Lights out for algae control

[snowlynx]

So if I turn off day light on the reef light, just have blues and royal blues running for 3 days, does that just control the GHA or kill it off?

After 3 days, the algae will just eventually come back?

There are some few small clumps of growth, GHA, about penny size.
I have not plucked it since I did not want to disrupt the Zoas growing on it.

Will the clownfish grow nuts being in the dark for 3 days? :spin1:

 

[Deleted member 336650]

Your fish will not mind. Not sure it will cure your algae problem though

 

[drysea]

Lights off will not kill problematic algae unless it is really dark for longer than any photosynthetic coral would tolerate. Lights off will slow algae down.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Go after the algae by hand first. Be gentle and it will come loose and not do much if any damage to the zoas. Then do the blue lights for at least 5 days, longer is better if you want to kill the algae. Your corals and fish will be just fine with the blue light, your corals will open up just like it does under white light.

But long term you need to figure out what is feeding the algae growth. It needs food AND light. Taking away the light can kill it. But if there is food for it, when you turn the lights back on, it will eventually start to grow again. Getting some algae eating fish or other critters can go a long way to keeping it under control.

 

[snowlynx]

Thanks Ron

I am using RODI. It's a 17 gallon. It is about 4 months old from initial setup.
Nitrate/Phosphate always reads lowest with API kit.

I am using seachem matrix, purigen, carbon, and phosguard in an Aquaclear HOB.

I feed once or twice daily, very small amounts for the 2 clowns and gramma.
I did feed a lot initially and little more self control of feeding less.

I did use Marine Snow, Seachem Zoo and Phyto like every other day and
cut down to once a week.

Sea letttuce and calupera(?) is growing out from some of the Zoas.
I have a 2-3" conch and even his shell has sea lettuce/algae on him,
removed what I could off his shell.

GHA is growing from frags, I use tweezers to pull off what I can.

I have been trying a HOB finnnex refugium with red/blue led strip.
I can only run it for 10hrs. Chaeto not really growing, tons of cyano
in the fuge and getting isopods now.

Latest thing is walls of spider web like stuff with GHA, been scraping off

I will try for 5 days only along with the red sea algae stuff, don't think it
works.

I don't know what the secret is with LFS, clean tanks, algae free.
Buy few frags from LFS then weeks later, GHA pops up like crazy and
other nasties, one aptasia on frag just won't die, tried peroxide.
Will try syringe and lemon juice next.

 

[snowlynx]

What fish will eat GHA and not get shred to pieces by the clown pair or royal gramma?

Do they also mess up the zoas?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Lawnmower blenny or sailfin blenny. Tangs are too big for your tank.

I'd say something is sure feeding the algae in your tank nitrates and or phosphates. Sometimes they show up as zero in water parameter tests because the algae is taking it out of the water, so you don't see it in the tests.

Good luck. I think the blue lights only for a week will help. I'm doing the same thing in my tank right now. I had a chiller that didn't shut off and chilled the tank to below 60F. All the sps corals and most the livestock died (fish, shrimp, sea stars, cucumbers and most of the snails and crabs). Now I have some hairy algae growing. My water is back to 'normal' and I just ordered 2 tangs and 2 lawnmower blennies to work on the algae.