Lighting upgrade and Algae Bloom???

schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Hi, I have another dumb algae question. I upgraded to a Sunpod 2x250 MH setup about 2 weeks ago. I started my lighting schedule at 4 hours a day and now at 5 hours. I am getting an algae bloom or maybe diatoms. I really can't tell because some is brown and some is green. No hair algae. My question is do I let it go thru it's course or is there something else I can do. Paremiters are Nitrate 0. Nitrite 0. Phosphates 0. Calcium 450. Has anyyone else gone thru the lighting upgrade and experienced this? What did you do? Thanks
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Picture would help; you could be dealing with an outbreak of diatoms, green algae, and/or cyanobacteria ~ all of which could have been brought on by the new light. Generally speaking, the introduction of a new light can bring about an algae bloom series similar to that seen after cycling a new tank (i.e. diatoms, green hair algae, etc.), and it generally disappears on its own. Sometimes however, it can be a real bugger and almost impossible to get rid of.
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
I will post a pic. It is in the sandbed only. It seems to be caking in clumps. I just got thru with hair algae with my old pc's 4x65 and now have 2x259 MH. I also failed to mention I have a 72 bowfront and do 20% water change every two weeks. Picture will follow shortley. Thanks
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Picture taken with lights off. Scopus pretty much hit it on the head as far as looking like when my tank first cycled. That was brown diatoms now it is more green. No cyano or hair algae, Just got done under pc's getting rid of it. I hope it will just run it's course. Even though Phoshates are at 0 should I put in a phoshate pad in my wet/dry? Thanks again.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by schnutzzy
http:///forum/post/2598454
Picture taken with lights off. Scopus pretty much hit it on the head as far as looking like when my tank first cycled. That was brown diatoms now it is more green. No cyano or hair algae, Just got done under pc's getting rid of it. I hope it will just run it's course. Even though Phoshates are at 0 should I put in a phoshate pad in my wet/dry? Thanks again.
It still could be Cyano, its comon to mistake cyano for another type of algae, but cyano comes in a number of different colors. Its also know as BGA or blue green algae, not really an algae but it is diverse in color showing up as brown, green / blue and red. Cyano is light dependant and my guess would be that the introduction to your much more intense lighting facilitated this bloom. A tell tale indicator is if it will suck up off your SB like a mat.
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Thanks PerfectDark. It does cake in mats. I will move up water change schedules and go to maybe 2 hours daily on the lights until it is under control.
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
Also suggest being sure you are not getting supplemental lighting from a window. I have a southern exposure and after reducing my light schedule putting dark window shades in also helped me with algae.
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Stuff on bottom right could be bubble algae ~ kind of hard to see; does it have hard little bubbles growing off the surface of the rock or am I seeing things?
 
schnutzzy

schnutzzy

Member
Well I put in a Tropical Science Phosphate filter that is 2 stage, 24 hour then a different pad in 48 hours. Has anyone used these before and did you see significent results or this another way the LFS makes money? LOL
 
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