Please help id this algae

wesgentry · 07/27/2012, 12:49 PM

I have no idea what this could be and any help would be great. it looks like an odd mix of hair and cyano algae. Its in an established tank and just came out of nowhere.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-37-58_732.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-38-19_615.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-38-28_840.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-38-36_848.jpg

bnumair · 07/27/2012, 01:47 PM

it seems like a mix of algae and cyno. kill ur lights for 3-4 days, do water changes siphon most out and causes are most commonly nitrate and phos levels and long light hours and also to check old bulbs. old bulbs lose their radium so if u started with 10k or 14k bulbs over few months they will be at 7to8k and thus promoting algae greatly at 6500k radium.

wesgentry · 07/27/2012, 02:01 PM

Recently we've been doing weekly 75 gal water changes were adding a bio pellet reactor, and we added 3 bags of chemi pure. The 2 halide bulbs are 5 month old 175w 14K's with new ballasts, new quad T5's and cree led's. When the lights are shut off for a fiew days the algae almost disappears but as soon as the lights are cut back on it returns. Is it possible that the depth of the tank at 36" is causing the bulb temp to drop into that 6500K range thus promoting algae growth? Should the halides be upgraded to penetrate further into the water column?

07/27/2012, 12:49 PM	#1
wesgentry Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Palm Bay, FL Posts: 68	Please help id this algae I have no idea what this could be and any help would be great. it looks like an odd mix of hair and cyano algae. Its in an established tank and just came out of nowhere. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-37-58_732.jpg http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-38-19_615.jpg http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-38-28_840.jpg http://dl.dropbox.com/u/700090/2012-...-38-36_848.jpg

07/27/2012, 01:47 PM	#2
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	it seems like a mix of algae and cyno. kill ur lights for 3-4 days, do water changes siphon most out and causes are most commonly nitrate and phos levels and long light hours and also to check old bulbs. old bulbs lose their radium so if u started with 10k or 14k bulbs over few months they will be at 7to8k and thus promoting algae greatly at 6500k radium. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

07/27/2012, 02:01 PM	#3
wesgentry Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Palm Bay, FL Posts: 68	Recently we've been doing weekly 75 gal water changes were adding a bio pellet reactor, and we added 3 bags of chemi pure. The 2 halide bulbs are 5 month old 175w 14K's with new ballasts, new quad T5's and cree led's. When the lights are shut off for a fiew days the algae almost disappears but as soon as the lights are cut back on it returns. Is it possible that the depth of the tank at 36" is causing the bulb temp to drop into that 6500K range thus promoting algae growth? Should the halides be upgraded to penetrate further into the water column?