Switching to lower powered light.

[Outofmyleague]

Hello I'm new to reef keeping and saltwater in general. I'm currently waiting on a new set of lights for my corals. When starting I couldn't find a direct answer if I could use some retired recreational plant lights that have a very strong blue/purple veg spectrum. That being said they also do have a fair amount of white/red still present in that setting. They seem to be working (with my very limited experience with corals) to grow my new frags. I don't see any unhealthy or unusual signs other than my purple gorgonian looks more pink than anything. For reference I have a 6 month old tank. I started with live rock and sand. For coral I have a green monticap, purple gorgonian, GSP, Pulsing Xenia, Zoas, and a Galaxea all frags all bought about the same time. However, after a couple weeks of using the light I noticed visible cyano (or what I believe to be cyano) growing all over the glass and sand bed in lit areas. It is easily siphoned and scraped but has to be done about every 2 or 3 days to keep ahead of it becoming a more serious outbreak. All my parameters have been stable and I test daily with nitrates 0 phosphates at .5 or less. My only theory is it would be the the intensity and/or spectrum of the light. It's a 650W LED (probably not quite full power using just veg) on a 40 breeder.. My first question would be if my guess is correct and it's likely too much red or intensity causing the cyano outbreak? I don't have access to a par meter, and I'm an average Joe doing this on a budget. My second question is does transitioning corals to a lower powered light require the same acclimation as transitioning to higher powered. Only info I can find is for scaling up. Sorry for the essay just wanted to give any helpful info I could for my situation. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[cdemoss01]

Hello I'm new to reef keeping and saltwater in general. I'm currently waiting on a new set of lights for my corals. When starting I couldn't find a direct answer if I could use some retired recreational plant lights that have a very strong blue/purple veg spectrum. That being said they also do have a fair amount of white/red still present in that setting. They seem to be working (with my very limited experience with corals) to grow my new frags. I don't see any unhealthy or unusual signs other than my purple gorgonian looks more pink than anything. For reference I have a 6 month old tank. I started with live rock and sand. For coral I have a green monticap, purple gorgonian, GSP, Pulsing Xenia, Zoas, and a Galaxea all frags all bought about the same time. However, after a couple weeks of using the light I noticed visible cyano (or what I believe to be cyano) growing all over the glass and sand bed in lit areas. It is easily siphoned and scraped but has to be done about every 2 or 3 days to keep ahead of it becoming a more serious outbreak. All my parameters have been stable and I test daily with nitrates 0 phosphates at .5 or less. My only theory is it would be the the intensity and/or spectrum of the light. It's a 650W LED (probably not quite full power using just veg) on a 40 breeder.. My first question would be if my guess is correct and it's likely too much red or intensity causing the cyano outbreak? I don't have access to a par meter, and I'm an average Joe doing this on a budget. My second question is does transitioning corals to a lower powered light require the same acclimation as transitioning to higher powered. Only info I can find is for scaling up. Sorry for the essay just wanted to give any helpful info I could for my situation. Any help would be appreciated!

Boy this is a lot.. gonna bump it but you should be fine.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I think your jumping the gun here, first I would suggest to put up a pic, lets ID this and make sure it really is cyano. Dino's looks very similar to cyano, and since you have 0 nitrates it is possible that you might have dino's. Don't start changing your tank until you have the right problem and the right solution

Your lights work for corals, I've also grown corals under indoor plant grow lights before. They grow, but as you mention, the coral colors become dull, but aesthetics are for us anyway. So if you want lights to make the color pop thats good, but don't change your light to power down because your concerned for algae.

 

[Outofmyleague]

Here are some pics with my grow light and with my utility light after 2 days of no cleaning from being spotless. It starts as that thin film and progresses to the "spots". I pulled my conch from my sump and put him in there so the sand isn't as bad at the moment except a few places he can't get to. The sand used to stay very white before I started using the grow light. This algae also came about when I put the grow light. Maybe coincidence. Also the light is at that height because it was stressing things out at average heights. As far as changing them I was hoping to kill 2 birds with 1 stone get lights with a proper spectrum and get rid of this bloom that seemed to come with it.

 

[JTP424]

Do you have any clean up crew in there? Snails? Hermits?

 

[Outofmyleague]

I have a turbo/few trochus/fighting conch/few cerith. Also a refugium with a fair amount of chaeto and DSB with ceirth and a couple hermits. The conch used to be there up until a couple days ago. I also stock the DT and refugium with pods mainly for my mandarin and the DSB. Waiting for a pack of 15 cerith to show up to restock DT and refugium. I'm just doing what I extensively read and watched but in my own DIY ways not sure if i'm doing it right.

 

[JTP424]

Probably want more of the cuc in your DT to assist in clean up. Its ok to have some in a refugium.
At least that's my thought! Others may have better ideas.

 

[Outofmyleague]

also my tomini

 

[Outofmyleague]

so is that cyano? also ty for the advice!

 

[Pome]

First, don’t panic & jump the gun. On any newish tank, there will be the occasional algae bloom. Green Cyano usually presents with little “air” bubbles in it, so unless you start seeing that, it probably isn’t. Keep Phosphate & nitrate/nitrite testing, plus often, silicates in new substrates slowly break down, and once gone, reduce the problems.
Adjustable lighting is nice to have though.

 

[Outofmyleague]

Haven't hit panic mode yet, but am a bit concerned a6t the rate it returns. Mainly just looking to address it before it becomes a real issue. I have run freshwater my whole life from tetra to community to cichlid all the way to a 17k gallon koi pond so I know enough not to be too rash about things. Still saltwater is a different ball game and still a bit out of my league XD

 

[Outofmyleague]

As far as the air bubbles I do see small bubbles rising from the sand and living rock after the light has been running for a while which I assumed to be gas exchange of some kind of algae

 

[Pome]

As far as the air bubbles I do see small bubbles rising from the sand and living rock after the light has been running for a while which I assumed to be gas exchange of some kind of algae

That’s normal. It’s little bubbles trapped within the algae that are the signal.

 

[Outofmyleague]

ok ty. So should I just add more CUC keep scrubbing it and hope it goes away? It's cause for a lot of water changes siphoning the stuff. Also how should I transition my corals to the new lower power proper set up? it will be 2 viparspectra 165W black boxes coming from the 650W monster that I can see in my window from a half mile down the road.

 

[Pome]

ok ty. So should I just add more CUC keep scrubbing it and hope it goes away? It's cause for a lot of water changes siphoning the stuff. Also how should I transition my corals to the new lower power proper set up? it will be 2 viparspectra 165W black boxes coming from the 650W monster that I can see in my window from a half mile down the road.

Algae is normal. CUC will help keep that under control. That and tank maturity. To many water changes, to frequently & sand bed syphoning won’t help beneficial bacteria build up either. I’d scrub the glass as required, then do a filter sock swap every 2 or 3 days, unless it starts overflowing.

 

[Outofmyleague]

Awesome appreciate all the info on the algae folks! don't have socks though. I just run 2 HOB's 1 with activated carbon/crushed stone of some sort and 1 with GFO/ phos pad I keep up with pretty frequently.

 

[Outofmyleague]

anyone have any advice on the light transition?

 

[Pome]

anyone have any advice on the light transition?

I run mine for 8 hours. It increases in intensity over the first 2 hours, then decreases in the last two until off. Also allows for adjustment of the light frequency. Most reasonably (in marine terms) lights, should offer that.