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Thread: Next Steps... Need help on my 2nd time around

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    10

    Next Steps... Need help on my 2nd time around

    I could really use some help with my algae scrubber.

    This is my 2nd time around with my Rain 2 unit. The first time, I slowly ramped up to using 4 lights and was getting incredibly thick green algae growth until one of the tabs on top of my green grabber screen broke off and I had to start over with a new replacement green grabber screen.

    The growth since then has always been a brown-ish color which I understand is due to low-nutrients(?).
    I feed once a day.

    The last time I spoke with you on this, the suggestion was to turn on a 2nd light and stay that way until I started getting growth in the middle of the screen. Three weeks later, there still isn't a lot of growth in the middle.

    My lights run from 1pm - 9am ( 20 hours ). I have 2 lights on ( high on one side, low on the other ).
    Water flow is good - maybe on the high side if anything.

    I’m not able to get any consistent growth in the middle and the type of growth is this brown-ish growth.
    I’d like to get to the point where I have all 4 lights working and work towards the more healthy looking green algae that I had before.
    I am getting thick green algae growth at the top of my screen.

    Questions :
    Am I doing something wrong ?
    Should I stay with 2 lights for now but increase the light schedule to boost growth?
    Why am I getting the brown-ish algae vs green
    When should I ramp up and add in my 3rd and 4th light.

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  2. #2
    Administrator
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    Posts
    10,566
    This is actually dark slime growth from high nutrients in the water, and low light, and too long before cleaning; so it looks like the middle of the screen held on as long as it could and let go. Dark slime cannot hold on for too long, on a waterfall design. So do this..

    Brush everthing clean (slot, tray too) so you see the white open screen holes.

    Plug in all 4 lights for 20 hours.

    Clean in 5 days, down into the white screen holes, and definitely not longer than 7 days max.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    10
    Thanks... I've plugged in the 4 lights.
    I was already at 20 hours lights on ( yeah!)
    Normally I clean every 7 days but will reduce to 5 days and see how this develops

    Thanks again

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