Who Gives A Fish Forums

If you're dosing ferts, keep an eye on algae. Too much light plus nutrients can cause outbreaks. I had to cut back to 6 hours when I started dosing more.

My LFS told me 8 hours is ideal, but I've seen better results with less. Maybe it's my water hardness? My tap water's pretty hard.

Hard water shouldn't mess with light duration, but it can affect plant health overall. You might need to adjust your ferts if your water's sketchy.

I've never had issues with hard water and light duration. The key is consistency. Pick a schedule and stick to it for at least a month before making changes.

Yeah, consistency's key. My plants took a while to adjust when I changed from 8 to 6 hours, but they're doing better now. Less algae too.