Interesting but pain in the ^&*%

[joyski58]

Santa brought me a new MH light for Christmas. I was so excited. I now have 2 MH bulbs -- one 150W 10K and one w/150W 14K. I also switched an actinic strip light for a thinner light strip which holds 2 (T5 size) actinic tubes that are 36W a piece. The LFS owner said the additional light may spark an algae bloom. Sure did. On the 14K side there's red cyano and on the 10K side it's green cyano. I'm guessing that because of the difference in the color spectrum.

I keep doing small water changes each day of 6 gallons (tank is 72 gal) and syphoning the algae up off the sand. I've added some sand sifting snails and put a power head back in for more circulation. I only have 2 clowns, a yellow tang, a copperbanded butterfly fish, a royal gramma, and a coral banded shrimp in the tank, so not too much pooping going on.

Will this eventually resolve itself, as I didn't have cyano before the new lights. Anything else I can do to get this resolved?

 

[BurntOutReefer]

how long is your photoperiod...?
you might want to think about that also......

 

[Reefmaniac1]

Re: Interesting but pain in the ^&*%

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9012201#post9012201 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joyski58
Santa brought me a new MH light for Christmas. I was so excited. I now have 2 MH bulbs -- one 150W 10K and one w/150W 14K. I also switched an actinic strip light for a thinner light strip which holds 2 (T5 size) actinic tubes that are 36W a piece. The LFS owner said the additional light may spark an algae bloom. Sure did. On the 14K side there's red cyano and on the 10K side it's green cyano. I'm guessing that because of the difference in the color spectrum.


Will this eventually resolve itself, as I didn't have cyano before the new lights. Anything else I can do to get this resolved?

Do larger water changes. Also, check your water quality parameters. There's likely something else going on for the cyano to bloom beside just an increase in lighting. Make sure and check your nitrates and phosphate levels. Keep in mind that hobbyist-level phosphate kits only register inorganic phosphate compounds, not organic (or ortho-) phosphates and so, may not give you the true story. Kits that will read orthophosphates are pricey.

 

[joyski58]

Actinics are on noon to 11:30 pm. MHs are on 1pm to 11 pm.
Hang-on refug is on 1pm to 11:45 pm, which kinda serves as moon light after others turn off. Is that too long a photoperiod?

Things looked a little better Thurs evening; not as much algae had grown back after Weds water change, and the snails are pulling their weight.

I may be feeding too much. I've recently removed 1 large tang, and a very old PJ and a very old one-eyed firefish died, but I didn't cut back on the food. I started cutting back last night.

Just before the 4 small water changes, I did do a substantial change. I do water changes about every 2 weeks. I have a phosphate test kit, but it sucks. IPerhaps the LFS owner has a "good" phosphate test kit. I use bottled distilled water for top off, and RO water from the LFS for changes. I use Tropic Marin reef salt. And I'm over-the-top when it comes to my pumps, skimmer cups, filter floss and sponges being clean. [I have plenty of live rock, live sand and a refugium for harbouring good bacteria.] I took out half of the bioballs a year or so ago. Now just have a 3" layer of them in the sump. Maybe I sould take the rest out?