need help with green turf like algea

[daytonaconnecti]

i have had this light set up for awhile noe 150w m/h two t5 10,000 14w has raised the temp up alot... any way this green crap is growing wild, and thick.every othe week i take out about 1/4 pound off of the sides and bottom of the tank, it comes back thicker... i had the water ck for everything tds ect, more than once, everytime its great....the only diff is that the temp is in the upper 80s i know its alittle hott, but at the bottom is cooler, two fish mostly lr...fish dont seem to mind....will the extra heat and light feed this green crap?

 

[ac7av]

I had the same experience with the temp in my tank that was getting into the mid 80’s. Now that I’ve got the temp under control it has not been a problem. I do not have anything that requires lots of light at the time I had that problem and after talking to my local fish store I just left the MH’s off for a few days and the problem just went away when the temp stayed below 80. I do not have a chiller but I have got it down to a science in my tank on how to regulate the temp by what covers I mite leave open during the day depending on the temperature of the day. It seems like that about 82 is the point that the algae seems to go nuts even when the water test say everything is perfect. I did the same thing you did. What test do I need to tell me what is wrong? None is the answer in a lot of cases. The green stuff isn’t bad for the tank and the fish probable like it, it just doesn’t look good and it never fails you have company over when it’s at its worst.

 

[plack]

Sort of related although this is for Hair algae: Short fun read !

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-07/nftt/index.php



Paul

 

[ac7av]

That is a real nice and thought out article. I think the conclusions in his article were probable accurate for that tank. Every tank is different as he pointed out. You really need to look at what all is going on in your tank to be able to determine what is your fix for it. As I was reading threw the article the main thing that came to mind on that a possible main cause was consistent over feeding. Where did all the debris come from? That sounds like a lot of left over something in there if you would need to clean off the rocks several times a week. I would say be careful about under feeding too. Some fish need to feed several time a day to stay healthy. I have a pink anthies that for best health they say need fed 5 time a day. Well I don’t feed my tank 5 times a day but I do once in the morning and once in the evenings. I put the mix into a small container and fill it with some aquarium water and soak the food first before putting it into the tank. Every 3rd day they also get brine shrimp that I hatch. Smaller amounts more often would be better I think and keep the tank more stable then feeding a large amount once every 2 days because the fish are starving. I starved to death a couple of green chromis before I realized what was going on. I had not herd about cooking the base rock before or maybe it was an attempt to sterilize the rock. Wouldn’t that kill all the good stuff in it too? I am new at all of this too and I researched as much as I could for two years while looking at an empty tank because I did not want to make and huge mistakes setting it up. I was asking only because I put 150 pounds of live base rock straight into the tank when it came in to help it cycle. Was this a big mistake? I hope not.

 

[gary shandling]

If you had good water movement i dought there would be little no no temp differance from top to bottom.
How far away from the surface is the light and is the top covered?
Whats used for water movement?
Tanks age and size?
Sorry if you answered any of these questions already to much to read.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

its at least a 55gal five sided tank, no top light is about 4'' from the water on it legs, tanks has been going for years now, just changed the lighting...this is my set up from awhile back http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=118580&postcount=85 one of the pumps blow down the back of the tank across the bottom, the other is on each side from the top, split in a y blowing on the rocks and down the sides...

 

[daytonaconnecti]

well its been at least 8 months using my new light,150w MH / 2 X 24w T5, i have not done anything to get my temp down, it stays around 83-84 or so, tang is doing great, but iam loosing my battle aginst this green thick algea, that my tang loves, i dont know if its the light or heat or what,i havent changed anything other than the light....

 

[ac7av]

Well if you have still, an ongoing rapid growth of the green algae then in my opinion you may have a nitrate problem and the algae is thanking you for it. Even if you are not picking it up on your tests I would bet that’s what it is. The temp being in the mid 80s is not usually going to cause that but can help show you quicker that there may be a problem with a nutrient buildup in the tank. Or maybe there is a problem with the light spectrum output of the new lights on your tank. If you have too yellow of a light below 6500k I understand you can have green algae problems. Have you tried to cool the tank with a small fan you can just clip on the rim of the tank aimed at the water? Try and get that temp to average 80 or below and I would bet you would start to see a reduction of the algae.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

so algae, growth depends on water temp as well as other factors, i was wandering about that, i havent changed anything with the maintence of my tank ecept for the new light, everything was good before.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

the lights iam useing are 2 t5 24w/b 10000k and one aihua mh-150 t/rx75, this is the only info i can find on this, HQI-DE 150/NDX EIKO/OSRAM 150 MH MH-DE150/TD/UVS/4K EIKO BRAND 5.19"L ANSI M81/M102 can someone tell me what i have, and any sujestions for a replacement m/h if needed.,.. thanks.

 

[ac7av]

That’s interesting about the color temp on the mh bulb. I am sure its fine but usually I would think that the t5s would be actinic bulbs with the mh being a 10K or 15K. What color does it look to your eye? Blue, white, or yellow compared to the t5s? If it is a 4k Eiko that would definitely explain it.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

the t5 are blue, it looks white, when thay are all on, i have the t5s to come on, then thay all are on, the jsut the t5s, when its about to go off for the night...

 

[Barbie]

You don't mention your water change regimen? The thing with water testing in situations like this is that you've got a great nutrient export system going. The hair algae itself is keeping all of the nutrient out of the tank. Additional water changes to increase alkalinity and reduce dissolved waste, along with adding a refugium would definitely help.

We use bright lighting on these tanks. The more "white" light available for the algae, the more it can utilize nutrients. If you reduce that nutrient with water changes and other methods, you'll eventually starve out the pest types of algae. The light temperature might be exacerbating the issue, but I doubt it's the actual cause. The heat can be reducing the oxygen levels carried in the water, so it might be pushing the pH down, which would also make you more apt to have algae issues. Why not run a fan when the lights are on and get the temps down within acceptable range?

Barbie

 

[daytonaconnecti]

i see, iam not sure how old the m/h was when i got it, also i dont know what i have, this is all the info on the light, the lights iam useing are 2 t5 24w/b 10000k and one aihua mh-150 t/rx75, this is the only info i can find on this, HQI-DE 150/NDX EIKO/OSRAM 150 MH MH-DE150/TD/UVS/4K EIKO BRAND 5.19"L ANSI M81/M102, i want to replace the m/h, but do not know what to get....

 

[ac7av]

Barbie mentioned a few things that are important that I had not thought about too. Water temp goes up oxygen levels will go down. What are you using for a filtering system? I was thinking these were new (brand new) lights you were using but if I read it correctly they are just new to you and were actually used. Old lights will need to be changed or the light temperature output could be out of there specifications and very often they are off on the low side causing more green algae. What is your water change sked? I know you said this tank had been set up for years but what was the lighting system you had on it before?

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Many things contributed and many will help.
I'm very fond of emerald crabs. Never had one hurt a coral and I enjoy watching them rip out and consume hair algae all day and night.

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Barbie mentioned a few things that are important that I had not thought about too. Water temp goes up oxygen levels will go down. What are you using for a filtering system? I was thinking these were new (brand new) lights you were using but if I read it correctly they are just new to you and were actually used. Old lights will need to be changed or the light temperature output could be out of there specifications and very often they are off on the low side causing more green algae. What is your water change sked? I know you said this tank had been set up for years but what was the lighting system you had on it before?

i chang 15gal every other week, i was using compacts 96w total, can you sujest a m/h that would be a good replacement

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Many things contributed and many will help.
I'm very fond of emerald crabs. Never had one hurt a coral and I enjoy watching them rip out and consume hair algae all day and night.

i have had them before,they are great,, i need someone to decipher what light i have
the lights iam useing are 2 t5 24w/b 10000k and one aihua mh-150 t/rx75, this is the only info i can find on this, HQI-DE 150/NDX EIKO/OSRAM 150 MH MH-DE150/TD/UVS/4K EIKO BRAND 5.19"L ANSI M81/M102

 

[Herefishyfishy]

i have had them before,they are great,, i need someone to decipher what light i have
the lights iam useing are 2 t5 24w/b 10000k and one aihua mh-150 t/rx75, this is the only info i can find on this, HQI-DE 150/NDX EIKO/OSRAM 150 MH MH-DE150/TD/UVS/4K EIKO BRAND 5.19"L ANSI M81/M102

Means you are using a combination of 24" HO t-5s (high output florescent) in a color of 10K and a 150 watt HQI 4K color? (double ended halide bulb)

On the temp condition, a fan blowing across the sump or top of tank while lights are on will really help!

Not a bad mix of white light coloration and fine for most applications.
What are the ages of the bulbs and what is the depth of the tank?

 

[daytonaconnecti]

Means you are using a combination of 24" HO t-5s (high output florescent) in a color of 10K and a 150 watt HQI 4K color? (double ended halide bulb)

On the temp condition, a fan blowing across the sump or top of tank while lights are on will really help!

Not a bad mix of white light coloration and fine for most applications.
What are the ages of the bulbs and what is the depth of the tank?

almost two years, including the months i had the lights, the tank is 24'' deep View attachment 30580 thi ia when i first got the light