Thin green film algea! Please read

[Jermz79]

I recently got my new lights and ever since then I have had a bloom of a very thin green algea on the glass. I can scrape it right off and within a day or two it's right back?? I have checked all of my levels and everything is great so I don't know where this is coming from?

 

[Brenden]

By "checked all levels" you mean PO4 and NO3? What is your feeding schedule? how much and what? Do you use RO/DI water for top offs and WC's? How often do you do WC's?

 

[EELectric]

My most recent bloom of algea had the same thing. It was gone in a few days but the only thing I did to treat it was my magfloat.

 

[melosu58]

I`m sorry I must have missed it but what type of lights did you get? Brenden asked some good questions.

 

[MarineFlake]

Thin as in thin hair or thin as in coraline algae. Coraline comes in a green variety too. Hair algea is pretty hard to mis-identify. Also I would be surprised that it would start growing on the front glass first. It usually takes root on the back wall or on rocks/sand, where flow is normally little to none. If it is hair algea, keep manually removing it. Its a pain if it takes root. If its just green coraline algea, then have no fear your lights are kicking things into overdrive!

 

[boardsurfer]

What were your old lights, and what are your new lights? Was it a pretty big difference in lighting?

 

[Lemonsong]

I got the same thing going on in my tank. But I have two types the filmy stuff you described(which is not hairline algae) and hard green round algae that is a bitch to clean off so I use a razor and scrape it off. The problem with mine is I dont use RODI water some im off to pick up an RODI unit tomorow Oh and if anyone knows...I cant tell if the hard stuff is green corraline algae...can someone describe it for me and if it is will purple/pink corraline still grow?

 

[Brenden]

The hard stuff is green coralline algae. IME it will coat rock etc then it will turn pink/purple.

 

[Lemonsong]

Hmm I guess im going to have to take a picture of it and you can tell me for yourself. It has covered a generous portion of the live rock and it looks like regular algea but on the glass it is small spots that are hard as hell to get off. So I will take a picture ASAP and I can find out that way.

 

[ferretttt]

I have the same issue. I have had to scrape everyother day almost. Itis thin, like a film and almost like a sheet. When I scrape it off with a blade,it comesoff likean old decal almost.

I was going to do a blackout for a day,but I donr know of it will work. I have 450 watts of VHO. New bulbs.

 

[boardsurfer]

If it's hard and crusty, i bet it's green coraline.

 

[Jermz79]

By "checked all levels" you mean PO4 and NO3?

Yes absolutly clean. I was actually surprised to see the levels at 0 myself.

What is your feeding schedule? how much and what?

I feed every other day, and maybe a quarter cube of a frozen mix.

Do you use RO/DI water for top offs and WC's? How often do you do WC's?

Yep, Nothing but RO/DI!

I`m sorry I must have missed it but what type of lights did you get?

Nope you didn't miss it, I didn't post it .... I went from two NO lights 18watts up to a 2 x 65watt Orbit PC setup. I noticed the Algea before the new lights, but not near as bad.

What were your old lights, and what are your new lights? Was it a pretty big difference in lighting? .... If it's hard and crusty, i bet it's green coraline.

Yeah new lights and old lights a BIG difference in wattage! about a 100watts different.
And this is definitely not Coralline, I have that as well and it forms in circles and is very hard to scrape. This stuff I have comes off fairly easy.