Lights out

[SSalty]

Well, I am going to try something to try to control the algae in my newly set up tank. Everything in this tank came out of my old tank, Live rock, water, and sand. My clowns, inverts, and corals (2 mushrooms, some Zoas, and a kenya tree) are in a ten gallon under a power compact. Anywase, I do know that some algae will grow in my tank once the lights go on, but I plan on having the lights of for the first month of the tanks life and see if this help control the algae. I talked to my friend who owns a Marine Fish store and says this is a good idea. I am not expecting a miracle and no algae will grow, but we will see if this helps.

I will keep you posted.

[yote]

It will keep it from growing,right up untill you start running them.Id maybe just start out running the lights for for like a couple of hours at a time,then after a couple of weeks add another hour and so on.That way maybe the algae will use up the nutreints before it can get bad.

[SSalty]

Yote, should I start doing the couple hours of light right now, or do my first month without lights, and then start running them 2 hours a day?

[yote]

If it was me,,I'd start now.Basically all your trying to do is limit algae growth.If the algae food is there,then its gonna start growing as soon as you start running your lights any way.But by running the light just a little at a time,you might get just enough to grow to eat up some of their fuel,then kill when it turn the lights out again.

[bobby]

There is a big thread on RC about leaving the lights off for 2 to 3 days every month or two to help kill algae and keep it reduced. I think when you leave the light off it kills it then do a water change because when it dies it releases the nitrates ans phos back into the tank and a water change will help to reduce it. When I see the thread I will post it here for you to read. People are doing this in reef tanks will no ill effects, because in nature ans the thread says the reef will sometime go for days with no sunlight because of clouds and storms.

[SSalty]

Bobby, yes I have seen that thread, it really makes sense with what you said about doing a water change after the lights have been out.

So, you guys think that having the lights completely off for a month really wouldn't do much good?

I guess I have seen my tank go through the algae cycle 3 times, because my tank has either been moved or I got a new aquarium and everything was transfered over. Like I said before I know that algae will grow, but I would like to control it to a point where it does not COMPLETLY cover eveything in my tank.

Thanks

[yote]

Salty
How much of a cleaning crew do you have? And,are your running anything to help take the nitrates and phosphates out?
Im thinking that you might could control it enough to where your cleaning crew can take care of it before it gets out of hand with a low sun light cycle.I dont know,but its worth a shot.

[bobby]

Algae outbeaks are normal for a new tank and wiil take time to mature. I had a few outbreaks but I have everything in order right now. I do have some hair algae gorwing but it grows very slow and my lawnmower blenny, hermits snail and emerald crab keeps up with it quit nicely.

If your having such a bad out break something is wrong and you need to find the cause. What kind of food are you feeding? What kind of water do you use? Are you running a skimmer? What kind of skimmer? Whats you tank stocked with? Whatare your water perameters? If you answere these we might find something thats leading to exsess nutrients.

[RigoSharon]

interesting...but limiting ligth hours wont afecct zoxanthelae???...does corals like zoas are at risk with that ligth reduction??...ive read that microorganism in the live rock need at least 8 hours a day of ligth for metabolism..is it safer to use other ways of contolling algae like cleaning crue , urchins, etc???..

[SSalty]

Originally Posted by bobby

Algae outbeaks are normal for a new tank and wiil take time to mature. I had a few outbreaks but I have everything in order right now. I do have some hair algae gorwing but it grows very slow and my lawnmower blenny, hermits snail and emerald crab keeps up with it quit nicely.

If your having such a bad out break something is wrong and you need to find the cause. What kind of food are you feeding? What kind of water do you use? Are you running a skimmer? What kind of skimmer? Whats you tank stocked with? Whatare your water perameters? If you answere these we might find something thats leading to exsess nutrients.

Food--Frozen mysis
Water--Reverse Osmosis
Skimmer--Super Skimmer, works great....
Live stock--50 lbs of LR (give or take) 2-3" sand bed, 10 hermits, 1 snail (I will be adding more very soon), 2 Clowns, and 1 cleaner shrimp.
Paremeters-- Ammonia 0, Nitites 0, Nitrates 10, I need to get a phosphate test kit as well as an Alkalinity. I also just started dosing with calcium.

What else should I use to remove excess nutrients?