High light with low light plants = bad combo

January 13, 2023 admin 1 comment

You've got to get the levels right from the beginning and getting basics wrong like lighting just gives you a headache later on.

If you have high lighting, then the only way you will have success is if you have CO2, lots of ferts and great water distribution, and....lots of plants that like high light! Slow growers in high light tanks just doesn't really work.

Low light plants are like that for a reason - they grow slowly and you can't push them on quicker than their genetics allow them to. The classic example is moss - it will never grow quickly, no matter what. If you try and force it on with high lighting and lots of CO2, you'll probably end up stressing it out and making it go yellow rather than the wonderful green you want it to.

So before you commit to high lighting, have a good hard think about the types of plants that you genuinely want to grow, and if you're not sure, start with lower lighting - you can always build on that if and when your mind changes.

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1 comment

Mark Nicholls November 16, 2020

Unfortunately though,
Nearly every YouTube vid of Instagram pic shows aquaria with lighting that’s brighter than the surface of the sun!
It’s very misleading for beginners!

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