Guess what causes the black slime

[SantaMonica]

inside this...

 

[blaxsun]

Cat using the tank as a toilet...?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Elevated nutrients

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Harry potter?

 

[SantaMonica]

NowGlaze gets it

 

[blaxsun]

NowGlaze gets it

So is that the inside of a protein skimmer...?

 

[Ro Bow]

;Yuck;Jawdrop

 

[NowGlazeIT]

The struggle is real. I cleaned that crap week after week for a year till I gave up on my DIY scrubber. Shoulda bought one from you instead of the trial and error. I’m pretty sure I would have beaten it had I found better lighting options. My ats was sized for the job correctly

 

[SantaMonica]

Skimmer no

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Skimmer no

Yea pulled out dark skimmate. Ats produced a full screen (12x10) every week 1/2 inch thick algae each side, good water weight even. Just really dark brown slime algae over the GHA. Nice green color always grew on the vertical edges.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Phosphates we’re good but nitrates remained on the high side. Lowest I got was 30ppm highest was around 80. Always a roller coaster between 30-80 then water change screen scrape and back to 30 for a week. I did not carbon dose back then but maybe I should have, to help the ats out.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

Any advice on how to get greener growth? I'm trying to avoid more waterchanges to get the growth down. Does the dark growth pull out more nutrients than green growth?

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Any advice on how to get greener growth? I'm trying to avoid more waterchanges to get the growth down. Does the dark growth pull out more nutrients than green growth?

The dark slime restricted my green hair algae from doing its job

 

[SantaMonica]

Dark growth needs more light. But if you clean it every 3 days it will filter a lot.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

Dark growth needs more light. But if you clean it every 3 days it will filter a lot.

I'm currently running it on a 23 hour schedule, so more light isn't an option. I don't think I can clean it every 3 days because even the slime has not grown quickly. I could clean once a week at most. To be perfectly honest, I have been underwhelmed be the performance the last 12 months.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

What lights are you using

 

[Operator Wrasse]

Current IC Pros. Not strong, but great for my softie tank. I figured that the LEDs in the HOG should be much stronger than the IC Pros.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Current IC Pros. Not strong, but great for my softie tank. I figured that the LEDs in the HOG should be much stronger than the IC Pros.

Yea those look fine

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Maybe the red spectrum is lacking a bit idk. if it needs more light, duration and intensity are the only ways I know how.

 

[ClownWrangler]

First off, why is this in the macro forum?

I don't do scrubbers because they are just nuisance algae factories. But I have found dark nasty algae on chaeto to be directly related to flow rate. If the flow rate is high enough, nothing but chaeto grows in my chamber and it is always immaculately clean. Slow flow rate and dark slimy nasty algae like that dominates and it does hinder nitrate uptake in my experience. I'm not sure if the hair algae will handle the higher flow rate though.