Where is the green?!

jerkyjunky · 02/12/2014, 02:11 PM

So I wasn't sure if this is the best place to post this since the issue is not with a completely new tank, but we'll see. Have had my tank up now for about 15 months, and things seem to be pretty stable now. Bunch of corals that are growing and splitting, few fish that seem to quite happy...

The problem is with algae, or shall I say... the lack of green algae. I've had my diatom blooms and fixed a minor bit of cyano that I had, so I'm familiar with those. I've had some fern looking weed algae that I've taken care of. The rest of my display tank though only gets this brown hair algae. I don't think there is an excessive amount of it, or a lack of it. Just wondering why it is all brown and none of it is green.

My sump has a lot of life taking care of its algae, but the glass looks like green pokadotas of caked on algae. No sign of the brown stuff. Obviously the sump is running the same water, so that shouldn't be an issue. The lighting on the display tank is 56 3w LEDs, but the sump has 14 of the same LEDs. So even though I know you guys will love to debate LEDs on reefs, it doesn't seem to point to why one has green and one has brown.

I'm wondering if the white/blue shift in the LEDs might have a difference on algae growth? If this is the case is there a change I should be pursuing to raise green growth in the display tank (ie just raise your whites and BAM!?)? Or if anyone else has an idea to what I can try, let me know.

thegrun · 02/12/2014, 02:19 PM

This is a tough one! Photoperiod and/or light intensity would be my guess (and I emphasize guess), not that I would ever worry about a lack of green algae in my system.

jerkyjunky · 02/12/2014, 02:28 PM

I'm running the LEDs on about 70% white, 85% blue in the display. 40% white 75% blue in the sump. Thing is if I drop the whites in the display it looks very night timey? I could try it, but I didn't want to try it if it was unwarranted cause it looks odd. Plus I would think green would photosynthesize more (being more green) and thus want more white?

The reason I'm concerned is that I've had bad luck with algae eating fish and some snails like the trochus. Not sure if they are just not doing well because of this type of algae. Plus it looks nasty...

jerkyjunky · 02/12/2014, 02:30 PM

Oh also the light cycle is 12 on 12 off, alternating, with 1 of those 12 hours spend on dimming up and dimming down.

jerkyjunky · 02/12/2014, 10:43 PM

Still hoping to get more ideas on this. Anyone?

MTF7 · 02/13/2014, 01:38 AM

Why do you want algae in your tank?

jerkyjunky · 02/13/2014, 01:50 AM

I want to make sure it isn't a sign of a bigger problem with my lighting or something else. Figure odd algae issues, and the inability to keep algae eating fish alive could be linked...

MTF7 · 02/13/2014, 02:37 AM

Hats true what kind of rock did you start with? Maybe try getting some GHA to seed your tank have you tried any of the micro algaes?

jerkyjunky · 02/13/2014, 03:17 AM

Started the tank with live rock, but there was a copper issue early on (since been removed with copious amounts of filter media and cuprisorb). So who is to say what died off due to that. I don't think there is a huge need to seed since the sump has some of what I'd like already...

I have a ball of chaeto in the sump as well. It is a vibrant dark green and looks VERY healthy, but it has not grown at all that I can tell since I got it. Perhaps it got denser, but no visible growing out. That I've heard can be an issue with LEDs, but not sure. I just leave it since the life in the sump loves it, but I know that stuff usually grows like wildfire.

02/12/2014, 02:11 PM	#1
jerkyjunky Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 115	Where is the green?! So I wasn't sure if this is the best place to post this since the issue is not with a completely new tank, but we'll see. Have had my tank up now for about 15 months, and things seem to be pretty stable now. Bunch of corals that are growing and splitting, few fish that seem to quite happy... The problem is with algae, or shall I say... the lack of green algae. I've had my diatom blooms and fixed a minor bit of cyano that I had, so I'm familiar with those. I've had some fern looking weed algae that I've taken care of. The rest of my display tank though only gets this brown hair algae. I don't think there is an excessive amount of it, or a lack of it. Just wondering why it is all brown and none of it is green. My sump has a lot of life taking care of its algae, but the glass looks like green pokadotas of caked on algae. No sign of the brown stuff. Obviously the sump is running the same water, so that shouldn't be an issue. The lighting on the display tank is 56 3w LEDs, but the sump has 14 of the same LEDs. So even though I know you guys will love to debate LEDs on reefs, it doesn't seem to point to why one has green and one has brown. I'm wondering if the white/blue shift in the LEDs might have a difference on algae growth? If this is the case is there a change I should be pursuing to raise green growth in the display tank (ie just raise your whites and BAM!?)? Or if anyone else has an idea to what I can try, let me know.

02/12/2014, 02:19 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	This is a tough one! Photoperiod and/or light intensity would be my guess (and I emphasize guess), not that I would ever worry about a lack of green algae in my system.

02/12/2014, 02:28 PM	#3
jerkyjunky Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 115	I'm running the LEDs on about 70% white, 85% blue in the display. 40% white 75% blue in the sump. Thing is if I drop the whites in the display it looks very night timey? I could try it, but I didn't want to try it if it was unwarranted cause it looks odd. Plus I would think green would photosynthesize more (being more green) and thus want more white? The reason I'm concerned is that I've had bad luck with algae eating fish and some snails like the trochus. Not sure if they are just not doing well because of this type of algae. Plus it looks nasty...

02/12/2014, 02:30 PM	#4
jerkyjunky Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 115	Oh also the light cycle is 12 on 12 off, alternating, with 1 of those 12 hours spend on dimming up and dimming down.

02/12/2014, 10:43 PM	#5
jerkyjunky Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 115	Still hoping to get more ideas on this. Anyone?

02/13/2014, 01:38 AM	#6
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	Why do you want algae in your tank?

02/13/2014, 01:50 AM	#7
jerkyjunky Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 115	I want to make sure it isn't a sign of a bigger problem with my lighting or something else. Figure odd algae issues, and the inability to keep algae eating fish alive could be linked...

02/13/2014, 02:37 AM	#8
MTF7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Illinois Posts: 285	Hats true what kind of rock did you start with? Maybe try getting some GHA to seed your tank have you tried any of the micro algaes?

02/13/2014, 03:17 AM	#9
jerkyjunky Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 115	Started the tank with live rock, but there was a copper issue early on (since been removed with copious amounts of filter media and cuprisorb). So who is to say what died off due to that. I don't think there is a huge need to seed since the sump has some of what I'd like already... I have a ball of chaeto in the sump as well. It is a vibrant dark green and looks VERY healthy, but it has not grown at all that I can tell since I got it. Perhaps it got denser, but no visible growing out. That I've heard can be an issue with LEDs, but not sure. I just leave it since the life in the sump loves it, but I know that stuff usually grows like wildfire.