random algae outbreak and new lighting schedule?? (1 Viewer)

[turtlesoup2]

My tank has recently had a sudden green film-ish algae outbreak. I don't know what caused this? It is reappearing one day after cleaning the front glass, before this I was cleaning the front glass every 4 days or so. This past weekend I replaced the carbon and gfo and preformed a 15 gallon water change.


46 bowfront, 4 bulb t-5 HO, sump with cheato, BRS reactor w/ carbon and GFO, and chiller. little over a year old.
many LPS and a few softies and i green birdsnest

 

[RocketSurgeon]

Are your light bulbs a little over a year old as well?

algae thrives off excess nutrients. Remove the nutrients (that's feeding the algae), you'll remove the algae.

 

[turtlesoup2]

Ya my bulb are pretty old and I should be replacing them soon, but I doubt the algae problem is cause of the lights?

 

[rehab]

Yes old light bulbs will cause algae outbreak. If you are running t5 HO expert actually advice to change them out around 10 months mark as they will shift to spectrum that will favor algae growth.

 

[turtlesoup2]

well i ordered 2 aquablue specials and 2 blue plus bulbs. i will let yall know when they come in and a update

 

[RocketSurgeon]

well i ordered 2 aquablue specials and 2 blue plus bulbs. i will let yall know when they come in and a update

You may not want to change all 4 bulbs at once. It may be quite a shock for your inhabitants.

I would have ordered 3 blue plus and 1 purple plus OR 2 blue plus, 1 aqua blue special, and 1 purple plus. If you haven't tried a purple, many seem to like it.

Algae lives off nutrients and light. Light is only one source of energy or food. There are still excess nutrients that need to be addressed.

 

[turtlesoup2]

I figured that I would be a shock so I'm going to shorten the light cycle and slowly bring it back to normal after a months. Actually one of the lights i have now is a true actinic, which is like a purple light and i hate the look of it. I really don't know what else would be fueling the excessive algae growth :?

 

[turtlesoup2]

It seems that the algae has slowed down considerable

 

[rehab]

Nice!

 

[turtlesoup2]

so today my bulbs came!!! i replaced all of them and changed my light schedule from blue: 10-10:30 white :11:30-8:30. to now blue 3-10:30 and whites 4-8:30. could i make the lighting period longer or is that good?

also the algae outbreak has disappeared and algae is just appearing after 3-4 days which is normal for me.