Two Questions

I have 2 questions.

1) Is a 5000K, 18 W plant light enough for a 30 gallon planted discus tank?

2) Can you use a timer on a florescent light ? I put my light in the on position & attached it to a timer. Nothing. I used the timer on other lights in the house & it worked fine. Maybe it has to be a special timer ?

 

1) I do not believe so.

2) A timer is a timer, have you tried the timer on anything else after you tried it on the light? Maybe your light is broken.

 

No, and yes. My T5s are on a timer.

 

My aquarium sits near an east facing window. Beautiful light streams in all morning. I was told to keep my blinds down to protect my tank from an algae build up & I have done that for the whole time I have had a planted tank. If I raise my shades, might it give me the extra light I need ?

 

If I am not mistaken this is question number 3 - I may have to change your thread title now LOL?

IMO - it wont be helpfull, the light will then be coming in from the sides/ front of the tank for periods of the day and that as your LFS indicated will create algae blooms, which can be as simple as requiring daily scrapping to worse case scenario, green water, free floating algae spores in the water column

I know , my balcony freshwater set up proved to me the sun is not a manageable light source for our captive systems

Steve

 

+1 to the sunlight not being good. It's a PITA to manage the amount of light you get since it'll vary considerably depending on time of year, it'll spur algae growth, it might be too much for the discus....all sorts of issues. Another bulb or 2 of the 18w is all you'd need to be good. I'd say 2; 1.5w per gallon is fine for both plants and discus.

 

Good suggestions +1

 

You can try sun light but its a double edged sword, most expierenced aquarist wouldn't want to deal with it.

my opinion: don't be cheap by a good fixture made to grow stuff, is should be atleast 60 watts.

 

Cheap ? That's not nice. Do you realize that those bulbs cost over $100 where I live? If you call me cheap for not wanting to buy that, then I am cheap.

 

Make that $200 !