Changed bulb, hair algae

likwid · #1 08-29-2009, 06:09 PM

I have had my tank set up for over a year now and have never had a problem with hair algae. I recently changed my stock JBJ 150w 15 bulb to a Phoenix 150w 15k bulb and noticed a few days later that I had hair algae growing all over the sand and a bit on the rocks. Some of my corals weren't opening up to their full size either. It has been a few weeks now and the hair algae still won't go away even with all the water changes I am doing.

Does the new bulb have something to do with this?

likwid · #2 08-31-2009, 10:10 PM

bump.. anyone else experience this after changing bulbs?

Oxymoron · #3 08-31-2009, 11:27 PM

When I changed bulbs from 10 k to 14 k I experienced a minor red slime algae increase. It eventually went away after a couple of weeks.
I didn't change any water in between this time and I also run phosban 24/7.
Not sure if it was coincidental or a result of the new bulb. I have read other posts though about people seeing a hair algae increase from changing bulbs.

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #4 08-31-2009, 11:40 PM

I can see that if there was a buildup of nutrients before & then new bulbs were added, that could fuel the hair algae outbreak.

I have Phoenix on my tanks with no hair algae, even though they are heavily stocked and well fed.

Anthony

wickedfrags · #5 09-01-2009, 12:23 AM

Check the status of your RO/DI unit. Water quality results in algae, not the changing types of lighting IME.

likwid · #6 09-01-2009, 04:26 PM

Water quality is still testing at 0 ppm. As I said before, my tank had no algae whatsoever until the bulb was switched out. The only thing I did in that time was add a couple small frags.