Kessil a360 and algae growth

[Zalick]

Preface: I know I have higher levels of nutrients than I would like and this thread is not about nutrient control.


Background
I've been operating my current tank for about 8 years. For the first 5 I had everything in a smaller tank running T5s with 50%10k and 50% actinic. The last 3 years I've been running 6 kessil a360s. The first 5 years I had pretty much zero algae and I fed very similar amounts. The last 3 years I've been battling algae.

Observation:
I have an enclosed sump that has a cheap LED puck light from Ikea, just to light up the cabinet so I can see around. Its fairly bright and the whole 100gallon sump is lit up. I haven't measured the PAR. Its a soft yellow. I have rock in my sump, from the same rock in the tank, and I occasionally move pieces from the tank to the sump. The rock in the sump has 0 algae. If I move a piece of algae covered rock to the sump, the algae dies very quickly.

Question 1:
Does anyone have any thoughts as to why the a360s are causing the algae to grow pretty quickly while the algae rapidly dies under the cheap puck light?

Question 2:
Any thoughts why the a360s would cause more algae growth than the T5s?

 

[RobZilla04]

Preface: I know I have higher levels of nutrients than I would like and this thread is not about nutrient control.


Background
I've been operating my current tank for about 8 years. For the first 5 I had everything in a smaller tank running T5s with 50%10k and 50% actinic. The last 3 years I've been running 6 kessil a360s. The first 5 years I had pretty much zero algae and I fed very similar amounts. The last 3 years I've been battling algae.

Observation:
I have an enclosed sump that has a cheap LED puck light from Ikea, just to light up the cabinet so I can see around. Its fairly bright and the whole 100gallon sump is lit up. I haven't measured the PAR. Its a soft yellow. I have rock in my sump, from the same rock in the tank, and I occasionally move pieces from the tank to the sump. The rock in the sump has 0 algae. If I move a piece of algae covered rock to the sump, the algae dies very quickly.

Question 1:
Does anyone have any thoughts as to why the a360s are causing the algae to grow pretty quickly while the algae rapidly dies under the cheap puck light? The light source from the A360's are providing a better (more intense and/or spectrum)source for photosynthesis thus algae growth.

Question 2:
Any thoughts why the a360s would cause more algae growth than the T5s?Same answer as question #1

Adjust the color scheme and/or intensity. Specifically the white & red/green.

 

[Zalick]

Adjust the color scheme and/or intensity. Specifically the white & red/green.

I should have added that I have my mid day color on the a360 set at 50.

 

[RCS82]

The light isn't on all day or all night is it? It's just on when you are working inside the cabinet right?

 

[Zalick]

The light isn't on all day or all night is it? It's just on when you are working inside the cabinet right?

I'm lazy and the sump light is on 24/7. I haven't set it up on a timer yet. Its been that way for 2 years.

 

[YetiCrab]

From my experience in this hobby, algae is going to grow somewhere. That's what algae does. It grows. If your conditions in the display are better suited to grow algae - that's where it is going to grow.

Once I setup a proper refugium, with a proper light and turn-over - I have never experienced algae in my dislpay.

So what I would do in your situation:
Ditch the puck light. Pickup an h380 and setup a proper fuge. Never look back.

 

[oldhead]

I should have added that I have my mid day color on the a360 set at 50.

Which tuna do you have? The sun that is made for a fuge and to grow algae or the blue? Also reading through the instructions pdf on BRS maybe try playing with the spectrum. You may need to turn it more to the right to get closer to the antic range.

 

[Zalick]

Which tuna do you have? The sun that is made for a fuge and to grow algae or the blue? Also reading through the instructions pdf on BRS maybe try playing with the spectrum. You may need to turn it more to the right to get closer to the antic range.

I've got the a360w tuna blue.

I know the algae is feeding off excess phosphates in the water and probably leaching from the rock. Its interesting that I'd never had issues with algae using MH or T5s in previous iterations of this tank.

 

[Zalick]

From my experience in this hobby, algae is going to grow somewhere. That's what algae does. It grows. If your conditions in the display are better suited to grow algae - that's where it is going to grow.

Once I setup a proper refugium, with a proper light and turn-over - I have never experienced algae in my dislpay.

So what I would do in your situation:
Ditch the puck light. Pickup an h380 and setup a proper fuge. Never look back.

I have a great grow light that I'll set up tonight and test.

Interesting that algae seems to favor the Kessil's over T5.