Could bad MH bulbs cause an algae spike?

[dougchambers]

I know we talk about color spectrum changes impacting coral growth and color. Could the same spectrum change promote algae growth. Specifically hair algae.

Point in question - We recently replace a set of 250W 12,000K SE bulbs that were 10 months old. I ordered the same exact bulbs from the same supplier. Since putting them in almost 2 months ago, we have seen a dramatic spike in hair algae in our tank. Until this point, we never had HA in the tank. It seems a stretch and is more likely coincidence, but I'm struggling to get the HA under control and thought we better be looking at all the variables.

-Doug

 

[InADream]

I have heard of cheap ebay bulbs causing algae growth... Since you used the same bulbs from the same supplier... Is there a change in the color of the tank with the new bulbs...

Have you checked your phosphate levels... I thought hair algae was mainly caused by hair algae... Do you have any cyano bacteria... Sometimes the cyano bacteria will use up the phosphates before your test kit can read it... By any chance do you have a phosban reactor to where you can run some phosban media...

Dream

 

[dougchambers]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10913577#post10913577 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by InADream
I have heard of cheap ebay bulbs causing algae growth... Since you used the same bulbs from the same supplier... Is there a change in the color of the tank with the new bulbs...

Have you checked your phosphate levels... I thought hair algae was mainly caused by hair algae... Do you have any cyano bacteria... Sometimes the cyano bacteria will use up the phosphates before your test kit can read it... By any chance do you have a phosban reactor to where you can run some phosban media...

Dream

Thanks for the response...

They aren't the cheap eBay bulbs and I honestly doubt they could be the culprit. The color of the tank looks like I expected based on the prior bulbs.

No Cyano. I do have a phosban reactor running. Here are the water levels as of 5 minutes ago;

Ca = 400
Alk = 9.9/3.54
Mg = 1425
No3 = <0.2
No2 = 0
Temp = 79.0
pH = 8.0

Phosphate media is ~30 days old. Any other ideas?

-Doug

 

[Hop]

I lean toward the theory that algae needs nutrients to grow. The amount of light helps dictate the rate at which the algae can uptake the nutrients. So control the nutrients and the light doesn't matter. I'm guessing that the algae was perfectly content with the par you had and still had nutrients in reserve. Now that you have increased the par with new bulbs, you are aiding the algae to uptake nutrients faster.

I'm guessing that the po4 and no3 levels are what is fueling the growth

But I'm usually wrong

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Yes new lights will bring about conditions wich will favor algae growth. If spectrum "a" is missing for growth "b" then the answer surley must be that the bulbs changed is the answer.

I actually noticed somthing rather unusual. I had a 5 gallon salt tank set up by the window. Every morning the direct sunlight would hit the tank. Now the funny thing is that the angle of the glass would split the sunlight into a prizm of colors. Red, oragnge, purple, blue ect. And the red part of the suns spectrum was the strange part. Continuted.

The red light actually was enhanceing the growth of cyano bacteria. All along the back of this tank, in a strait 1 inch line all across the back did the cyano grow! So im guessing that cyano loves red light. Cool eh? But it did not grow anywhere else but this one red spot!

 

[ClayWagner]

I wouldn't think that would cause a spike...