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Cephalotus Tank


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I've recently changed the lighting in my Cephalotus tank and now the plants are colouring nicely and starting to grow quite fast. Here's a few snaps I took recently.

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Up until a few weeks ago the lighting was 2 x 32W daylight (full spectrum), 6000K, 1800lm CFL, but I was not happy with either the growth rate nor colouration - they mainly stayed green. I then changed the lighting to 2 x 30W soft white, 2700K, 1700lm CFL and since then they have taken on good colouration, as you can see in the pictures, and are also putting out new pitchers.

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Wow - thats against all I have learned - less lumen, less blue in the spectrum, and then better colouration?

the 6000K lights should be less efficient than 2700lights - a good 2700er one with 30W should have around 2500 lm or more - unless it is an old model. Maybe the specifications given are not correct?

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Wow - thats against all I have learned - less lumen, less blue in the spectrum, and then better colouration?

To be honest Martin, I was surprised too, as I was convinced that 2 x 32W 6000K must be good. When one of the 32W 6000K failed I put in a 20W 2700K as a temporary measure and was surprise to see that within a few days the pitchers were taking on a little more colour. I then replaced the 20W 2700K with a 30W 2700K and the colouration continued to get better, so I decided to replace the other 6000K with a 30W 2600K too.

Below is a picture of the tank from April, where you can see the green pitchers under the 6000K lighting. The tank receives very little natural light, with it being several metres away from a window that doesn't receive any direct sunlight.

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the 6000K lights should be less efficient than 2700lights - a good 2700er one with 30W should have around 2500 lm or more - unless it is an old model. Maybe the specifications given are not correct?

This is the rating label for the 2700K, 30W CFL

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Hi Carl,

do not want to go too offtopic here - this isn't a lighting thread… but I find it somehow strange to label a light like that with an A… less than 60lm per Watt wouldnt be energy efficient in my eyes, as 3-band lights are coming close to 100lm/W nowadays.

But there must be a reason why the manufacturer gives just 1700lm. Maybe something to do with temperature dependancy, so they have to give a lower average value, and the lamp can be more efficient close to the temperature optimum? Strange…

But anyway - it obviously works good for you - thats what counts. Nice plants - and well arranged :smile:

BTW - what is that flowering plant left side in the back on the third last picture?

Edited by Martin Hingst
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This looks absolutely stunning, I wish I had something that looked like this!

Bed of MG topped with moss?

Yes, it's Moorland Gold, most of the moss grew naturally from it.

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Wow, the moss is amazing. Did you have all that moss already or did it grow from scratch?

The vast majority of it has grown from scratch, though some will have been introduced when adding plants.

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Thanks everyone for the nice comments :thumbsup:

does the glass stay clear or go green

The humidity is low, so they glass does not get any moisture for the moss to grow on.

Is that a pygmy or D. paradoxa growing with the cephs?

They are pygmy's. Drosera occidentalis and Drosera pulchella.

What size is this tank?

Approximately 18" x 12" x 12"

How do you monitor the watering?

There is LECA in the base, topped by a weed membrane and then the soil atop of that. When I water, it flows through the soil into the layer of LECA in the base. I add enough water to fill the voids between the LECA and re-water when it empties.

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Ah, D. occidentalis, that explains the spindly appearance. Everything looks really great, have you considered adding D. hamiltonii as well?

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