Too much lighting in my 55 Gallon

Jacksonbriggs · 02/01/2006, 11:44 AM

Hey all,
I just purchased a new 4X96 watt lighting system for my 48" 55 gallon tank about 3 weeks ago. I am getting crazy amounts of green plants, green hair algea and that hard green algea that grows on your glass. I also appear to be getting alot of bubbles all over my tank every day. Can someone give me some insite into why this is happening. The hair algea is starting to cover up my xenia and soft corals so I need to nip this in the bud.
Thanks,
Paul

sterling18 · 02/01/2006, 12:47 PM

What are your param's? You need more then just light to feed green hair.

glxtrix · 02/01/2006, 01:33 PM

something is off, cuz thats really not that much light, what kind of skimmer you running, how often do you feed and yes, what are your params at?

Kirin1 · 02/01/2006, 03:15 PM

Initial Water Quality is the biggest factor in algae growth. If you are using tap water for top off and changes, you are adding nitrate, phosphate, and silicates to your tank every time. Available nutrients cause algae blooms; lighting is just an enabling factor. Think about sunlight and gardening/plants, all the sun light in the world won't make a plant grow if the soil has no nutritional value to the plant. You can't grow tomatoes in sand no matter how much light they get! If you aren't already using one, an RO or RO/DI filter is a must have. As you do water changes with the RO water, the nutrients will gradually decrease and the algae will die out.

ridinfast03 · 02/01/2006, 04:01 PM

Yes, was the light used when you bought it? If so the bulbs may be exhausted. It really is under lit actually. Right now I have about 450 watts of MH and have zero neg. growth.

Jacksonbriggs · 02/01/2006, 05:53 PM

These are brand new Orbit lighting system with the moonlights (which I really don't use so far). I have been slacking on my water changes. That would be the one thing that I have not been good about over the last month. I have a Sea Urchin skimmer I belive it's called. It gets alot of gunk out of my tank. At one point in time I did "top off" my water when my RO water was gone but I do not do that any longer with all the bad stuff in tap water. My coraline is starting to come back like wild fire but the hair algea is covering up alot of rocks. I have had my tank up for over 2 years now so it is established. I just had the last of the red slime algea die off that was in my sand a week ago or so. Is my lacking on the water changes the reason for this?
Thanks for all the help.
Paul

Horace · 02/01/2006, 06:16 PM

Im willing to bet you have high phosphates/nitrates. Without those algae simply will not grow.

Jacksonbriggs · 02/02/2006, 10:11 AM

Don't mean to bump this thread but it got lost in the mass posts.
Thanks,
Paul

jnarowe · 02/02/2006, 12:26 PM

There is one other thing to think about. Whenever I start with new bulbs, I reduce the time by an hour or two for about a week. There is a "burn in" time even with CF lights and I have had the same thing happen so I speak from an identical experience.

What you can do is 10% water changes each day for 3-4 days and cut back the light period a bit until the algae stops growing and starts to recede. Once the tank is stabilized, you can up the light period again.

BTW, a great way to lessen nuisance algae is to put a 1 hour break in the middle of the day. I have the exact same fixture on one of my small tanks and with a "nap" the algae is greatly reduced. This because algae are very simple plants and cannot ramp up photosysthesis very quickly. You can obsevre that within a few minutes to half an hour regular plants are producing O2, meaning they are respirating, but it takes much longer for algae to start.

I always reduce light period on new bulbs. Hope that helps!

02/01/2006, 11:44 AM	#1
Jacksonbriggs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 203	Too much lighting in my 55 Gallon Hey all, I just purchased a new 4X96 watt lighting system for my 48" 55 gallon tank about 3 weeks ago. I am getting crazy amounts of green plants, green hair algea and that hard green algea that grows on your glass. I also appear to be getting alot of bubbles all over my tank every day. Can someone give me some insite into why this is happening. The hair algea is starting to cover up my xenia and soft corals so I need to nip this in the bud. Thanks, Paul

02/01/2006, 04:01 PM	#5
ridinfast03 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Danville, Indiana Posts: 246	Yes, was the light used when you bought it? If so the bulbs may be exhausted. It really is under lit actually. Right now I have about 450 watts of MH and have zero neg. growth. __________________ "Never argue with an idiot, he will only bring you to his level and beat you with his experience in being an idiot" 70 Gal bowfront Lighted by a 150 W HQI Current Tank Info: 70 Bow Front

02/01/2006, 06:16 PM	#7
Horace Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 5,009	Im willing to bet you have high phosphates/nitrates. Without those algae simply will not grow. __________________ -Horace Pinker Current Tank Info: New 180g Mixed SPS Build in progress

02/02/2006, 12:26 PM	#9
jnarowe Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Poulsbo, WA Posts: 14,710	There is one other thing to think about. Whenever I start with new bulbs, I reduce the time by an hour or two for about a week. There is a "burn in" time even with CF lights and I have had the same thing happen so I speak from an identical experience. What you can do is 10% water changes each day for 3-4 days and cut back the light period a bit until the algae stops growing and starts to recede. Once the tank is stabilized, you can up the light period again. BTW, a great way to lessen nuisance algae is to put a 1 hour break in the middle of the day. I have the exact same fixture on one of my small tanks and with a "nap" the algae is greatly reduced. This because algae are very simple plants and cannot ramp up photosysthesis very quickly. You can obsevre that within a few minutes to half an hour regular plants are producing O2, meaning they are respirating, but it takes much longer for algae to start. I always reduce light period on new bulbs. Hope that helps! __________________ Jonathan--Recovering Tankaholic. Current Tank Info: 70g fresh planted

02/01/2006, 12:47 PM	#2
sterling18 WMAS and HVReef Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UT Posts: 519	What are your param's? You need more then just light to feed green hair.

02/01/2006, 01:33 PM	#3
glxtrix Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ATL, GA Posts: 882	something is off, cuz thats really not that much light, what kind of skimmer you running, how often do you feed and yes, what are your params at?

02/01/2006, 03:15 PM	#4
Kirin1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Baltimore Md Posts: 114	Initial Water Quality is the biggest factor in algae growth. If you are using tap water for top off and changes, you are adding nitrate, phosphate, and silicates to your tank every time. Available nutrients cause algae blooms; lighting is just an enabling factor. Think about sunlight and gardening/plants, all the sun light in the world won't make a plant grow if the soil has no nutritional value to the plant. You can't grow tomatoes in sand no matter how much light they get! If you aren't already using one, an RO or RO/DI filter is a must have. As you do water changes with the RO water, the nutrients will gradually decrease and the algae will die out.

02/01/2006, 05:53 PM	#6
Jacksonbriggs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 203	These are brand new Orbit lighting system with the moonlights (which I really don't use so far). I have been slacking on my water changes. That would be the one thing that I have not been good about over the last month. I have a Sea Urchin skimmer I belive it's called. It gets alot of gunk out of my tank. At one point in time I did "top off" my water when my RO water was gone but I do not do that any longer with all the bad stuff in tap water. My coraline is starting to come back like wild fire but the hair algea is covering up alot of rocks. I have had my tank up for over 2 years now so it is established. I just had the last of the red slime algea die off that was in my sand a week ago or so. Is my lacking on the water changes the reason for this? Thanks for all the help. Paul

02/02/2006, 10:11 AM	#8
Jacksonbriggs Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bay Area Posts: 203	Don't mean to bump this thread but it got lost in the mass posts. Thanks, Paul