Algae issue/question

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
R

rwilson24

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Messages
37
Hello!

A little background, I moved 6 weeks ago, and upgraded my tank from a 90 corner to a 120g.

The 120 had the same filter/decor/etc. All that has been added is 7 new plates, on top of the 1 blood parrot, 2 rainbow cichlids, 3 green severums and 4 nerite snails.

However, ever since I have gotten this new tank, which has no direct light, I seem to be having excess green algae growth. Ammonia and Nitrites are 0, and nitrates are around 10/20.

Anyone have any idea why or what I can do, besides scraping the glass and water changes?

Also, is my stocking too heavy?

Thanks!
 
Flake and cichlid pellets, the same food I have been feeding for years.
 
Did you get new substrate or wash it with untreated water? Change filters or filter media?

Sometimes a change like a move throws off the balance.
 
The only new item were a few fake plants and a new light fixture.

I did have some issues with clarity of the water when I first moved, and was doing multiple water changes, as I Thought it was a slight mini cycle, but that seems to have sorted itself out. It is just this algae problem now.
 
This is the light, it is on about 8 hours/day.

We currently have it on the blue setting
 
Your issue could be that a marine light could be way too powerful for a freshwater aquarium. Is it planted? Could be an issue with too powerful a light and not enough plants removing nutrients with the imbalances causing algae growth.
 
Aiken Drum said:
Your issue could be that a marine light could be way too powerful for a freshwater aquarium. Is it planted? Could be an issue with too powerful a light and not enough plants removing nutrients with the imbalances causing algae growth.
Click to expand...

Oh I never thought of that! Thank you!
 
Is there any way to adjust this so it would work?

All lights I seem to be finding on Amazon are for planted tanks, which I imagine would cause the same issue.
 
rwilson24 said:
Is there any way to adjust this so it would work?

All lights I seem to be finding on Amazon are for planted tanks, which I imagine would cause the same issue.
Click to expand...
Im not familiar with that particular light fitting, but reading the specs i dont think the light output is programmable. I presume you could programme the timer so the lighting period is shorter. Turning the light off midway through the lighting period for an hour or so is commonly done to combat algae.

I understand that excess blue light is a common cause of algae in freshwater set ups and a marine light gives out tonnes of blue spectrum light even on the white light set up (look at the light spectrum graph in your link).

I keep low tech planted tanks, so my lights arent specialised planted tank lights. I like Fluval Aquasky. This light is fully programmable, both the lighting period and light intensity are fully adjustable. Honestly the visual difference between 100% output and 25% output is hardly noticable to the eye, but probably a major difference to plant photosynthesis and algae growth. Perhaps a fitting which can be adjusted to low output will still allow you enjoy your tank but not give out enough light to cause algae issues.

First off though try a thorough clean, water change, and cutting the lighting period of your light from 8 to 6 hours to see if that keeps the algae away.
 
Thank you!

I will try that.

It has a red/green/blue setting as well, but perhaps as its marine, that still is too much blue.

I will reduce the light and hope it helps. I just did a big clean and water change yesterday.

Thank you
 
Its a hood with a their standard full spectrum lamp included. Should be ok. Its all down to finding the right lighting period though.

I dont think it is a programmable fixture so it would need manually turning on and off or a socket timer. Start at 5 hours a day, go up incrementally until you find the balance of how much lighting you want and any plants need (if any) and how much algae you are prepared to deal with.
 
Are there separate blue only LED lights?

I used some electrical tape and cut pieces / roughly as squares, out to block the majority of blue LED's and it helped ALOT!
 
Autumnsky said:
Are there separate blue only LED lights?

I used some electrical tape and cut pieces / roughly as squares, out to block the majority of blue LED's and it helped ALOT!
Click to expand...

I also did the SAME THING!!
used electric tape to cut down the lighting and it helped tremendously!!
Good luck!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Aggressive Green Severum
Replies
5
Views
469
Colin_T
C
B
brown algae annoying
Replies
3
Views
558
bulatz
B
R
Stocking changes - need some help
Replies
10
Views
915
rwilson24
R
R
Updated Stocking
Replies
0
Views
390
rwilson24
R
R
Tank and Gravel Question
Replies
1
Views
383
Andy Sager
Andy Sager

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom