# Lighting and algae growth



## sevmeera (Aug 8, 2009)

Hi everyone, I just bought a 48 inch twin tube high output flourescent, and I have noticed a significant increase in brown algae on the tank walls and decorations, upon doing some more research I read that you shouldnt have more than 1 watt per gallon of light, or algae would become an issue. I was wondering if I could replace the HO bulbs with 28 watt bulbs in the fixture, or if they would just burn out. They obviously have the same size and pin configuration, but I'm not sure what would happen. It is a Coralife Aqualight 48" HO fixture. thanks for the help in advance!


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## sevmeera (Aug 8, 2009)

Anyone? anyone home? Bueller?


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

I cannot say that I've ever heard about a 1W per gallon limit to avoid algae... I've certainly had algae free tanks with more wattage than that and I've had brown diatoms with less wattage than that.

If you want to reduce the amount of algae growth, the cheapest option is simply buy a timer and decrease the length of time the lights are on. Many people shut the lights off during the day on weekdays when they are at school or work.

If you want to explore lighting options that won't grow algae, christmas LED lights can be a great little DIY project.


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## sevmeera (Aug 8, 2009)

Hahaha! tis the season I guess! Thanks for the advice, I will try the timer. Do you know of any type of spectrum that is less beneficial to algae? or at least less beneficial for brown algae? If I was going to have algae I would at least like it to be green!


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> going to have algae I would at least like it to be green


Copy that.
I went through a whole series of lighting, until
Whooo Hoooo
That brown crud turned green.
What finally did the trick was an under cabinet lighting system, using Xenon, G8, 20 watt bulbs.
6, lens covered pucks that are 120v and fully dimmable using a standard dimmer switch.
I looked all over the spec sheet for a lumen or â€œKâ€


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## mg426 (Nov 24, 2009)

Algae needs three components to thrive. Nitrates, Phosphates, and Light. I would be taking a look at excess nutrients.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> I would be taking a look at excess nutrients


Agree, 
But in my case..all other things were equal and only a change of lighting caused the color shift.
For me, the battle against that brown gunk has raged for quite a long time.
No mater what I did, nor what I tried, it hung on.
Got to thinking it was a karma thing.


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## sevmeera (Aug 8, 2009)

so I'm guessing I should hug a homeless man and it should go away?  jk. I know that nitrates aren't the problem, they are usually around 20ppm, I am trying to limit the light and see how that goes.


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

KaiserSousay said:


> But in my case..all other things were equal and only a change of lighting caused the color shift. For me, the battle against that brown gunk has raged for quite a long time.
> No mater what I did, nor what I tried, it hung on.
> Got to thinking it was a karma thing.


Been there also. :?

Limited lighting, kept nitrates below 10ppm, added a UV Sterlizer. Nada. Nothing worked. Out of all of my tanks, this was the only one with this problem and there was nothing I could do about it. After a couple of years, one day I recalled that a portion of the gravel I was using was originally used in a salt water tank (came with a tank when I bought it). Talk about the obvious duh! 

Despite all of rinsing and multiple years of being in a freshwater tank, I assume the gravel still had substantial sulfate residue from the salt water because when I removed it, replacing it with pool filter sand, the brown algae issue went away within a week. =D>

But I also went down the same path the OP is currently on. In an attempt to resolve the issue I changed lighting on it several times but never found a light that worked best. I went blue, red, full spectrum. It did not seem to make a difference. Limiting lighting to a few hours per day lessened the problem but did not make it go away.

The lessen I learned from this is to not ignore the obvious. While it is common (and expected) for new tanks to develop brown algae and then have it out-competed by the green stuff after a series of months, I don't consider it normal to have the brown stuff winning out over the green stuff in a well established tank. For that to occur there has to be an imbalance of some nature. In my case it was sulfate.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

Just a short trip threw previous postings on algae growth, just confirms how different each tank is.
Each one being it`s own unique eco system.
The cure one finds, do not work for another.
Two people, living right next door to each other could have such different water parameters they might as well be on different planets.
All you can do is keep on, keeping on.
Trying different cures as they come to your attention. Keeping, moderation in all things, on your mind.
I lived with the brown crud for longer than I even want to think about.
It was by accident that the lighting change turned the brown to green.
Wouldn`t you just know, around the same time I added some CAE(Chinese Algae Eaters) on advise from a mod. Had not considered them suitable for a tank as â€œactiveâ€


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## jaja (Aug 19, 2002)

*KaiserSousay*

I want to get that shimmer effect on my tanks. I can mount the xenon's in my canopy, so heat is not an issue.

Are 6 pucks bright enough for a 6 foot tank?

How the xenon's affect your power bill compared to flourescent? How does it compare to led?


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## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

Could you post a link for those Xenon kits? The only Xenon lighting I can find is horribly expensive.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

http://www.lowes.com/pd_240423-61448-35 ... BeanArray=[[email protected],%[email protected]b,%[email protected]6,%[email protected]3,%[email protected]3]

Whew..half a page just for a link.

These will use about the same power as a pair of 32w fluorescents.
They will use a ton more than LED.
Not sure if this, exact product is offered overseas. 
Would think something comparable would be available in European markets.
Whether a single, 6 puck kit would give your tank the lighting you want..
Just can`t say.


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## Chris2500DK (Feb 15, 2006)

Ah thanks, now I just need to find them in a 240V version for Europe


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

Not to hijack, but...



> Whether a single, 6 puck kit would give your tank the lighting you want..


 How do you think this would look over a 125g mbuna tank, no plants? For reference, I currently use a dual 48" t12 shoplight with 6500k bulbs over my 55g tank and i'm fine with the looks. I love that these puck lights have a dimmer as well.

And is that all 6 lights that run at 64w total?

I think this might be just what I'm looking for for my 125g tank...


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

*now I just need to find them in a 240V version for Europe*

Would think our Chinese brothers make a European version, with the right voltage and hertz.
Don`t know that for a fact though.
*
I currently use a dual 48" t12 shoplight with 6500k bulbs *

Just what I went back to using, except I use T8 bulbs.
The puck lights just added too much heat for my tank.
I don`t use a full hood. Just enough cover for the fixture and wires to be hidden when I had the pucks.
Be aware, these are mini spot lights. Just like 6 flashlights shining into your tank.
That is what gives the "shimmer" effect.
On a standard 55g the light penetrates right down to the bottom, with little loss, and the light cones overlap so there are no dark spots.
The "shimmer" is a very cool thing to observe. Watching the endless patterns on the rockwork and sand bed is a real wonder to watch.

Sorry about the power usage goof. 
6, 20 watt bulbs would use 120 watts when on full. Duhh, don`t know where my head was at.

What they call a dimmer, is really a high/low, on/off switch. 
I ditched it in favor of a full range dimmer switch. That gives you the barley on, to full light range.

If I was to use a full hood, I think a combination of the pucks and fluorescent would be a winner.
On a 72 inch tank, I think you would end up with some dark patches in between the 6 light cones.
Might look nice, or not, just don`t know.

Conclusion, for me they put out too much heat for me to use as my only lighting.
Maybe using fans would bring the operating temps down, but that was something I didn`t want to get involved with now.
For the money, these are great lights if you can control the heat.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

hmmm.... don't know if I like the heat problem. My sump pump already has my 55g sump running something like 17degF over ambient, so not sure how much that is going to heat the whole 125g + 55g setup once its hooked up to the tank. But I do like the shimmering effect, and I also do like the dimming - I would probably hook it up to a full dimmer switch as well. I don't want a hood with fans though...

Well thanks for the info. I'll add it to my list of alternatives for lighting.


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