My very green tank. Lighting too strong?? Help please.

[BZOFIQ]

Is the green growing on the rocks or is it easily blown off, like a soft carpet?

 

[exnisstech]

I would add some real live rock, along with a bunch of snails. Urchins work, but they’re like mini bulldozers.

I have to agree with @Doctorgori that this just is a natural stage and nothing at all to worry about. Not trying to over take the thread or speak for the OP but it looks like we are at the same stage. His tank has been running twice as long as mine but I added rock rubble, marine pure blocks and some muck from one of my sumps so I probably got a bit of a jump start. My green algae does not blow off and snails or urchins do not seem to be attracted to it. I have quite a few cerith, astrea, and trocus snails as well as 2 large turbo snails and 2 tuxedo urchins.

 

[peterhos]

I’ve always said this but you can sorta gage a tanks age and health by algae type …. I won’t walk it through but that stuff is a indication that the tank is on track, IMO the “final stage” and “good” stage is when you gotta scrape lil pink specks and lil hard green specks off your glass daily… The pink coralline is a indication your 2 part strategy is on point, that hard green stuff (whatever it is, but it’s similar to the FW type) is a indicator of good water quality (again its flat circular hard green specks)

Thanks Doctor. As I sit here with more blue light and red/ violet the tank does indeed look pretty good, quite natural, and hopefully on track as you say. Oddly, the front glass barely needs cleaning from week to week. Hopefully a good sign.

 

[peterhos]

Is the green growing on the rocks or is it easily blown off, like a soft carpet?

No, it does not blow off at all. I have a soft brush and brush it a little. Dies back a little over night, grows during the day I guess. When I pick off bubble algae with tweezers small pieces come away. Red coralline is spreading slowly through the tank.

 

[peterhos]

Understood. This is my first time starting with dry rock barebottom up so I'm happy to have the green invisible under blue light algae as apposed to some of the alternatives that I've dealt with in the past.
Have you seeded for coralline? I'm only about 4 months in and have coralline coming on but I added some frags and snails that had coralline on them.

One snail is completely red! I do have red coralline starting to appear. Hopefully the red algae will out compete the green with time.

 

[Peter Houde]

I don't mean to be alarmist, but it could be cyanobacteria. If so, you're probably going to have a difficult time getting any CUC to eat it. If I were you, I'd take each piece of rock out and scrub them off, and continue to do it weekly until the stuff disappears. That was, in fact, my own experience.
So how does it get there? You feed your tank, right? Anything you put into your tank has the potential to introduce something. It can't be entirely avoided.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you. The white only was for the photo, but, yes I do run blue and a red and violet channel so we never see a green tank. My problem is not understanding PAR levels in practice. If there is a superhero reading this, the TMC website has a PAR map for the ilumenair 900 + I have. But, are those numbers true/too high/too low. I have been fidgeting with the light levels over the last few weeks … anything obvious strike you?

That red does promote algae. Run run higher that 5-8%
iS TANK BY CHANCE AT OR NEAR A WINDOW?

 

[peterhos]

That red does promote algae. Run run higher that 5-8%
iS TANK BY CHANCE AT OR NEAR A WINDOW?

Thank you for answering. Yes, the tank is 24 feet from a window. Did you mean run the Red higher or lower?

 

[peterhos]

I don't mean to be alarmist, but it could be cyanobacteria. If so, you're probably going to have a difficult time getting any CUC to eat it. If I were you, I'd take each piece of rock out and scrub them off, and continue to do it weekly until the stuff disappears. That was, in fact, my own experience.
So how does it get there? You feed your tank, right? Anything you put into your tank has the potential to introduce something. It can't be entirely avoided.

Hopefully it is not cyanobacteria. There is nothing ‘slimy’ in the tank. Some of the rocks are now getting patches of hard purple and red. Think I must keep at the turf algae to help the Red/purple outcom.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for answering. Yes, the tank is 24 feet from a window. Did you mean run the Red higher or lower?

Red lower and as suspected- window
The power of UV IS strong and will penetrate shades and blinds and curtains
Place a sheet of black construction paper on side that faces window and you will see a huge reduction

 

[peterhos]

Red lower and as suspected- window
The power of UV IS strong and will penetrate shades and blinds and curtains
Place a sheet of black construction paper on side that faces window and you will see a huge reduction

Thank you. I will try that …will be interesting!

 

[Doctorgori]

Red lower and as suspected- window
The power of UV IS strong and will penetrate shades and blinds and curtains
Place a sheet of black construction paper on side that faces window and you will see a huge reduction

Yes….in fact there is a set of wavelengths for green/terrestrial plants,algae et…the whole point of “blurple” in hydro and “Full spectrum”
…but my take is different; I used to have a Saltwater tank pre-Radium era…and have no fear of lighting under 10K (granted “color temp” is actually a appearance standard and not exactly indicative of spectral quality per se)….
Anyway, if you are getting algae, light deprivation isn’t my 1st solution. My tanks gets all the sunlight they want. I’d look at PO & Nitrate 1st…
Don’t fear the white light

 

[peterhos]

Yes….in fact there is a set of wavelengths for green/terrestrial plants,algae et…the whole point of “blurple” in hydro and “Full spectrum”
…but my take is different; I used to have a Saltwater tank pre-Radium era…and have no fear of lighting under 10K (granted “color temp” is actually a appearance standard and not exactly indicative of spectral quality per se)….
Anyway, if you are getting algae, light deprivation isn’t my 1st solution. My tanks gets all the sunlight they want. I’d look at PO & Nitrate 1st…
Don’t fear the white light

LOL. Thank you again. But, so many contradictory bits of info/advice. But never fear, I am listening to learning from all of you guys. As I sit here, the tank is greenish but starting to colour up reddish nicely. Cleaner and blood shrimp are spectacular, 2 clown fish are a happy pair, blue tang, Eibli angel and fire fish are fat and active, lawn mower blenny is a comedian. Two soft corals are growing, Zoa‘s looking small but spreading and looking good, and 3 or 4 SPS holding out against the green turf algae. As an aside, I have been using TM All for Reef for a month or so now, hard to prove cause and effect, but I have the feeling ….that the tank is happier. Also bought a Hanna salinity checker which not only helps with salinity but presumably gradually brings other levels into balance … thank you all. Goodnight from London.

 

[Doctorgori]

LOL. Thank you again. But, so many contradictory bits of info/advice.

LOL, thats because nobody is exactly either right or wrong … You can pick someone to follow but often there is more than one way to skin a cat… for instance I think @vetteguy53081 said close the blinds or sumthin, and I showed my tank by a window… guess what, he’s right and I’m not wrong …
and thats what makes this hobby great … Good luck

 

[topjimmy]

Morning All Have attached 2 pictures. My tank is 10 months old. Started with dry rock. Phosphate 0.12, nitrates 12 to 14. 6 fish, about 15 various snails. 3 shrimp. Everyone is happy and healthy but under only white light the tank looks awfully green to me. Should I tone down the white light or will that make no difference? No hair algae, just a very short layer of turf (??) algae. Zoa frags spreading slowly, not much luck with other corals. Lighting is TMC ilumenair 900+. The PAR map on their site shows large PAR numbers, but I am confused. I am unlikely to get hold of a PAR meter, so do the pictures suggest anything? Many thanks.

I love freshwater planted tanks, but you're in the wrong forum.

 

[I never finish anythi]

Your lighting looks fine. If you think your white color is too green then increase blue spectrum.

Did you even read the post . Not his lighting his green rocks he doesn't want .