Full Spectrum Led's

[Elkwatcher]

Are full spectrum LED lights necessary in low tech tanks? Reason I ask is I have a 10 gal planted with Hygro, Crypts, Hornwort and Java Moss that never has a problem with any type of aglae. It is lit by a cheap LED hood with 6 white lights.. is all that extra colour LED needed?

My 29 gal is full spectrum programable with dimmer and I'm wondering if I should just switch it to white lights as well. The plants are very hardy in this tank but I see a bit of brown diatom that could be cleaned up easily if I were to get some more Otos.

The 40 gal is full spectrum LED that are quite bright that I have screening between to dI'm as that tank. Working on Vishaquatic's method of splitting light hours with a mid afternoon break and upping the phosphates.

I stay away from putting blue light on all together as I've heard that initiates algae?

 

[LadyArtemis]

I run my blues with no algae probs, personally I believe lighting-related algae comes from not having strong enough light in most cases, no matter the color temperatures. 10 gallon is a short tank and the plants you mentioned are all pretty easy keepers, so if it ain’t broke don’t fix it? I think you should do an experiment in the 29 with all white for a bit and see if it makes a diff and tell us. I’m curious myself. Same types of plants across all 3 tanks or touchier specimens in the larger ones?

 

[pagoda]

I had white LED lighting in my tank and the fish were forever hiding from it and the plants really didn't seem to appreciate it either, so changed to my specific aquarium manufacturer plants LED, ultra violet/pink as per avatar. After changing the light, the fish have been extremely active, the algae is almost non-existant and the plants are growing like crazy...its also brought about a lot of potential breeding activity with the fish too.

My aquarium is a Ciano Aqua 80 with a Ciano CLA60 Plants LED in the hood in daylight hours and at night I use the green/blue tiny LED from the Aquael Airlight, the fish & plants have thrived brilliantly since changing from white to the new LED