brown algae on sand?

[dnjan]

Algaes, plants, etc. prefer specific wavelengths. So if a 10k bulb loses it "blue" wavelengths faster than it loses its red and yellow wavelengths, it might look overall like a dimmer 6500 bulb. But the intensities of the wavelengths preferred by the algaes, plants, etc. do not increase so there is nothing in the light that would increase the growth of these algaes, etc.

Otherwise we could make a fortune by selling our "old" bulbs to plant growers because they would be brighter than the new bulbs that they could buy. I think not.

 

[Krish]

Cool...Thanks Don.

 

[auqua man]

good point it all makes sense.

 

[Dr. Dee]

Hey i have a question? How many of you did a water change and a few day later here comes the (diatoms) and did you do a water change before or after the diatoms?

 

[auqua man]

If your nitrate is 0 and your Phosphate is 0 could Diatoms still be the problem?

 

[Krish]

If your nitrate is 0 and your Phosphate is 0 could Diatoms still be the problem?

If you still have silicates in your water, then I believe they will still grow some, but not totally sure. In any event, with 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates, I don't think much will grow

 

[auqua man]

If you still have silicates in your water, then I believe they will still grow some, but not totally sure. In any event, with 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates, I don't think much will grow

Hi Krish
I have a new Phosphate test kit Salifert and I am getting 0 ppm phosphate is that possible? I was not testing for phosphate before not shure what I should have. The crystals do not mix to well.

 

[Krish]

Hi Krish
I have a new Phosphate test kit Salifert and I am getting 0 ppm phosphate is that possible? I was not testing for phosphate before not shure what I should have. The crystals do not mix to well.

I think so! People read 0 phosphates all of the time and salifert is by far the most popular brand of test kits. I've personally never tested for phosphates because ever since my tank fully balanced out (matured/cycled), I never had any algae problems so I stopped testing for nitrates and never bothered with trying to test for phosphates. I also run a phosban reactor which I'm sure helps a lot with absorbing phosphates. Great investment for the price IMO

 

[auqua man]

I think so! People read 0 phosphates all of the time and salifert is by far the most popular brand of test kits. I've personally never tested for phosphates because ever since my tank fully balanced out (matured/cycled), I never had any algae problems so I stopped testing for nitrates and never bothered with trying to test for phosphates. I also run a phosban reactor which I'm sure helps a lot with absorbing phosphates. Great investment for the price IMO

Yea I was looking at a phosphate reactor this weekend but I went with the refugium insted, I was told they do the same thing.If the refugium works as good as it looks I`m happy.

 

[Krish]

Yeah, a refugium works the same way or even better if taken care of properly. Your macro algae will bind up phosphates and nitrates so you kill 2 birds with one stone.

 

[auqua man]

Yeah, a refugium works the same way or even better if taken care of properly. Your macro algae will bind up phosphates and nitrates so you kill 2 birds with one stone.

Hey Kirsh do you have a refugium and if so can I see a pic?

 

[Krish]

No refugium/sump here anymore here(LOL). I run a sumpless Aquapod now. However, my first sump had a section set aside for a fuge that I ran lighting over on an alternate photoperiod from my tank's lights that nuicance algae grew in on it's own that I would just siphon out each week. Most people add chaeto or other macros in their fuge, but I just let what would grow naturally, grow on it's own as the tank cycled, and it did so in the fuge section of my sump rather than the tank because the conditions were more favorable for it to grow there (more watts per gal, longer photo period, less flow etc). I had cyno, green slime looking algae, diatoms..You name it gowing in there When my tank finally matured, no algae grew in my sump anymore so when I swapped to my new cube, I had the sump built without a fuge section and never had a problem. Now I have the aquapod with my phosban reactor hanging on it with the skimmer and no algae problems either

Here's the sump that had the fuge section with the light over it...





Here's the sump I switched to when I went to the 38gal cube without a fuge section

 

[auqua man]

wow very nice set up. I see a lot of thought went into that.Thanks for the pic.

 

[keene1981]

Yes RO watter

ro/di are just ro?

 

[Krish]

wow very nice set up. I see a lot of thought went into that.Thanks for the pic.

Thanks! That first sump started out as a wet/dry only about 24 inches long and that's what it evolved into as well as I expanded it

 

[auqua man]

ro/di are just ro?

RO/DI is what I meant :lol:

 

[keene1981]

trying to help

 

[auqua man]

trying to help

Thanks everyone here is very helpful it has been a great place for me to learn.