MH lights and algae

[Dingo Dog]

Since MH lights are more intense than VHO, would MH lights increase the chance of having algae?

 

[DLANDINO]

i would like to know this as well and am tagging along for the ride. Thanks for asking this question.

 

[useskaforevil]

better lights mean bettter growth for everything.

 

[vtminter]

I went from PC's to MH, and lost all my nuisance algae. All the brown and reddish algae on my rocks just disappeared, and have stayed gone. My macro algae grows about the same though, maybe a little faster. Corals definitely grow faster though. BTW my bulbs are two 250watt 10ks, and two 96 watt actinic PC's.

 

[Toddrtrex]

You need both excess nutrients and light to have algae growth. So, if you are running PCs and don't have excess nutrients, switching over th metal halides will not cause an algae bloom.

If you do get a bloom after switching to MH, that will shine light on an existing nutrient problem ( pun intended. )

 

[useskaforevil]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12372875#post12372875 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by vtminter
I went from PC's to MH, and lost all my nuisance algae. All the brown and reddish algae on my rocks just disappeared, and have stayed gone.

could that be due to a spectrum change?

 

[downhillbiker]

i had an algae bloom when i switched to MH, and just had to cut back the photoperiod. this is a good idea anyway to keep from light shocking the corals. nothing will be used to this amount of light, and it may cause some problems. i ran for 8hrs/day with CF, and just cut back to 6hrs with MH, and have been upping it 1 hour every 2 weeks until i get back to the 8hrs.