Algae Bloom

[skidrow52]

Since I changed my lights from flourescent to Metal halides, I am seeing many different kinds of algae growing on my Live Rocks, can anyone help please?

Water Parameters
100g
Salinty : 1.024
PH : 8.2
KH: 10-11
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
NItrate : 0-5
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 440

Water Source : R/O


I never had algae problems earlier, I had a lot of coraline algae patches growing on the rocks but since now 10 days I can see the live rocks are out growing different algaes.

Lighting:

150w x 2 HQI - 14k each
54w x 4 T5 Acnitic - 20k each
6 LED moonlights

 

[Crepe]

Those look like macro algae. They make good nutrient exports but I'm not too sure those are the good kind.

 

[mr_X]

very cool. let them grow for a little while and we'll figure out what type it is. it's certainly macro-algae, but it's not hair algae or briopsis, so the odds of this algae taking over the tank just got a lot lower. those are the usual culprits we see in closed systems.

 

[Crepe]

Found out the algae type. It's halimeda.

And according to his article : http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/nftt/index.php it's a good thing.

 

[mr_X]

well, depends on how you look at it. it uses calcium. i like to save that for my corals. btw, emerald crabs love halimeda. just FYI.

 

[jcarlilesiu]

well, depends on how you look at it. it uses calcium. i like to save that for my corals. btw, emerald crabs love halimeda. just FYI.

That explains why all of my halimeda disappeared.

 

[skidrow52]

Thank you gentlemen for instant replies, there is something else I noticed which I forgot to mention is that since I have the HQI's I am seeing a lot of bubbles in the sand substrate and whenever I stir the sand or any fish plays in the sand, I see hundreds of bubbles rising up, is this Nitrogen? or something related with the algae growth ? Sounds stupid, but I am not sure whats going on!