynthesis faster than algae.

All ten of my tanks run with dual siestas. I describe the formula for my schedules in this thread. Diana Walstad also addresses the topic in her book.

[Taylor Blake]

I have two 3.0 and two aquasky 2.0 on my 8 foot 300 gallon. I run the same time at 100% for both.I have them like this I do have a lot of algae eating species so I like the growth I'm getting. Most of my plants are low light plants and mosses the tank is 31 inches deep.

[Streetwise]

Thanks for sharing! That is a big tank.

It looks like the Planted one light has a firmware update available!

[yannachka]

i have 4 fluval lights im currently running. i saw another comment by someone saying that blue light tends to grow algae so ive removed blues to see if that has any effect long term. im running my own mini experiment.

here is my nano, pretty simple. do your lights also “step-up/down” in light instead of gradually changing? like the sunset for example will have it be one brightness/color for 10 minutes and then change to slightly dimmer and more red. it does it in steps though instead of a gradual shift.

one of my 3.0s

 

[Streetwise]

Your nightstand light has a firmware update available! Click that cloud.

Edited September 22, 2020 by Streetwise

[Garren]

I have slowly upped my light intensity as my plants are growing good now. This is the setting I have been using for about 2 months now. The only thing I have changed over time is the percentage of intensity. Always keep 10 hours to keep it consistent in time on. Works great. I have a 38 gallon bow front deep. 

[yannachka]

On 9/21/2020 at 11:59 PM, Streetwise said:

Your nightstand light has a firmware update available! Click that cloud.

totally didn’t see this 😂 it actually didn’t help. my fluval 3.0s have the same issue as well, kinda annoying tbh

[Irene]

I have a low tech 20-gallon high aquarium (16" deep) and I got tons of algae when I first started using Bentley's day sim schedule since I'm not using any CO2. Dropped it to 50% intensity and then 30% intensity, and now the algae is finally under control. Here's my tank and my very simple schedule:

[Bill]

Hi @Irene, looks good--what is the cluster of java fern attached to, a rock? 

[Irene]

@Bill Yup! I bought it from Greg Sage of selectaquatics.com who was just letting the java fern freely float in his tanks, so when I got it, the plant was this huge mass of leaves growing out in every direction. I ended up gluing the roots to a seiryu stone and then tying the rhizome in place for more stability. It's a large and dense enough to hide the medium sponge filter behind it. 👍

Edited October 12, 2020 by Irene

[Streetwise]

With the time change, don't forget to go into the app and 'touch' each of your Fluval lights.

[Neotropico]

Need some assistance with programing to see if it is working OK or not!

(1) I just got a 48" Fluval 3.0  6500 K 59 Watts aquarium LED light and it seems that it is "off program" ie not working properly.   Sunrise is set to start  8-9 AM  and Sunset @ 19:00-20:00 (or 7-8 PM).  However, Sunset is starting 5 minutes before 7 PM and by 7PM it goes into Night mode (Blue Light).  The other thing is that it seems to be at full Daylight by 8 :30 AM as opposed to evenly spread during that 1 hour period between 8-9 AM.

(2) Also I would like to know how to incorporate DST into the selections, or will the program synchronizes to the app or to the smart phone in which the app is running.  Any suggestions are welcome!  Today is NOV the first, and I have gone in and out of the app a couple of times to see if it synchronized, to no avail! .  Meaning it started at 7-8 AM! instead of @ 8-9 AM.  Or will I see it tomorrow the 2nd?

Edited November 1, 2020 by Neotropico