Submersible lights?

[Luciferkrist]

Hey folks, I am having a bit of a conundrum with my 210g tank. I am starting to see all of my plants that are in the substrate are starting to die, and all signs point to lack of light. I do have 2 large lights on 100% par for about 10 hours a day, any more and I start getting algae. I am wondering if there are any reputable brands of submersible lights I could add to my main lighting source to keep my tank green! The bottom is about 24 inches from the lid, so most of the lights I've found don't really make it that far.

Ignore the goldfish... he was just in there for duckweed duty. Even my wisteria only grows after it hits about halfway up, and the portion that is in the substrate is pretty spindly and has no leaves. The few plants I put in the crook of the driftwood are growing like crazy, and I have been fertilizing with root tabs and liquid ferts twice a week.

[knee]

24" is a lot of height and probably very little PAR reaches the substrate. What light are you currently using?

What's your budget?

[Zenzo]

I am sorry to read that you are having issues with your plants. I doubt that it is due to the amount of light (or lack of light). I would guess that it is due to lack of nutrients at the roots. I also see that you have a sand substrate, which plants can sometimes struggle with as not many nutrients make it through the sand, which is more tightly-packed than gravel or other substrate. I would start off by using a root fertilizer like Easy Root Tabs, adding a few per planted area/under each plant.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I think I absolutely agree with @Zenzo. I think theres another way to fix it too if indeed you have all sand there. I would make "holes" in your substrate, moving the sand aside where you want the plants to be, replace it with plant substrate or some sort of substrate that will allow the roots nutrients. You can cap plant substrate with sand if you want but I tend to like the look of breaks in the substrate with other kinds. It will more easily take root tabs if you go that direction but if you go with fluval stratum and cap the nutrients will be there for longer and plants could recover. 

The other thing you can do in the meantime to make sure this theory is true is pull the plants and just float them a while. If the substrate really is killing them they'll come back and you can decide what to do from there. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[BM3]

Still curious about submersible light recommendations.

[Rewcolee1]

I’ve used some hygger ones for a pond before. They worked well. Might try looking at that brand.

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/8/2023 at 7:37 PM, BM3 said:

Still curious about submersible light recommendations.

There's a few brands out there with them.  Fluval, Nicrew, and some others have items available.  I would not use them for plant growth and most of them are simply intended for accent lighting.
 

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by nabokovfan87

[Flying fox 6523]

On 3/23/2023 at 2:30 PM, Zenzo said:

I am sorry to read that you are having issues with your plants. I doubt that it is due to the amount of light (or lack of light). I would guess that it is due to lack of nutrients at the roots. I also see that you have a sand substrate, which plants can sometimes struggle with as not many nutrients make it through the sand, which is more tightly-packed than gravel or other substrate. I would start off by using a root fertilizer like Easy Root Tabs, adding a few per planted area/under each plant.

Yep, you said the same thing I was going to say, that's why I changed my substrate to gravel 
& a ugf so the plant's could get more nutrients to the roots & since I done that they have 
grown a lot better & faster.

[Flying fox 6523]

On 4/8/2023 at 10:37 PM, BM3 said:

Still curious about submersible light recommendations.

I bought 1 from Ebay & I don't put it IN the water but just 
above it cause I leave like 4-6 inches of open space for my 
filter pump airlines instead of outside of the aquarium.

My plant's were struggling too till I changed things around 
like I went from sand to pea gravel, I went from sponge filters 
to the power head pumps, & I went from aquarium lights to 
led shop lights, & after that big change plant's are thriving.