Lighting math

[Solstice_Lacer]

So, my aquarium lighting has two light tubes. If I were to take one out, would I then double the amount of time I left the one on? Or is there like a lighting curve. Would my plants still be ok.

Can duration make up for intensity I guess is the basic question.

[knee]

On 2/20/2023 at 10:07 AM, Solstice_Lacer said:

So, my aquarium lighting has two light tubes. If I were to take one out, would I then double the amount of time I left the one on? Or is there like a lighting curve. Would my plants still be ok.

Can duration make up for intensity I guess is the basic question.

Removing one tube will lower the PAR that your light produces. This will slow down the growth of plants but algae will not be as much of an issue, but it could still grow.

Why do you wanna remove one tube? What kind of plants are you keeping?

[Solstice_Lacer]

I'd like to be able to keep my lights on longer without causing an algae explosion. I have a variety of plants; Amazon sword, dwarf sag, various anubius, various crypts, moss, water spangles(floaters), a little val and giant hair grass

[knee]

Have you tried running the two bulbs longer? 

You can remove one tube, extend photoperiod and observe your plants for a few weeks. They would either grow very slow due to reduced PAR or not grow at all. 

[jwcarlson]

I know everyone is different, but if you're dealing with an issue like I was (I'm gone from the house during the week longer than my lights are on), means I was running my lights starting late enough to be on when I got home so like 2P-8P.  For simple on/off lights, a Kasa smart timer is programmable and you can have it come on for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening to be on a better mix of the time that you're home.  Or if you have some programmable lights like I do, there might be a customizable option if you read through the manual.  I just did this a few weeks ago for all of my Hyggers.  It works pretty well and I get to see my fish more.

 

If you're home all day and just want to have the lights on more, I don't know what to tell you.  Cutting the light in half is probably not necessarily the right thing to do as the lower light might be more usable to undesirable stuff and your plants might not really see it.

Edited February 20 by jwcarlson

[Sleepy]

On 2/20/2023 at 1:07 PM, Solstice_Lacer said:

So, my aquarium lighting has two light tubes. If I were to take one out, would I then double the amount of time I left the one on? Or is there like a lighting curve. Would my plants still be ok.

Can duration make up for intensity I guess is the basic question.

Even if it were it would still throw things out of balance because certain plants would still be getting that much more light if you have a heavily planted tank it probably wouldnt be an issue assuming you are testing your water.

[Pepere]

Is this led or flourescent?

 

If flourescent you will not save much electricity as the bllast will still be consuming electricity for the missing bulb..

 

[Solstice_Lacer]

It's fluorescent. Sounds like it's not really worth messing with

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/20/2023 at 10:07 AM, Solstice_Lacer said:

So, my aquarium lighting has two light tubes. If I were to take one out, would I then double the amount of time I left the one on? Or is there like a lighting curve. Would my plants still be ok.

Can duration make up for intensity I guess is the basic question.

Keep the same duration would be my advice. Let the plants adjust.

Even replacing the same tube with one that is newer you're going to have a difference in light intensity.  Doesn't matter what light, one has age, one doesn't, and so that runtime will give you a bit if a difference when you do have to swap things out.  I dropped my light intensity and duration a lot to deal with an algae issue and surprisingly the plants are doing much better and taking hold..... Finally. Once algae gets in there intensity mattered, but the duration of the lights was the biggest factor in fixing things. (I'd have to check my notes to verify that one, but I'm pretty certain that's what I said in the journal when I last changed things)

On 2/20/2023 at 10:45 AM, Solstice_Lacer said:

I'd like to be able to keep my lights on longer without causing an algae explosion. I have a variety of plants; Amazon sword, dwarf sag, various anubius, various crypts, moss, water spangles(floaters), a little val and giant hair grass

Hm. Placement is a big one. Say you're at 8 hours. Going to 9 is probably fine, minimal issue. Let's say you go to 10 and see algae pop up, I'd tend to move anubias to the shadows before doing much of anything else.

 

On 2/20/2023 at 2:24 PM, Pepere said:

If flourescent you will not save much electricity as the bllast will still be consuming electricity for the missing bulb..

I do think they make bypass bulbs that allow you to run less and keep the circuit completed. I tried to find one, all I found was a website with some pretty detailed diagrams to wire it to bypass and ground differently. (Each bulb in series instead of parallel)