# I want to try the Finnex Stingray led for a 40g tank with low-medium light plants



## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I'm still not sure if I should buy it and switch my finnex planted plus to finnex stingray...

I have this nasty algae that sticks on the plants like chewing gums. I have to cut the top of my plants to remove completely the hairy algae, but it just crawls on other plants and I'm loosing my plants because of this problem. And plants are not cheap! X_X

I have a 5 gallon betta tank with a finnex stingray and while I remember very well that this one started with algae too, the algae wasn't hairy (more like a carpet green algae) and it was much easier to remove it! But maybe the algae qere later gone thanks to 4 amano shrimps I have in there...

I'm also thinking it could be the filters that's causing the algae...I haven't removed the old sponge, carbons and etc that the filters have inside.

The otocinclus are not helping much either removing all the algae...they are too happy and fat! XD

OFF TOPIC: I got six kuhli loaches today!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Sigh....had a reply and hit the backspace and it took me away from the page >.<

Long version short:

Otos only eat soft algae (green and brown), not beard, hair, green spot, blue-green algaes. There are some fish that may eat harder algae's if starving, but it's not recommended.

Stingray will offer you decent lighting but you won't be able to grow medium-high light plants in your tank, so be aware of that! If you don't mind and just have low light plants, then go for it!


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## InStitches (May 26, 2014)

I love the stingray for low light  Is it a 40 breeder though? Some people end up needing 2 LED bars because of the depth.

how long is your light on every day? Do you use CO2/fertilizers?


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Sorry for the late reply!

Lilnaugrim: I wouldn't mind using low light plants, but I think I have a specific plant that may need more medium light than low light: pogestemon helferi. But now I'm worried about the kuhli loaches hiding more because of the bright white light the stingray has. The planted+ has a more yellow tone light.

InStitches: Yes, I have a 40 gallon breeder tank. I may need to get two lights in the future, but the algae it's bothering me...especially the "hair" algae kind that sticks stubbornly on the plants >_<. I keep the planted+ (only one) on for 6-7 hours from mon-friday. On weekends I kinda lost time how long I keep the light on O_O. I don' use C02. I use Flourish Compr., Flourish Iron liquid and I started using since yesterday Flourish Potassium.

I bought a Top Fin Algaefix out of impulse (I haven't tried it yet) and I started reading what people think of the algaefix and some people hate it and some dont. But what worries me is that some people commented that it killed their fish! I dont want to kill my fish...and im worried about the kuhli loaches! 

I want to get rid of the hairy sticky algae so bad, but I don't want to harm my fish. My idea was to use the algaefix the amount of a 15-20 gallon tank and see how my fish react to the algaefix...but I don't know...


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## InStitches (May 26, 2014)

For hair algae, when I see it... sometimes I trim off the worst of the plants if it is just a few leaves. Since you have great ferts going, maybe adding some CO2 will help your plants outcompete the algae? I use Excel because I don't grow moss/vals or have marimo. You can use Excel to spot-treat algae by dosing it directly onto the algae (I use a pipette). It doesn't kill it immediately by the algae dies off and it prevents new growth.

I've gotten to the point where I don't have a lick of algae on my plants, but I still get green spot algae on my glass if I am a few days late on my water change.

I wish I could find it, there is a great web page that lists the algae types and what causes them to thrive in tanks, so it helps you figure out what is unbalanced in your tank. I will try to find it.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I don't have vals plants or moss on my 40g tank, but I do have cryptocoryne plants. Will Excel kill crypt plants if added?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

My Crypts are just fine with Excel.

If you provide enough spaces for them to hide under like random driftwood or other things, they should still be out and about if there is a close by hiding spot they can dart under if they get scared. I've never personally kept Kuhli's, but I've kept similar species and similarly behaved fish and this method has worked well for that.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Ok. Thank you!


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I don't think I need a new thread for this question but:

I was thinking that maybe im adding too much liquid ferts on a tank that doesn't cover enough light and maybe thats what causing the "unbanlance of the tank"? Im thinking now of buying the *Finnex Monster Ray* (the one that glows red) and put it at the front of the tank. Oooor...I can get another *Finnex Planted Plus* since the price of both monster ray and planted plus are the same at Amazon website.

What do you think? Maybe that's why some of my plants have been dying before being devoured by the nasty hair algae...


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## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

You may actually have too much light on your tank. The Planted + has a lot of PAR output for a tank that is long but short. At the center of your fixture you're pushing high end of middle to low end of high light levels based on available PAR values.

Pogostemon helferi can grow in low light fine. I've had trouble with it in soft water tanks though, it definitely prefers harder water than I have and I had to double my dose of water hardening additives to keep it alive when I had it.

I'm one of those that hate glut mixes and algaecides as well; I feel like they're a bandage covering a festering wound because it's just removing the symptom but not the cause. I personally overdose my tanks regularly. At any given time there is a higher probability of there being an excess of fertilizers than of there being a lack of fertilizers. The times I see algae are when I forget to dose, not when I overdose. This holds true for any healthy tank. The excess of fertilizers are not the direct cause of algae growth but rather the imbalance of fertilizers, light, CO2, and healthy plant mass. More often, the imbalance of light is the key factor. Many many plants can grow in lower light levels than their individual optimal, but too much light and algae is what takes over. That's why it's better to err on the side of less light. 

Another thing I think I understood is that you don't have a specific set of time for your lights to be on? If your lights are turning on at different times each day and staying on for different times, then algae is going to benefit from that. Plants require a stable photosynthetic period. If you're turning the lights on at say 6AM one day and then 7AM the next then at 6AM again then at 8AM on the fourth day and turning them on at a similarly unstable time, your plants are going to be continuously adjusting to a different "daylight" period every day. Plants cannot survive that way for long but algae can definitely thrive.

I would personally recommend getting a timer and setting it to turn on and off at the same time every day. I would start at 5-6 hours a day then gradually increase the length of time they are on if you'd like. I keep all mine on just 6 hours. My photoperiod starts at 11:45AM-2:45PM, shuts off for 3 hours, then starts again at 5:45PM-8:45PM.

Also, I'm not sure if it's the same kind but with a certain kind of hair algae regular doses of excel/similar products won't work well. You'd need to overdose it which can be dangerous and even fatal to fish.

Edit: Oh wow I wrote a lot more than I intended, sorry I'm long winded :x..


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

Late reply, sorry! I got a timer a few days ago and I programmed to start at 9am-1pm. (OFF at 1pm-5pm) and ON again at 5pm-9pm and OFF again at 9pm-9am.

I should program it with less hours, but so far the algae hasn't spread more. It's STILL there, but not getting worse I believe. I ordered more plants online. Hopefully by having more plants it decreases the algae more.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Fast growing plants and floaters will help, moderate and slow growing won't help much.

The algae, if it's on your glass, you can actually use a Mr. Clean kitchen sponge but it HAS to be the original. The original one has no chemicals in it and I use it often for cleaning of Green Spot Algae which is a very tough algae. It takes off regular green and brown algae like it was never there lol. But that's just something else you can do if it's on the glass and an algae sponge doesn't get it off or if you just want a squeaky clean tank lol.


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## manami (Feb 4, 2012)

I ordered fast growing plants and maybe one or two moderate growth..I'll check out the website again.

One question: will it be risky if I move my anubias with algae on my betta tank? My betta tank has finnex stingray led light (low light) and I have 4 amano shrimps and 1 nerite snail. Will they eat it or am I risking of infecting my tank with algae?


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