Added lights now tank looks like crap!

brian762 · 02/15/2011, 08:04 PM

So i bought a 4x T5 light fixture and plugged them in on sunday, now i have a major algea bloom. Tank has been running for 2 months now. What kind of algea is it and how can i get rid of it?!!! It is only on the side oposite of my powerhead. and a little right below my power head where there is not much flow. There are little bubble all over it on my rocks.

john_blaze · 02/15/2011, 08:11 PM

did you run the tank without lights up until this point??

Assuming that you did: excess nutrients + light = algae

Do a WC, try to avoid overfeeding, and consider a macroalgae in the sump to compete for nutrients. If you do not have a sump, a GFO reactor will do the same thing.

Go get that algae

HTH

~RuSh~ · 02/15/2011, 08:12 PM

Looks like diatom algae. Likely a result of the new light being more powerful.

Scrub the algae as you see fit and keep your parameters in check and it should reside. If you don't have corals, you can also cut back the lighting to reduce algae growth, or even shorten the photo periods to help reduce algae growth.

brian762 · 02/15/2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_blaze

did you run the tank without lights up until this point??

Assuming that you did: excess nutrients + light = algae

Do a WC, try to avoid overfeeding, and consider a macroalgae in the sump to compete for nutrients. If you do not have a sump, a GFO reactor will do the same thing.

Go get that algae

HTH

I did have lights just the basic single bulb flouresent ones that come with the tank.

Agu · 02/15/2011, 08:20 PM

Yes it looks like diatoms. A result of more intense lighting and excess nutrients. Typically it'll cycle through your tank and go away.

Aggressive use of water changes, mechanical filtration and carbon will usually make it go away in about three weeks. If you just ignore it and do your usual good maintenance it'll be gone in about 21 days.

brian762 · 02/15/2011, 09:27 PM

Which lights would be better to run to minimize the growth/spread of it? 10000k or Actinic?

john_blaze · 02/15/2011, 11:19 PM

If it is diatoms (which is what I am battling right now) it is too much silica (or silicate?) that they are taking up in order to make their shells so they can grow...and grow...and grow...

I have searched and searched but cannot seem to find a "universal" fix because apparently there are 8,123,256,200 different kinds of diatoms and a precise fix depends on which one you are actually dealing with

With that said, I am currently at day 4 with no lights and one light feeding a day (trying to minimize my phosphates) and am waiting for my phosguard to come in so I can run it in my reactor (with low concentrations of phosphates phosguard will take up silica).

Did not mean to hijack your thread, just trying to share my experience

HTH

steelhead77 · 02/16/2011, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agu

Yes it looks like diatoms. A result of more intense lighting and excess nutrients. Typically it'll cycle through your tank and go away.

Aggressive use of water changes, mechanical filtration and carbon will usually make it go away in about three weeks. If you just ignore it and do your usual good maintenance it'll be gone in about 21 days.

+1 on this. Don't sweat it. If this is all that happens in your tank over the next couple months, count yourself lucky.

Uncle Salty 05 · 02/16/2011, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_blaze

If it is diatoms (which is what I am battling right now) it is too much silica (or silicate?) that they are taking up in order to make their shells so they can grow...and grow...and grow...

I have searched and searched but cannot seem to find a "universal" fix because apparently there are 8,123,256,200 different kinds of diatoms and a precise fix depends on which one you are actually dealing with

With that said, I am currently at day 4 with no lights and one light feeding a day (trying to minimize my phosphates) and am waiting for my phosguard to come in so I can run it in my reactor (with low concentrations of phosphates phosguard will take up silica).

Did not mean to hijack your thread, just trying to share my experience

HTH

+1 silica/silicates are what diatoms feed on.
The addition of a silicate filter to you RO/DI unit will help immensely.
http://buckeyefieldsupply.com/showpr...ry=182&Sub=127

chimmike · 02/16/2011, 08:29 AM

cut your photoperiod in half for a few days and slowly add an hour per day, but IMO don't exceed 8hrs.

spieszak · 02/16/2011, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agu

Aggressive use of water changes, mechanical filtration and carbon will usually make it go away in about three weeks. If you just ignore it and do your usual good maintenance it'll be gone in about 21 days.

6 of one, half a dozen of the other? :-)

kctango · 02/16/2011, 08:56 AM

I would also run test on your water to make sure your NO3 is not building up to high.

chogendoorn · 02/16/2011, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spieszak

6 of one, half a dozen of the other? :-)

Yeah it didn't really make sense to me...pay attention and be dilligent, or just leave it be, either way it'll be gone in 3 weeks? I'm assuming the first one would get rid of them faster than the second

02/15/2011, 08:12 PM	#3
~RuSh~ Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: North Dakota Posts: 778	Looks like diatom algae. Likely a result of the new light being more powerful. Scrub the algae as you see fit and keep your parameters in check and it should reside. If you don't have corals, you can also cut back the lighting to reduce algae growth, or even shorten the photo periods to help reduce algae growth. __________________ Open your eyes and see that Life is Beautiful....

02/15/2011, 08:20 PM	#5
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	Yes it looks like diatoms. A result of more intense lighting and excess nutrients. Typically it'll cycle through your tank and go away. Aggressive use of water changes, mechanical filtration and carbon will usually make it go away in about three weeks. If you just ignore it and do your usual good maintenance it'll be gone in about 21 days. __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

02/16/2011, 08:29 AM	#10
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	cut your photoperiod in half for a few days and slowly add an hour per day, but IMO don't exceed 8hrs. __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
LED lighting or MH in a nano tank?	Mark Nishimura	New to the Hobby	29	10/10/2012 02:18 PM
NOOB NEEDS HELP WITH LED Lights HELP!!	New90Gal	Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment	14	10/25/2010 08:49 PM
adding a frag tank to my sps tank.	AcroButcher	SPS Keepers	25	10/18/2009 08:04 PM
Adding sump to tank 5 month old tank	matt99eo	Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment	3	01/23/2009 01:14 PM
Adding lights Need advice	NormanB	Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment	5	07/07/2006 11:56 AM

02/15/2011, 08:11 PM	#2
john_blaze Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: the 619 Posts: 124	did you run the tank without lights up until this point?? Assuming that you did: excess nutrients + light = algae Do a WC, try to avoid overfeeding, and consider a macroalgae in the sump to compete for nutrients. If you do not have a sump, a GFO reactor will do the same thing. Go get that algae HTH

02/15/2011, 09:27 PM	#6
brian762 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 654	Which lights would be better to run to minimize the growth/spread of it? 10000k or Actinic?

02/15/2011, 11:19 PM	#7
john_blaze Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: the 619 Posts: 124	If it is diatoms (which is what I am battling right now) it is too much silica (or silicate?) that they are taking up in order to make their shells so they can grow...and grow...and grow... I have searched and searched but cannot seem to find a "universal" fix because apparently there are 8,123,256,200 different kinds of diatoms and a precise fix depends on which one you are actually dealing with With that said, I am currently at day 4 with no lights and one light feeding a day (trying to minimize my phosphates) and am waiting for my phosguard to come in so I can run it in my reactor (with low concentrations of phosphates phosguard will take up silica). Did not mean to hijack your thread, just trying to share my experience HTH

02/16/2011, 08:56 AM	#12
kctango Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Coastal Georgia Posts: 269	I would also run test on your water to make sure your NO3 is not building up to high.