alge growth

[jl1199]

I have noticed a brown alge that is beging to grow on some of my rocks and on my sand bed. My lights are only 4.5 months old. Are the light bad or it is something else.

Parameters
Ph= 8.1
NH3= 0
nitrates = 0
salinity = 1.023

[apedroza]

How old is the tank??? Could be diatoms or cyanobacteria

[Pickled Fish]

Probably just going through some minor cycling. Reduce feeding, skim wet, monitor the corals... This happens to me sometimes after I do a water change (opps). Lighting issues are more associated with filamentous algae and what not.

Like apedroza said, could also be cyano, is it slimey, is there any white fungus looking stuff on top of it?


Hope my rambling helps. :)

Kurt

[jl1199]

The tank is about 5 months old. Should I try to scrub it off because I dont want it to cause the coralin alge ( the little that I have) to die of. I did just add some salt to the system.
What do mean by skim wet?

apedroza- How often do you clean your luminars and bulbs

[apedroza]

I ussually wait for them to cool then take a damp rag a wipe away any salt from the bulbs. As for the reflectors I use water and vinegar. Always dry before turning on. As for the scrubbing I would try to siphon off the algae during a water change. Water changes will help in reducing excess nutrients in your tank.

[MissT]

Have you checked your phosphates? Algal blooms primarily come from one or a combination of: excess nutrients, prolonged lighting, bad bulbs, and phosphates. It sounds like your bulbs should still be okay, how long are you leaving them on?

[jl1199]

My mh are on for 8 hours and my pc are on for 4 hours 2 hours in the morning befor the mh turn on and two hours after the mh turn off.

What does it mean to wet skim

[Texreefer]

My mh are on for 8 hours and my pc are on for 4 hours 2

at 5 months that is a lot of light IMO, cut your halides back to 4 hours and leave your PC's on about 10 hours, dont add or change anything else right now,, just do regular water changes and concentrate on stable water parameters. If you don't have aclean up crew , get some good herbivores, I went through a bad algea bloom at about 4 months,, so much hair algae you couldn't see the rocks, be patient and make slow adjustments.. good luck

[mathias]

what type of corals do you have in the tank that you are trying to support with your MH lighting right now?

[verynewatthis]

What does it mean to wet skim..............

that means to run your skimmer at its peak....ie rase the water level up inside it. it will skim much more, and will be more wet then normal and you will have to empty the cup more often...dont forget to do that part.....lol...anyway...just letting ya know what it means to wet skim...good luck..

rich