Problem with algae again!!

[kyarnkid]

I just got new lights for my tank. They are helios 4 55w fixture. I have had my tank for about 9 months now and my parameters are good. My nitrates are around 20, but I do not think that is my problem. Since i have got those lights I have had a huge algae growth. I mean brownish, redish, greenish hair algae all over my back glass and on my rocks. Also I have alot of air bubbles trapped in the hair algae and they are not bubble algae, they are clear air bubbles. What can i do to eliminate this problem? I do not want to use my glass magnet to clean the back glass and the sides because i will have huge algae clumps floating in my water. I also think that I do not have phosphates, but I do not test for them.
MY ammonia is 0, so are nitrites and my ph is around 8.3. I have about 12 pounds live rock, DSB, and about 30lbs "dead" rock(meaning it used to be live, but it was outside the tank for about 3 months and then I put it in my tank 9 months ago, it should be close to live again) I have two fish a damsel and a maroon clown. I have 4 hermits,2 conchs,and one peppermint shirimp. I am setting up a 10 gallon to transfer my fish and inverts to when i get some new rock for my tank. I am going to get about 60 lbs live rock and add it to my show tank. so to prevent my fish from dying when the ammonia spikes after adding rock I am going to move them.
Should I clean the tank while my fish and inverts when i transfer them to the quarintine? Will the algae just come back?
PLEASE HELP?

 

[slick]

You need to get a phos test. Also you almost always get a algae bloom when you upgrade your lighting. How many hr do your lights run. Make sure your not overfeeding.

 

[ladyhawk]

I just went through the same thing. I upgraded my lights and had air going through my powerhead.
1. I increased my clean up crew.
2. I lessened the hours/day my lights were on
3. I got an algae eatting blenny
4. Turned off the air in powerheads
It has made a big difference.
I still have some of the hairy algae that blenny won't touch, I may manually trim that out of the tank. I don't think he will let it back.
Hope that helps.

 

[smalltimer]

Guys,
Just bear with it, the alge will go away, it is the light increase that is causing it...try adding a 250 mh to a tank that only had 2 55 pc. now have 2 65 actinic pc and 1 250 mh....I have algea, it will go away....oh and nitrates at 20 is a problem....not for the fish and a little for inverts but algea live on that stuff, do h2o changes get it down and grow some calupera if you can, it uses nitrates and phophates as food...
good luck

 

[newreefers]

I had the same thing happen, it has been two weeks now and it is finally starting to taper off. if you can get some macro algae and throw it in there. It competes for the same food as the brown algae and will help starve it. I have had good luck with some detox in a bag in the filter, and I have scraped the tank daily.