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Increased brown algae due to new MH lighting....
- Thread starter wienerdog
- Start date
Does your new MH light have new bulbs? That's the first thing I'd correct if not.
As for the algae, are you talking diatoms on the glass or brown hair algae on the rocks?
As for the algae, are you talking diatoms on the glass or brown hair algae on the rocks?
Where is the "algae" and what does it look like? Certain member of the clean up crew only go after certain things. For example nassarius snails are great for churning a sand bed and catch the detritus that hits the sand bed, but they will do nothing for algae.
Does it look kind of slimy with bubbles under the slime during the daytime? What are your water parameters?
It looks like Dinoflagellates.
Here are a couple of articles worth reading:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php
Any of these nuisance "algae" are a result of an imbalance of your nutrient import/export, meaning your bio-load (import) is more than your biomass (export) can keep up with. Ultimately you will need to either increase your biomass, or decrease your bio-load. So, I would start with reviewing your feeding regimen, make sure your skimmer is adequate, clean and in good working order, replace the media in your reactors, etc.
Ultimately an "algae" problem whether it be GHA, Bryopsis, Cyano, Dino's or Diatoms, etc., is really a "nutrient" problem. There are a number of things you can do to mitigate the "visual" affects, i.e red slime remover, but to solve the problem you have to resolve the "core" of the problem, or it will keep returning.
It looks like Dinoflagellates.
Here are a couple of articles worth reading:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-11/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/eb/index.php
Any of these nuisance "algae" are a result of an imbalance of your nutrient import/export, meaning your bio-load (import) is more than your biomass (export) can keep up with. Ultimately you will need to either increase your biomass, or decrease your bio-load. So, I would start with reviewing your feeding regimen, make sure your skimmer is adequate, clean and in good working order, replace the media in your reactors, etc.
Ultimately an "algae" problem whether it be GHA, Bryopsis, Cyano, Dino's or Diatoms, etc., is really a "nutrient" problem. There are a number of things you can do to mitigate the "visual" affects, i.e red slime remover, but to solve the problem you have to resolve the "core" of the problem, or it will keep returning.
OK Jim..just got done with checkin all my parameters.
Skimmer is a Reef Octopus 110 needlewheel
Phosban in a reactor that is about 6 weeks old (could be changed but 0 phos)
30g sump with chaeto and LR
temp 81'
sg 1.025
calcium 480
ammonia 0
ph 7.8
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phos 0
dkh 7 dkh
I keep a log every time I check prameters. the only significant change from last time and now is....
1. New metal halide lighting
2. My Kh has dropped from 9dkh to 7 dkh
Personally, I could be overreacting to the algae, as I tend to do in fear. It's seems to me as if it's because the increased lighting. I went from 320 wats to 716w. However, I dont trust my knowledge in the hobby just yet. hence, my post to you for help. I have no way of suspending the lights over the tank. It is sitting directly on top with the typical fixture legs. The watertemp has increased to 82' during the day while MH's are ON.
Good post Jim. Totally agree.
OK, I'm going to back to test kits. What kind are you using? You wouldn't have this problem if you had '0' NO2, NO3 and/or PO4, it/they don't have to be high, but not '0'.
Also before you start supplementing your Ca, or Alk, make sure your Mg is OK, 1200 min, but 1350 would be better.
By the way Jim, there are no bubbles in, under, or around the algae. OK...from what I understand, it seems as if my low pH could be the culprit. I need to treat that. I guess I always had the problem without any result (algae). Now I have the lighting it brought on the result (algae). I never had the problem before because my lighting was relatively poor. My phosphates are 0. So, I am assumong I should start dosing with something to increase my pH. Kalk, limewater....what do you guys suggest.
Seachem Marine Buffer will raise pH, and I believe that John carries it. But, your pH will change throughout the day, and I would check it at the same time of day each time. 7.8 is not a bad reading if it's near the low end of your daily swing. Using Kalkwasser will also raise pH.
Here's a good read on pH:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php
and Kalkwasser:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_2/kalkwasser.htm
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
Test kits...Salifert. Thanks again. As I look a little closer, it looks like cyano...more red. Anyway, I am going to start reducing my bio-load. I agree too many larger fish. I would like to keep the fox because he devours algae. In fact, he's eating the brown algae pictured earlier. I am starting with th Blue Throat. My daughter will be bummed, but she'll understand. He is large and by far the most active swimmer, eater, and personality in the tank. He is harmless to livestock and corals, or atleast has been to date. I cut my light time significantly and I need to cool my water with fans. Gonna check my pH throughout the day. Also, in reading, I think I may be feeding too often. I feed mysis, cyclopeeze, plankton slurry several short squirts of a baster a day. I also drop a few pinches of different dry foods also.
There is nothing wrong with a high bioload tank. It just means more frequent water changes or an oversized skimmer to power it. Your trigger looks nice and fat - perhaps cut back on the amount of food that is being fed. In this hobby - most people have disaster because of over-feeding, you never hear of a fish starving to death.
If you look at a tank full of hair algae or cyano - sometimes the readings on the best test kits show zero. Why? because the algae is uptaking the phos so fast, your test kit cannot read it. This is exactly the science behind those who use Algae Turf Scrubbers.
As i recall you mentioned you have some koralias and some generic pumps. Maybe re-direct those so that they are aimed at the spots you see growth. I use kalk to raise my ph but i dose via reactor. You have to be careful with kalk as an overdose could wipe out the tank.
If you look at a tank full of hair algae or cyano - sometimes the readings on the best test kits show zero. Why? because the algae is uptaking the phos so fast, your test kit cannot read it. This is exactly the science behind those who use Algae Turf Scrubbers.
As i recall you mentioned you have some koralias and some generic pumps. Maybe re-direct those so that they are aimed at the spots you see growth. I use kalk to raise my ph but i dose via reactor. You have to be careful with kalk as an overdose could wipe out the tank.
What is your feeding schedule and what do you feed?
dnov99
FRAG SWAP VENDOR
Well I wouldnt go by my feeding schedule as I run Zeovit and a massive bubble-king skimmer which allows me to feed heavily. But I feed my fish strictly Pellets, PE mysis, Rods herbivore, frozen BW and dried seaweed. Since I have over 40 fish they get this a few times a day and I rely on the fish waste to feed my corals. The Zeovit and skimmer pull out all the excess.