Helppppppppppppppp!

[shortbusldtang]

I have had our 80 gallon tank set up for about three months now and I still haven't seen a ton of algae growing. Green algae grows on the glass but I use the magnet to wipe it off! Should I run my light everyday for at least a certain amount of time? Maybe I don't have enough lighting. Right now I just have a 2x65 satelllite. Is it wasteful to start using purple up if I don't already have algae growth? I'm wondering if the purple up helps to accelerate alge in general or only the process of turning what algae is there purple. Any help would be great. I need some color on my live rock

 

[camanuch]

i dont think that is enough light....
also what is your light cycle. not enough and no algae growth.. too much and crazy algae..
also whats your parameters

 

[shortbusldtang]

What should my light cycle be is the better question. LoL so new at this..... Right now with no corals in the tank and it being fish rock and sand i'm only turning the light on when i'm in the room ... usually five or six hours a day though.... Should I come up with a steady light schedule. I have a good timer I bought from ----.. Was waiting to get a better light before I set it up... I"m still in the process of figuring out what light i should get Wow what a tough task. ( any suggestions there ) I don't know m

exact parameters right now but had the lfs test and they said they were very good. No ammonia No nitrites ... etc I do have tests here if it's imporant to know exact parameters.

 

[shortbusldtang]

How'd that banana get in there in place of a "Y"

 

[hammerhed7]

do you have any on your rocks in your tank? you have to start with some in the first place. If so scrape the surface of the coraline with a razor blade, dont scrape it all off, just the surface, that and proper calcium range and you should be ok.

 

[ibew41]

set the timer for 8-9 hrs a day and keep water chem steady

 

[shortbusldtang]

When you say scrape it.. what is this doin? Just curious. I do not have any in the tank at this time. Hell i'm trying to get regular alage to grow... lol I don't think i have my light on often another. Via another reply I think i'm going to go ahead and set the timer forr eight or nines hours a day. Do you all know anyhting about lighting? Would the nova extreme pro be a good light for this tank? I've always heard that a tank is suppose to have 5 watts her gallon and if i bought the nova ext pro it would only be 316 watts. Is the theory of 5watts/ gallon not always true. I'm guessin it dependso n what type of light and other things. The tank is 24" tall.

 

[ibew41]

watts per gal is not valid with todays lights.the nova will keep lps and softies mid ti upper levels and some sps up high,but if going to keep lps or sps mid to low in your tank either tec or other high end t5 or mh lights

 

[halcyon_diver]

yes...its very important to know your tanks parameters...you need some sort of base line to establish what they are, and to be able to maintain them so you can have a stable set of parameters. if you have the test kits you should use them and familiarize with them, after a period of time youll be testing without using the directions, there are some excellent refernces here at this site as well as others that will help you to establish where you parameters should be.
hope that helps and good luck!

 

[augustwest]

If I remember correctly doesn't coaraline prefer blue light? Garf once told me to leave my blues on 24 hrs for a few days. If there are no corals in the tank I dont think that will stress the fish too much, but am not sure. If you are near Milwaukee, you can have all of the coraline you can scrape from me glass. lol