Is My Lighting Too Strong?

[LiquidSpace]

Hey all, I’m hoping to get some opinions on what I should do…if anything. Reef is 1 year old.

I’m running a 13.5 AIO with an AI Prime. I started with Marco rock. These are my settings.

I feel like my lights are either too strong or are for too long because of algae buildup towards the top of the aquarium on the equipment and the sand. I think my clam’s she’ll shows the extent of it.

Light is 10”above the surface and the tank is 10” deep. I believe my photoperiod may be too long?


That being said, I’m hesitant to make any changes because everything is growing great.



Stock:

• Duncan Coral: 3 heads to 25+.
• Red Montipora: Growing and encrusting.
• Purple Montipora: Tripled in size in 2 months.
• Blue Stylophora: Growing and encrusting
• Mummy Eye Chalice: Growing
• Favia: Growing
• Anemone: Happy and growing
• Derasa Clam: Happy and growth!

If there is one thing I have learned in this hobby it’s to take things slow and DO NOT MESS WITH A GOOD THING.

Should I just stick with my current settings? I don’t want to jack anything up.

 

[Lavey29]

If everything is thriving why would you change anything like your current light setting?

 

[LiquidSpace]

If everything is thriving why would you change anything like your current light setting?

Yeah, that’s exactly why I haven’t done anything yet. But I needed to ask anyways. Here is a full tank shot. I imagine a bit of algae never hurt anything. It’s just ugly.

Phosphate is 0.02 and Nitrates 0.01 using Hannah. So I just figured it’s the lightning or the dry rock start that caused it.

 

[Lavey29]

Yeah, that’s exactly why I haven’t done anything yet. But I needed to ask anyways. Here is a full tank shot. I imagine a bit of algae never hurt anything. It’s just ugly.

Phosphate is 0.02 and Nitrates 0.01 using Hannah. So I just figured it’s the lightning or the dry rock start that caused it.

How old is the tank? Are you intentionally running a ULNS? For LPS and softs your phosphate is slightly low but nitrates are bottomed out which means corals are starving. Now, very experienced reefers can run ULNS with success but more with SPS rather then LPS. You want nitrates at 10. Corals can take weeks or months before they begin to show decline from lack of nutrients.

However, each tank is unique so if ULNS is working for you currently then you may want to stay the course.

 

[Bpb]

Lowering the light intensity will not be appreciated by a happy clam. I would always both expect and accept some algae during the first couple years

 

[mike550]

@SpoiledCorndog Im with @Lavey29 I think your algae issue can be solved without a lighting change. Besides the nitrate level being low do you have a clean up crew?

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Your lighting is fine! I use the same on my 10g. It takes a long time for a dry rock tank to mature, esp. with it being small and harder to keep stability on point. Don't think about it too much. do your water changes once a week, only vacuum part of your sand at a time and watch your levels.

 

[Lavey29]

@SpoiledCorndog Im with @Lavey29 I think your algae issue can be solved without a lighting change. Besides the nitrate level being low do you have a clean up crew?

Good point, also every healthy tank has a little algae somewhere. It's just part of a healthy ecosystem and keeps the cleaner crew fed and healthy too

 

[LiquidSpace]

Good point, also every healthy tank has a little algae somewhere. It's just part of a healthy ecosystem and keeps the cleaner crew fed and healthy too

How old is the tank? Are you intentionally running a ULNS? For LPS and softs your phosphate is slightly low but nitrates are bottomed out which means corals are starving. Now, very experienced reefers can run ULNS with success but more with SPS rather then LPS. You want nitrates at 10. Corals can take weeks or months before they begin to show decline from lack of nutrients.

However, each tank is unique so if ULNS is working for you currently then you may want to stay the course.

1 year old tank

That’s the stupid thing. I’m not trying to run an ULNS. Here is my regimen:

1. Frozen Mysis Every other day.
2. Omega One Marine Flakes once a day.
3. All 4 Reef
4. Ocean Magik Phyto
5. Reed nutrition oyster feast

I do a water change maybe once every two weeks. For filtration I have floss and a bunch of ceramic media in the chamber. Nothing else.

I’m half convinced my Hannah Checkers are busted! Should I be feeding more?

I was thinking about doing carbon dosing with tropic Marin products but:
1. I don’t see any issues so I don’t want to mess it up.
2. Can I even carbon dose in a nano safely?

 

[nuxx Verified Sponsor]

Agree you're fine and don't go changing things

 

[Lavey29]

1 year old tank

That’s the stupid thing. I’m not trying to run an ULNS. Here is my regimen:

1. Frozen Mysis Every other day.
2. Omega One Marine Flakes once a day.
3. All 4 Reef
4. Ocean Magik Phyto
5. Reed nutrition oyster feast

I do a water change maybe once every two weeks. For filtration I have floss and a bunch of ceramic media in the chamber. Nothing else.

I’m half convinced my Hannah Checkers are busted! Should I be feeding more?

I was thinking about doing carbon dosing with tropic Marin products but:
1. I don’t see any issues so I don’t want to mess it up.
2. Can I even carbon dose in a nano safely?

I wouldn't carbon dose a low nutrients nano or you will bottom out. Water changes typically suffice for nano balance. I feed my fish frozen twice a day and pellets as a third feeding periodically so you can feed more. Heavy in heavy out should boost you nutrients levels but just go slow and check everything as you go maybe over a month period. Slow changed are best.

 

[LiquidSpace]

Oops, by dosing I mean adding this stuff. Don’t know why I used the term carbon dosing.

200 mL Plus-NP

Supply critical nitrogen and phosporus to your reef tank for optimal growth and coloration. While we often think of keeping nitrate and phosphate down as the goal, in many modern reef aquariums we can run into a deficiency of these key nutrients. Due to the effectivess of mechanical, chemical...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

But yeah, I think starting by feeding more is the best bet. Thanks!

 

[Lavey29]

Oops, by dosing I mean adding this stuff. Don’t know why I used the term carbon dosing.

200 mL Plus-NP

Supply critical nitrogen and phosporus to your reef tank for optimal growth and coloration. While we often think of keeping nitrate and phosphate down as the goal, in many modern reef aquariums we can run into a deficiency of these key nutrients. Due to the effectivess of mechanical, chemical...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

But yeah, I think starting by feeding more is the best bet. Thanks!

It's the easiest and most natural way to start

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

You need to dose nitrates. Marco rock will cause dinoflagelates and your nitrates are really low. Don't worry about phosphates. Get your Nitrates to 10 to 15. Your algae will go away.