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Thread: algea moved from screen to display

  1. #1

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    algea moved from screen to display

    Hi all, well over the last month my display starting growing algae like crazy! All kinds of algae too,bubble,hair,film and red bubble algae. This tank had NO algae in it for the last 3 years! The algae on the scrubber has dwindled down to almost nothing during this same time..? NOTHING has changed in my system OR in the scrubber. Same creatures,same light,same flow,same dosing,same feeding,same everything for more than a year. The only thing I can think of is that the "plant grow LED light bulbs" that I installed well over a year ago have somehow faded???? I have switched the bulbs out for two 26 watt PAR38 CFL reflector floods in hopes this works. Does anyone have any ideas on what else could cause a shift in algae from scrubber to display?

  2. #2

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    Your scrubber light may have been the cause as you suspect. Or you may have a change in water flow or lighting in your display.

    The most likely cause is a spike in nutrients causing a spike in Nitrates and P.

    Something might have died in your tank and lots of additional nutrients are now in the water.

  3. #3
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    Screen pics would help.

    Check your top off water.

  4. #4

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    my TDS meter reads 0 (but not sure if I trust it) I cleaned the screen already but it started yellowing in the middle and the yellow started making its way out to the edges over the course of the last month looked like a bullseye. I found this very strange because the lights and everything have not changed for more than a year. I will post pics soon when it starts to re-grow!

  5. #5
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    Pics!
    Here are a few of your previous threads, which one is current?

    CFLs and LEDs: http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...lease-critique

    LEDs only: http://algaescrubber.net/forums/show...crubber-please!

    I also saw a bunch of 2 or 3 post threads with pics of growth, etc. Some of them looked like you had good growth but some bare spots in the middle.

    Need pics of current growth whenever you can get them. I would recommend minimal cleaning. Just let it grow. When you clean each week, just clean the top of the screen where you insert it into the slot, and then rub the rest of the screen with your fingertips to loosen any poorly attached growth, and put it back on. Also if you're having problems with growth coming back after cleaning, clean the screen in a shallow pan of tank water instead of freshwater. Do not clean the screen fully every week, let it go at least 2 weeks, then clean one side every 7-10 days, leaving the other side to grow.

    That's just my take based loosely on the problem you described.

  6. #6

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    floyd, the second set titled (led's only) is the set-up I am running now.

  7. #7
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    how often are you cleaning?

  8. #8

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    I clean every sunday. Most times I clean both sides but I use a sawzall blade with large teeth that does NOT remove all the algae just the loose stuff. This scrubber was growing and working so very well for so very long and this month kablam,,,,tons of algae in display and tons of yellow on screen,,,,,strange....? I am wondering if there is something that I am missing because I have never herd of LED's having a major color shift in such a short time. I think I will reinstall the LED bulbs and post some pics every few days.

  9. #9

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    p.s. would it be wise to just order up 10 rebel66o and 2 royal blues from rapidled and replace my china lights?

  10. #10
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    Screen pics.

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