Break in time for new MH 250's

schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Wondering how long it takes for MH's (new) to break in? I have a new (3 weeks old now) 2x250's Sunpod 48" fixture by current. The lighting is amazing, but even at 3-4 hours a day I am getting an algae bloom. LFS says the bulbs are breaking in. I even ran phosphate pads in sump and it only got worse. I did a water change yesterday and it is allready coming back. My nitrates are 0, phosphates 0 and the LFS is telling me to go to 8 hours and eventually the algae will burn off. No hair algae or cyano, just green algae that mats in clumps or chunks. Any suggestions would be helpfull. Thanks in advance.
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by FranktheTank
http:///forum/post/2607728
How old is the tank?
+1 The tank's age is probably playing a bigger part in this than the lights.
SOMETHING is feeding that algae besides light. (Silicates?)
The lamps should be broken in by 3 weeks.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by schnutzzy
http:///forum/post/2607723
just green algae that mats in clumps or chunks. Any suggestions would be helpfull. Thanks in advance.
Thats most likley cyano, AKA Blue, Green algae, it even comes in brown if you want it... I would say I am 99% positive because without a pic there is the chance....
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
The tank is 7 months old. I upgraded from 4x65 Coralife lunar. I syhoned yesterday with 20% water change. I also went thru the phoshate pads, 1 for 24 hours and the second for 48 hours. Phosphates 0. Nitrate 0. Tank looks great except for the sand. No algae what so ever on the live rock. Thanks again!!!!!
 
chilwil84

chilwil84

Active Member
looks like cyno. if your not using a digital type phosphate meter your results are more likely off and the added intensity of your lights set off the cyno. carefully vacume off the cyno and run some gfo (phosphate remover) and start increasing the time your mh are on they should be well broken in by now.
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Thanks for the info chilwill. I just finished vacuuming off the algae and ran phos pads and a phos remover powder as directed and it is coming back again in less than 24 hours. I increased lighting schedule to 8 hours. Have to wait and see what happens. Thanks again
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by schnutzzy
http:///forum/post/2608146
Thanks for the info chilwill. I just finished vacuuming off the algae and ran phos pads and a phos remover powder as directed and it is coming back again in less than 24 hours. I increased lighting schedule to 8 hours. Have to wait and see what happens. Thanks again

It is indeed cyano, keep syphoning, reduce light schedule to 4 hours a day, increase flow, and do frequent water changes. It will take some time but it will go away. Then find out why your getting it....
 
yerboy

yerboy

Active Member
Originally Posted by schnutzzy
http:///forum/post/2607723
Wondering how long it takes for MH's (new) to break in? I have a new (3 weeks old now) 2x250's Sunpod 48" fixture by current. The lighting is amazing, but even at 3-4 hours a day I am getting an algae bloom. LFS says the bulbs are breaking in. I even ran phosphate pads in sump and it only got worse. I did a water change yesterday and it is allready coming back. My nitrates are 0, phosphates 0 and the LFS is telling me to go to 8 hours and eventually the algae will burn off. No hair algae or cyano, just green algae that mats in clumps or chunks. Any suggestions would be helpfull. Thanks in advance.
I have read that most Halide bulbs do not reach there true color until about 100-150 hours of use.
I didn't read anything past the first post so forgive me if this had already be answered.
also if your tank didn't have the same type of lighting on it as it does now it will take time for your tank to adjust to the new light.
you can acclimate your tank to the new light by reducing the lighting period to 4 hours or so a day and increase the daily time by 30mins or so each week until you are running yous light the desired amount of time.
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Thanks yerboy, I am working on this problem as I speak. The algae turns into clumps and doesn't syphone easy. It looks like I will just have to ride it out. I reduced my lighting when they were new to 3-4 hours a day and increased 1/2 hour a week until I am at 51/2 now. Some people tell me to reduce the lighting, while others say to extend lighting and it will make the algae go away. My live rock is clean, it's just the sand bed. I ran phospads in my sump filter as directed over a 3 day period and it just got worse. Anyway thanks for your input and I will just keep trying.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by schnutzzy
http:///forum/post/2609338
Thanks yerboy, I am working on this problem as I speak. The algae turns into clumps and doesn't syphone easy. It looks like I will just have to ride it out. I reduced my lighting when they were new to 3-4 hours a day and increased 1/2 hour a week until I am at 51/2 now. Some people tell me to reduce the lighting, while others say to extend lighting and it will make the algae go away. My live rock is clean, it's just the sand bed. I ran phospads in my sump filter as directed over a 3 day period and it just got worse. Anyway thanks for your input and I will just keep trying.

Extending your light period will not make it go away, cyano is light dependant, I had a serious bout with it not too long ago. I cut my lights down, to a 3 hour cycle for almost 2 weeks. I didnt lose any corals, my rose anemone did fine, it didnt even move. And I syphoned every other day, water changes every 3 days of 25% and in 2 weeks everything was back to normal.
 
chilwil84

chilwil84

Active Member
one of the problems with cyno is once it forms a mat it feeds off itself phosphates give it its fule to start but it doesnt require it to keep going. running the phosphate remover will help keep it from coming back once you beat it. i have found that just carefully picking up the clumps by hand sometime works better than trying to use a gravel vacume
 
frankthetank

frankthetank

Active Member
Honestly, fact or not, I truly believe the number one weapon against Cyano is flow. Please tell me, how much flow do you have and what creates it? I'd be real interested in knowing.
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Sorry it took to long to get back. I have a 72 bowfront and am running (2) Koralia PH's. I have them placed on each side of the tank. One toward the surface and one pointed toward the middle-bottom. If I point them toward the front of the tank it creates a sand strom. Maybe thats what I need for awhile, but then I would probably have to move alot of my coral around. Thanks for the input. I'm all ears.
 
frankthetank

frankthetank

Active Member
You know... that is only 23x flow. It would not be hard to imagine that in a 72g tank, 4 ft long, that 23x flow could possibly not be enough flow. I personally shoot for over 30x flow on any tank... and to give you an idea, I will be pushing 57x flow in my new 36g corner tank I am setting up.
I might would consider putting another Koralia #3 in the center/back of the tank. This should increase your flow to 35x through out your tank. I would be damn near ready to bet that your cyano problem will go away shortly after.
One last thing... no doubt poor lighting, over feeding (phosphates & high nitrates) can contribute to cyano... but hands down the number one weapon against cyano is FLOW.
 
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