Rio 180: Lights Too Bright For Low Tech?

[Christoff]

Hello all. It's early days and I'm planning my new tank; I've settled on a Rio 180 (180 litres, 39 uk gallons). I'm keen to go green and plant but not keen on CO2 and the added expense/complications so want to go low tech. Reading the pinned guides I notice that it is recommended sticking with 1WPG T5 or 1.5WPG T8 for a low tech tank and 2WPG T5 or 2WPG T8 for a high tech tank.

My question is: with 2 x 45w T5s in a 180 litre tank is this too bright to go low tech? I make this over 2WPG of T5 lighting. Will it cause algae probs with this set up without CO2? Do I need to down grade the bulbs or something?

Grateful for any advice anyone could give. Many thanks in advance.

 

[PDSimon]

From what I understand is that if you have lots of watts and can't provide the c02 to meet all that extra light then it helps algae and inadaquate plant growth...

Fow a low tech tank you'll want to be keeping it less than 1.5 WPG. Probably higher Watted T8's?

 

[RadaR]

It's too much light for a lowtech which wont have CO2.
The answer? A short photoperiod of 6-7hours and lots of shading plants such as salvinia, lilies, amazon swords, aponagetons etc.

 

[Christoff]

Probably higher Watted T8's?

The tank comes with the T5 unit and I don't think you can fit T8s in the place of T5s. But stand ready to be corrected...

It's too much light for a lowtech which wont have CO2.
The answer? A short photoperiod of 6-7hours and lots of shading plants such as salvinia, lilies, amazon swords, aponagetons etc.

Will go with that solution then. Will limit the photoperiod and look into those plants. Hopefully I won't have any masive problems and haven't read that all new Rio 180's have huge algae probs so should be okay?!