lighting ? relating to algae

dwendler4

dwendler4

Member
i upgraded to MH about 4 months ago and i am not that happy with what i got and might be in the market for a new light setup. i got about the cheapest MH setup i have ever seen and well, its true- you get what you pay for. one of my concerns about what i have now is the huge amount of algae that i am getting, i clean ALL THE TIME. while i do understand that algae is just going to happen with high power lights, i am curious if different types of lighting are more/less conducive to algae growth.
in short, of all the types of lighting (except PC, too weak), which will yield the least amount of algae, or is the type of light not a factor in the equation?
thanks.
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
You know, I hear it all the time,"if your bulbs are too old it will cause an algae bloom". While as a bulb shifts it color temperature over it's life, this certainly can become true. The algae may grow better than it did before. You also here the other end of the story" Expect an algae bloom when upgrading those lights" It's not that the old bulbs or more powerful lighting are "causing" the algae. It's just that different temperatures of lighting are more (or less) photosynthetic than others. So while you might have your 20.000K lamps running with everything pretty and no algae, then overtime you start developing algae, it is not really the lighting's fault. Yes, the temperature has probably changed, maybe the bulb is not quite so intense either, but the lighting is not the "cause". Is it a sign to change your bulbs, probably so, if you like the color it used to be and or somethings seem to not be doing so well. But if the algae is growing, then photosynthesis is occurring. I'm not saying your chepo lighting isn't just that, it probably is, but what I'm saying is to rid the algae, you need to look for the CAUSE.... While changing the lighting may seem to clear it up, usually better lighting will provide for better growth. That's why you upgrade it. The cause is most always NUTRIENTS, Find those and get them down. Feeding I would say would be the single largest contributor to this. Of course top off/change water can be a large contributor also. Also lack of adequate export. My point is, get your nutrients down....Limit the input, maximize the export.
 
dwendler4

dwendler4

Member
thank you for your input, maybe i should be a little more descriptive about my tank. i moved about 4 months ago, and to say that my tank didnt take well to the move would be an understatement. long story short, there is nothing in it right now. well, there are 2 snails and maybe 6 hermit crabs. at the moment i am only keeping them and my rocks submerged to keep them all healthy, i am moving to houston next summer and dont want to restock just to move again.
having said that, it cant really be feeding because well, i haven't been feeding, are there other sources of nutrients that i need to limit? sorry veni, i do not know what kelvin my lights are, ill look into that, but i can let you know that since the start of the bloom i have had them on for only 4 and a half hours a day, on a timer. also, doc, im not saying your wrong because you could be right about the old bulbs but they are only about 5 or 6 months old, do you think they could be "old" already (i know little to nothing about high power lighting)?
thanks for chiming in guys and if you could help me figure this out i would be real appreciative.
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
As stated, top off/change water is a source. Logically speaking you could easily starve the algae out if there's no other source for it. If you are exporting it correctly that is. Die off from the move as well as stirring up all the old debris is a source for DOC's. As well EVERYTHING contains some level of phosphate in it. I image if you skim adequately and run a phosphate remover, like rowaphos, you'll kill it of.
6 months can be the end of life on a cheapo bulb, ran 4-5 hrs. a day. Like I said, find the source, it isn't the lights though. I Highly suspect your top off/change water.
 
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