Q&A
- General Questions
- vol.001 [Aqua Soil Series]
- vol.002 [Lighting System]
- vol.003 [CO2 System]
- vol.004 [Filter System]
- vol.001 [Aqua Soil Series]
- vol.002 [Lighting System]
- vol.003 [CO2 System]
- vol.004 [Filter System]
Mail for Q&A
Please send us your questions concerning this month's topic.
We cannot promise to answer every inquiry nor reply to you personally, unfortunately.
But those questions which should be shared with other hobbyists will be answered in this "Q & A" section
naweb@adana.co.jp
vol.002 [Lighting System]
Q) I'm considering to purchase a unit of Solar I for growing aquatic plants, and have a choice between NAMH-150W (normal type) and NAG-150W (green type). Which metal halide lamp will provide a better growth of the plants?
A) You will find there is not much difference in terms of the light intensity and effectiveness in encouraging photosynthesis of plants between these two metal halide lamps. Thus, your decision should be made based on the following factors: 1) what kind of aquatic plants you are going to grow in the tank, and 2) how you would like to present your aquascape visually.
NAMH-150W (normal type) is highly effective in color appearance and shows the red color of aquatic plants and fish vibrantly. Yet, it makes the plant's green color look slightly yellowish. On the contrary, NAG-150W (green type) preserves the fresh green color of plants, such as hair grass and Glossostigma, and gives a refreshing impression to the aquascape. Compared to NAMH-150W (normal type), however, the color of red apparently grows dimmer under the light of NAG-150W (green type).
So, it's important to take the above mentioned characteristics in your consideration, and then choose the right product depending on its use and your preference.
Q) I'm considering to purchase a unit of Solar I for growing aquatic plants, and have a choice between NAMH-150W (normal type) and NAG-150W (green type). Which metal halide lamp will provide a better growth of the plants?
A) You will find there is not much difference in terms of the light intensity and effectiveness in encouraging photosynthesis of plants between these two metal halide lamps. Thus, your decision should be made based on the following factors: 1) what kind of aquatic plants you are going to grow in the tank, and 2) how you would like to present your aquascape visually.
NAMH-150W (normal type) is highly effective in color appearance and shows the red color of aquatic plants and fish vibrantly. Yet, it makes the plant's green color look slightly yellowish. On the contrary, NAG-150W (green type) preserves the fresh green color of plants, such as hair grass and Glossostigma, and gives a refreshing impression to the aquascape. Compared to NAMH-150W (normal type), however, the color of red apparently grows dimmer under the light of NAG-150W (green type).
So, it's important to take the above mentioned characteristics in your consideration, and then choose the right product depending on its use and your preference.
Q) I enjoy having my marine aquarium around, for which I use a Grand Solar I controlled with a NA Control Timer. Now, I want to set up different lighting hours for its metal halide lamp and fluorescent lamps. How can I do that?
A) Although NA Control Timer is compatible with Grand Solar I, you can't make a time variance between these two different types of lamp. You need two NA Control Timers and use each timer to each type of lamp. By setting up different lighting hours for the lights with a different intensity, you can provide your tank with lighting close to a natural lighting environment.
Q) I've been using my Solar I for about 3 years, but never changed the lamp. The average usage of this lighting system is 3.5 hours per day. I'm not happy with the condition of Green Rotala and Glossostigma which started running longitudinally, tall and thin, since a half year ago. Do you have any advice to improve their growth?
A) From the condition of the aquatic plants, we assume it's caused by the decline of illumination intensity of the lighting system. Both Green Rotala and Glossostigma have a tendency of spreading across the ground under a sufficient amount of light. It is recommended to change a metal halide lamp once every one to one and half years with the average daily usage of 8 to 9 hours. The total usage hour of your metal halide lamp is suggesting that you need to change it to a new one.
We also noticed that your daily lighting time, 3.5 hours, is considerably short. Even after the metal halide lamp is turned off, there are still other sources of light, such as indoor lighting and natural sun light from outside, are present. They could affect the growth of aquatic plants and cause a poor plant growth like the one you have. We usually recommend to give an aquarium a good deal of 8- to 9-hour lighting per day for encouraging plant's healthy growth. In case of having an algae problem, you may still need to secure at least 6 hours of lighting each day.