MH lights are causing major algae growth...

broted · 04/24/2006, 05:31 PM

Hi, I have 55 gallon tank that has a few fish and some live coral in it. Mushrooms and polyps, some leather. Anyways, I had flourescent lights on the tank and it was doing great. I knew I needed more light and was considering compact flourescent but I eventually want to go with some sps hard corals. My lps told me I should go with MH lights. So I did. I purchased 2, 175 watt MH lights. The lights are awsome. The colors are bright and very clear. However, a few days after I switchted to the MH lights, I saw a burts of green algae growth begin. I began cleaning the glass frequently and it seemed I was fighting a loosing battle. The green algae has totally covered my rocks, and it will cover the galss in about 3-5 hours after cleaning it. I have been leaving the lights on about 10 hours a day and have even cut back to 8 hours and cant tell much difference. Today I cleaned the glass, did a partial water change, vacumed the gravel and cleaned the intakes on the filters. I then removed one Mh light from one side of the tank and I replaced my old flourescent lights. Within 5 hours, the glass on the side with the Mh lights is covered with green algae and the side with the flourescent lights are fine. What am I doing wrong? Why is the Mh lights contributing to this bad of algae growth? any suggestions? I relly want to run the Mh lights but I am not sure I can if they are going to cause this problem with the algae... Thanks...Ted

Mike 1911A1 · 04/24/2006, 05:42 PM

Algea growth usally means high nutrients in your water. What are you nitrates at? I would expect after changing from flourescents to MH that you would have an algea bloom. You should be able to help it with water chages. I will let you know how I turn out as I just ordered MH and will have them in a week. Will be upgrading from PC.

Mike

broted · 04/24/2006, 05:51 PM

thanks for the reply Mike. Nitrates are fine. The water test perfect. I tested it with my kit and then even took a sample the the LFS to be tested. Same results. I did expect a bit of algae bllom when I switched, but this is horrible. The green has completly covered most of my coraline algae. And it grows so fast. After a water change, 3 hours and the live sand is green again.

SeaMac2 · 04/25/2006, 10:55 AM

IME algae growth is a sign of high phosphate...most of us tend to have nitrate under control,, but phosphate can be another story.

Chris

flameangel88 · 04/25/2006, 11:16 AM

I can't remember the second lowest number on the Aq Phar Phosphate test kit but my result was bet. zero and that 2nd number. My nitrate is high bet 20-40 at times and I perform WCs twice a week of 2-2.5 gal each time on the 24 gal tank. The way my external filter tubes are my MH is set on the back side of the tank and my green hair algae been growing pretty fast on the back wall and not the from glass. The critters and one cucumber is constantly roaming the back wall so it's not that back. The tank's been up for about 2 months now and have about 2.75-3" of LS and about 60lbs of LR.

My cleanning crew been doing a wonderful job on hair algae and thought you may want to put a few in and see what happen. I've 175W bulb and have it on for 8 hrs then switch to PC 64W for 6 hrs then the blue leds come on till the cycle starts again.

jnc914 · 04/25/2006, 11:19 AM

I had the same experience with my MH lights. Your lights need to go through the initial "break in" period. You will see algae blooms increase initially. I would shorten the photo period. I run actinics for 10 hours and only have the MHs on 4-5 hours.

04/24/2006, 05:31 PM	#1
broted Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 9	MH lights are causing major algae growth... Hi, I have 55 gallon tank that has a few fish and some live coral in it. Mushrooms and polyps, some leather. Anyways, I had flourescent lights on the tank and it was doing great. I knew I needed more light and was considering compact flourescent but I eventually want to go with some sps hard corals. My lps told me I should go with MH lights. So I did. I purchased 2, 175 watt MH lights. The lights are awsome. The colors are bright and very clear. However, a few days after I switchted to the MH lights, I saw a burts of green algae growth begin. I began cleaning the glass frequently and it seemed I was fighting a loosing battle. The green algae has totally covered my rocks, and it will cover the galss in about 3-5 hours after cleaning it. I have been leaving the lights on about 10 hours a day and have even cut back to 8 hours and cant tell much difference. Today I cleaned the glass, did a partial water change, vacumed the gravel and cleaned the intakes on the filters. I then removed one Mh light from one side of the tank and I replaced my old flourescent lights. Within 5 hours, the glass on the side with the Mh lights is covered with green algae and the side with the flourescent lights are fine. What am I doing wrong? Why is the Mh lights contributing to this bad of algae growth? any suggestions? I relly want to run the Mh lights but I am not sure I can if they are going to cause this problem with the algae... Thanks...Ted

04/25/2006, 11:19 AM	#6
jnc914 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,008	I had the same experience with my MH lights. Your lights need to go through the initial "break in" period. You will see algae blooms increase initially. I would shorten the photo period. I run actinics for 10 hours and only have the MHs on 4-5 hours. __________________ "Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion." -Jack Kerouac 13 years strictly salty Current Tank Info: 180 gallon FOWLR Angel dedicated tank

04/24/2006, 05:42 PM	#2
Mike 1911A1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: North Carolina Posts: 324	Algea growth usally means high nutrients in your water. What are you nitrates at? I would expect after changing from flourescents to MH that you would have an algea bloom. You should be able to help it with water chages. I will let you know how I turn out as I just ordered MH and will have them in a week. Will be upgrading from PC. Mike

04/24/2006, 05:51 PM	#3
broted Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 9	thanks for the reply Mike. Nitrates are fine. The water test perfect. I tested it with my kit and then even took a sample the the LFS to be tested. Same results. I did expect a bit of algae bllom when I switched, but this is horrible. The green has completly covered most of my coraline algae. And it grows so fast. After a water change, 3 hours and the live sand is green again.

04/25/2006, 10:55 AM	#4
SeaMac2 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 306	IME algae growth is a sign of high phosphate...most of us tend to have nitrate under control,, but phosphate can be another story. Chris

04/25/2006, 11:16 AM	#5
flameangel88 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NJ Posts: 3,998	I can't remember the second lowest number on the Aq Phar Phosphate test kit but my result was bet. zero and that 2nd number. My nitrate is high bet 20-40 at times and I perform WCs twice a week of 2-2.5 gal each time on the 24 gal tank. The way my external filter tubes are my MH is set on the back side of the tank and my green hair algae been growing pretty fast on the back wall and not the from glass. The critters and one cucumber is constantly roaming the back wall so it's not that back. The tank's been up for about 2 months now and have about 2.75-3" of LS and about 60lbs of LR. My cleanning crew been doing a wonderful job on hair algae and thought you may want to put a few in and see what happen. I've 175W bulb and have it on for 8 hrs then switch to PC 64W for 6 hrs then the blue leds come on till the cycle starts again.