PostShawn
Active Member
I have my 70g which has been up and running for over a year. About a couple weeks ago I noticed a bit more algae appearing in my tank. The algae is most on the rocks right now. I've always had a bit on my glass and I use one of those magnet algae scrubbers about once a week on the front. I've always had a little bit but it's the darker green stuff and very little. This new algae is this bright green color and not very thick or hairy. But just sort of spot coating rocks and glass. This photo is not mine but it's what the algae looks like.
Just recently (4 weeks ago) I replaced some cheap LED lights (not meant for aquariums) with a ReefBreeders Photon LED light unit. I started my lights at a low intensity, around 30% blues and 20% whites and I've been ramping them up weekly just a little bit at a time. I'm currently at 45% blue and 35% white. I guess I was probably going to go another 5% and then let it sit and see how things do. But about when I set the lights to the 45%/35% mark is when I really started to see this algae. I don't know if it has anything to do with the lights or not as I still don't have them on with all that much power but I know it's better light then before. I got some corals a couple weeks ago too (mushrooms, zoas and xenia) and I don't know if they could have introduced it somehow? My tanks stats have been pretty good with the exception of I had some high nitrates and my PH was only at 8.0 at about 4 weeks ago. So I did some water changes and treated the nitrates with a nitrate reducing pouch I put in the sump. Weeks later my PH is near 8.2 and my Nitrates are almost gone. Could the cleaner water be better conditions for algae?
What can I do to control this algae and more important what could have caused it's sudden introduction?
Thanks.
Just recently (4 weeks ago) I replaced some cheap LED lights (not meant for aquariums) with a ReefBreeders Photon LED light unit. I started my lights at a low intensity, around 30% blues and 20% whites and I've been ramping them up weekly just a little bit at a time. I'm currently at 45% blue and 35% white. I guess I was probably going to go another 5% and then let it sit and see how things do. But about when I set the lights to the 45%/35% mark is when I really started to see this algae. I don't know if it has anything to do with the lights or not as I still don't have them on with all that much power but I know it's better light then before. I got some corals a couple weeks ago too (mushrooms, zoas and xenia) and I don't know if they could have introduced it somehow? My tanks stats have been pretty good with the exception of I had some high nitrates and my PH was only at 8.0 at about 4 weeks ago. So I did some water changes and treated the nitrates with a nitrate reducing pouch I put in the sump. Weeks later my PH is near 8.2 and my Nitrates are almost gone. Could the cleaner water be better conditions for algae?
What can I do to control this algae and more important what could have caused it's sudden introduction?
Thanks.
