Could old MH's be causing HA?

[falconut]

I'm had some Hair Algae that came up a few months ago. The tank has been running for over 4 years and I never had HA.

About a year ago I started getting a brownish-red slime algae on the LR. I changed my MH bulbs and it went away within a week. I'm wondering if this could be the same problem.

The HA originally started popping up shortly after I replaced my MH's with Ebay bulbs. After a month I switched back to my 11 month old Hamiltons (14K 250W), it still didn't go away.

I did heavy water changes for the past month. I have since been able to use a turkey baster to suck the HA off. I got most of it and it doesn't really appear to be growing much, but there are still areas that I haven't been able to remove.

Could year old Hamilton bulbs be the culprit? My levels don't appear to have changed, so I'm thinking it could be the bulbs.

 

[seapug]

bulbs can contribute to a problem but are probably not the "source"-- excess nutrients are always the base culprit. When was the last time you changed your RO filters?

 

[falconut]

I just the 3 Carbon filters and the prefilter about 3 months ago and the DI resin about 1 month ago. I also installed a TDS meter when I replaced the DI. The TDS was about 9 ppm before I changed the DI and now it reads 0 ppm.

I'm sure there are some nutrients, that's why I also reduced my display light from 9 - 7.5 hrs and replaced my refuge light, which runs 24/7.

I'm just wondering if it's time to start replacing the MH's.

 

[TheMcs]

Lighting isn't going to cause algae, but will help feed it. Lower Kelvin temps will also help existing algae.

How does your water test?

 

[falconut]

This is usually how my test results are:

NO3 = 0
PO4 = 0
Am = 0
NO2 = 0
Ph = usually between 7.8 - 8.2
Salt = 1.025
Ca = 415
Alk = 8 dkh

They've been pretty consistent, except for the Alk. Which has now stabilized size I added a Kalk reactor.

TheMCs - When you say lower kelvin temps will help, I assume you're talking 6500 K. I was going to possibly add an XM 10K. This is the bulb I had before the Hamiltons 14K. I had great results with them, just stop using them because I kept getting bulbs that were very yellow.

 

[thecichlidpleco]

A friend has a problem with hair algae, and his tank is right by a window, the same as my 20 gallon, but my 40 gallon is without direct sunlight and has no algae of any kind. Most likely a excess nutrient problem but thought I would throw that in incase you had it near direct light source. Also what kind of metal halide fixture are you using. I basically try and keep same parameters on my tanks and along with being near window, metal halides seem to create more hair algae than T5.

 

[seapug]

For less than the price of a new bulb you can pick up a PhosBan Reactor, pump and GFO media. That'll directly target slime & algae fuel #1-- Phosphate. I'd try that before spending more money on bulbs.

 

[falconut]

My tank is in the middle of my house, so only indirect light may come in a light it. No direct light.

I have (2) 250 W Advance Magnetic ballasts running (2) 250W 14K Hamilton SE bulbs. This is the only year I ran the Hamiltons, the other 3 years I ran XM 10K's. I have noticed a difference in coral growth with the Hamiltons. I just liked the look a little better and the newer XM's were really yellow almost green looking.

They sell the XM's locally but they don't give refunds only store credit once you buy, so if I don't like them I may have to use the money for food and such, because I don't believe they sell Hamiltons.

 

[arts007]

I recently had one of my ballasts blow, I was running 2 reeflux 12k 400 watt on coralvue ballast. I had to switch to an old 250 watt mag ballast with an old 20k bulb. The right side of the tank now has algae, not hair algae but a dusting of green/brown is growing on the PH and glass only on that side. I have a low nutrient tank...just thought i would add