Green Algae Bloom

Alright time for the long winded explanation. I just got my new light up a running about a week ago I had it running 10hrs MH and 12hrs Actinic. Just pulled everything back by two hours today so now I'm at 8hrs MH and 10hrs Actinic. I also just added my Protein Skimmer though I don't think it would affect this. The green algae has really started to take off over the past 48hrs where I'm having to clean off the front glass every few hours and even after turning the sand its greening up in a matter of hours as well. All the fish and corals are doing great.

Water parms:

77 degrees
0 Nitrite
0 Ammonia
20 Nitrate
Ca 400

Help, this green $hit is really getting on my nerves!

 

NO'3s are high and the PO4's are not shown and as neither is the DKH levels .. Thats where I'd first look your new lights have just supplied more energy for the algae to flourish a kick start type of deal you have to remove the food source of the algae. And get the water to a point of hardness that does not suit the algae plants

 

My DkH is in the good range and I have no way of testing my PO4 at this time. You guys ask for way too much info. But I intend to lower my lighting over time and feed less.

 

how would you go about rasing the hardness safely? and what should the hardness be at?

 

hey im starting to have the same problem...........someone mention lowering the DKhs's i think ? what is that ?

 

A marine Buffer is for raising the DKH or you can make your own ? 1 part Boraxo 20 mule laundry booster mix with 4 parts Arm and hammer Bicarbonate soda.. mix well But the DKH should be at the minimum 10 But then you have to keep the Magnesium at a proper level also and thats level is 1400 PPM I use Epsom Salts for that and then you have to keep the Calcium up also that level should be no less then 400 PPM The Magnesium is very important here as it keeps the two oppositely charged Ions of Carbonates and Calcium playing well together with each other.. Its never a simple yes/no Black/white answer Lots of chemistry going on in these tanks.

I like to keep mine at these levels
Magnesium 1400 to 1500 ppm
DHK 12 to 15
Calcium at 450 to 500 PPm

 

tangster.....

ohk thanks for the description.....i hear people talk abou all theremagnesium and calcium levels. i personally have never done anything like that....what i mean is tested those levels or done anything with those levels...........sorry if i made that complicated TANGSTER!

 

Nitrates at only 5ppm plus intense light is enough to cause an algae bloom.

Also, with nitrates at 20 do a water change out!

 

You have a tank of LPS's with MH? 760 watts = 13.8 wpg, that's a lot for that size tank. Are you planning on keeping stony corals? It seems to me reading all the threads with algae/cyno issues that the one thing in common in lighting. Too much light equals too much heat which fuels the algae. I kept running into this same problem and as soon as I scaled back the lights and cooled the tank, I stopped having cyno or green algae. I do not have phospahtes and my 'traits are 0 to .5 (at the end of the month).
And as for "asking for a lot of info"...can't diagnose without the proper info.

 

I am raising my lights a few more inches to lessen their effect. As to warming my tank now sits at around 76 degrees and my PO4's are 0. It seems to be abating heres hoping.