Too Much Light? Not Enough?

[mrjezzi]

I've got 2x 55w T5 compacts on my Juwel Rio 125 (33US gallon) tank and am still using one of the orginal 18w tubes. They are all plant growth or similar tubes and I have reflectors on 1 of the 55w and the 18w. CO2 is injected currently by 2 Hagen yeast canister things and will be going pressurised when Lunapet dispatch my new kit on Wednesday.

Just out of curiousity I put a reading light next to the tank and pointed at my ricia flutin (is that how its spelt) and some of the other plants. The extra light immediately makes them pearl like crazy but they don't pearl at any other time.

I have the option to put the other 18w tube back on but previously this resulted in lots of algae. My local fish shop told me that brown / black algae is a lack of light so more light in time or intensity would be good. I am dosing with EI and the CO2 appears to be 25ppm most of the time. Why have I still got brown / black algae and which direction should I got in? More light, less light? more CO2? blackout to get rid of the black algae? OR should I just wait to Thursday or Friday for this new CO2 kit to turn up and go from there?

Thanks for any help in advance!
Jerry

 

[Themuleous]

I make that a total of 128w over a 33g tank, thats 3.87WPG, i.e. quite a fair bit. I wouldn't say you need more light far from it. I am a little confused by how low light can in itself cause brown algae

Have you only just added the new lighting? if so I would leave it off until the pressurised kit arrives. That much light requires stable CO2 (and lots of plants!), which I dont reckon you'll get from yeast kits. I'm also a bit surprised just two yeast kits gives you 25ppm, is that reading from a pH/CO2/KH chart? If so it could be well out, as that way of testing can be very inaccurate.

If it were me, keep up the EI, leave the lights at say 55w, for 6 hrs each day until the pressurised CO2 arrives, then added the rest.

Sam

 

[mrjezzi]

I make that a total of 128w over a 33g tank, thats 3.87WPG, i.e. quite a fair bit. I wouldn't say you need more light far from it. I am a little confused by how low light can in itself cause brown algae

Have you only just added the new lighting? if so I would leave it off until the pressurised kit arrives. That much light requires stable CO2 (and lots of plants!), which I dont reckon you'll get from yeast kits. I'm also a bit surprised just two yeast kits gives you 25ppm, is that reading from a pH/CO2/KH chart? If so it could be well out, as that way of testing can be very inaccurate.

If it were me, keep up the EI, leave the lights at say 55w, for 6 hrs each day until the pressurised CO2 arrives, then added the rest.

Sam

That is what threw me! I couldn't work out how brown algae is caused by low light. I have been calculating CO2 from the charts and I am aware it may be very far out although I am using a DIY mix in the Hagen's as suggested on this forum. I've reduced the light period and treated for hair algae (by adding 6 Flying foxes) - if this doesn't work I'll chemically treat it i suppose. I can't wait for the pressurised CO2 - little bit annoyed that I purchased it on the 4th and emailed them today to be told it will ship on Wednesday!

New lighthing was added recently but there were issues with it and the tank was only getting 18watts for a couple of days and probably relatively unstable CO2. My LFS has very kindly replaced the lighting ballast that failed and I've now got 2 ballasts rather than 1 so I can put the 55w t5's on independently. Do you think this period of very low light could be the cause of the brown algae explosion?

 

[Themuleous]

I wouldn't think so, unless its been combined with something else, like a filter crash or substrate disturbance. Do you know what kind of brown algae it is?

 

[mrjezzi]

I wouldn't think so, unless its been combined with something else, like a filter crash or substrate disturbance. Do you know what kind of brown algae it is?

I've attached a photo. Using extreme macro on my camera it looks like hair algae? It might be wishful thinking but the flying foxes seem very busy - I hope they continue!

 

[mrjezzi]

Here's a photo of my riccia fluitan after about 15 minutes with a reading lamp pointed at it. Under normal lighting conditions it doesn't pearl at all. I don't know if that tells you anything about my lighting set-up or not!

 

[Themuleous]

Cool riccia The algae is BBA, few fish will eat it, unless almost starved. Its normally caused by unstable CO2. Leave the lights at 18w until you get the new co2 kit. The pressurised set up should help sort it out.

Sam

 

[mrjezzi]

Cool riccia The algae is BBA, few fish will eat it, unless almost starved. Its normally caused by unstable CO2. Leave the lights at 18w until you get the new co2 kit. The pressurised set up should help sort it out.

Sam

Thanks Sam, will put it down to 18w until the CO2 kit turns up.

 

[Themuleous]

Thinking about it, it might be staghorn, either way its a pig. Have you heard of overdosing seachem excel?

Sam

 

[SuperColey1]

Looks like staghorn to me!!!

2 yeast cannisters with the best ceramic diffusor will not get 25ppm with that much light!! I had 3 under 1 55W with 18W and struggled badly with the same results

As per Sams post the light needs to be introduced gradually I would suggest over a fair few weeks adding an hour more of the first 55W untill you hit the max w. Then start introducing the second 55W gradually.

Start at 18W for 12 hours and the first 55W for 4 hours in the middle and each week add ½hour each side so that eventually you get 2 hours 18W either side of 8 hours 73W.

Then start on the second lamp and if preferred use it for a midday burst until you are maxed.

A routine like this (may involve using timers to make it easier (£3 each from wilko)

Wk-W-HRs

1 18-4, 73-4, 18-4
2 18-3½, 73-5, 18-½
3 18-3, 73-6, 18-3
4 18-2½, 73-7, 18-2½
5 18-2, 73-8, 18-2
6 18-2, 73-3, 128-2, 73-3, 18-2
7 18-2, 73-2½, 128-3, 73-2½, 18-2
8 18-2, 73-2, 128-4, 73-2, 18-2

This ends up giving you a dawn/dusk period (18)
A Normal daylight period (18+55)
And a midday burst period (18+55+55)

A little complicated I know but.

You also will need to adjust the CO2 accordingly each week to match the uptake of the plants.

Andy

 

[mrjezzi]

Thanks guys, I'll do some reading up on staghorn later in the day. The lighthing cycle looks like a good idea, I'll invest in another timer and run all the lights separately. Will the flying foxes eat staghorn or just BBA?