Aquarium Light & Algae

[omega59]

I have been running my tank for over a year now with my plants. Now i recently received this Coralife Actinic Dual Lamp F18-T5-BP 10.000K Light fixture, and now all my plants are turning black with algae and they look very sickly I had before a regular tube bulb fixture (15watt T10) and all my plants were doing so good. Is this new light not for plants? i may just switch back to the small tube bulbs, or maybe i can swap the lights with proper ones?


40gal
substrate is sand
5 corydoras
8 guppies
2 platies
tiger snail
4 angel fish

 

[micko]

Sounds like the new lights are stronger and you haven't reduced the time you have your lights on.

 

[RadaR]

Aye. Sounds like this light is stronger and the plants arent getting enough CO2 and or nutrients. Hence they begin to break down and attract algae.
Always very risky to increase the lighting without increasing the other important factors (CO2, nutrients, flow)

 

[omega59]

I took this light out and put the old one back. this morning i found one of my corydoras dead

 

[RadaR]

Most probably just a coincidence. Unless ofcourse the plants were in such a bad state that they caused an ammonia spike.

 

[omega59]

My tank stats are looking fine from the test. i am keeping an eye on it.