# Too much light???



## Skeeter (Sep 9, 2009)

Quick question...I have 2 - 55 watt GE Aqua Ray CF lamps on a 48 gallon freshwater aquarium and am having an algae problem. I don't use CO2 or ferts on a regular basis. 

Am I barking up the wrong tree with this fixture? I am not interested in a high tech set up at this point in time.

Any suggestions???

Thanks,

Kim


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

how long do you keep the lights on for?


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## Skeeter (Sep 9, 2009)

Fish_Man said:


> how long do you keep the lights on for?


Timer is set for 9.5 hours. Had it set for 8 hours when I first started using this fixture (bought it used a couple of months ago) and I was still getting algae but it was dark coloured. I'm now getting both dark algae and the usual green fuzzy stuff.

The water itself is not green but my plants are covered in it


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## arinsi (Mar 14, 2010)

i would say 6-8 hours of light would be enough
depends on what plants you have


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## souldct (Nov 26, 2009)

check out this website. http://www.aquariumalgae.blogspot.com/
Lighting is not always the cause of algae problems.


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## Beijing08 (Jul 19, 2010)

Get some snails. They're extremely efficient algae eaters.
My suggestions are ramshorn, zebra and/horned nerite.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

With that much light CO2 injection and ferts are needed.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

BillD said:


> With that much light CO2 injection and ferts are needed.


I agree.

It also depends on what plants you are keeping. Some may just need high-light, ferts and co2, which is why they get covered in algae.

Cut out one of the fixtures and reduce your lighting to 6-7 hours and see what difference it makes


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## Tark77 (Sep 6, 2010)

You can also change such things like the height of your lights above the aquarium (raise the lights by 8-10 inches), or add floating plants. This might be your best option as many of the floating plants available are fast growers and out compete algae, plus your fish will love them


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## ShrimpieLove (Apr 26, 2010)

I have the same problem, too much light... So i raised my light up off the tank onto two wall brackets and the algae has lessened somewhat(the fuzzy green algae) and the darker algae i used a scrubby and carefully cleaned some off the leaves 
I also am going to add a bit of floating duckweed. And i added one of my marimo moss balls to compete with the algae


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## Skeeter (Sep 9, 2009)

BillD said:


> With that much light CO2 injection and ferts are needed.


See, that's where I'm confused  110 watts over a 48 gallon is only a little more than 2 watts per gallon, no?

I only have some val, hygro and some hornwort in there because I've got a couple of BP's and they do like to root around.

I had a standard fluorescent fixture over the tank prior to this one...less than 1 watt per gallon...the hygro grew but the vals didn't do well.

I have a 25 gallon as well with 2 x 23 watt pig tails over it and the plants are gorgeous and there is very little algae (none on the plants and I only have to scrape the walls of the aquarium every few weeks).

Not sure what to do now as I'm definitely not into to CO2 injection or spending a fortune on ferts...


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## BettaBeats (Jan 14, 2010)

get some otto cats


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## Skeeter (Sep 9, 2009)

BettaBeats said:


> get some otto cats


Yah, but aren't they a bit delicate?

I was thinking about a siamese algae eater?

Have a couple of big yellow snails in there but the BP's have not been kind to them


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## Tark77 (Sep 6, 2010)

I do not think that you have too much light because your light is straight CF. If your lights were high output, you would definitely need CO2. You could probably get away with dosing a little excel and a liquid ferts once or twice a week and that should take care of the algae.

As for the decision between ottos and SAEs. Ottos are only sensitive for the acclimatisation period. Past that, they are fairly hardy. SAEs do a better job on hair algae, but my concern with them is they get a little large and aggressive for a comunity tank. If you are only keeping corys/tetras etc. I would stick to the ottos. If you have more aggressive fish, the SAEs.

What is your stock?


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## waj8 (Jun 30, 2010)

Skeeter said:


> See, that's where I'm confused  110 watts over a 48 gallon is only a little more than 2 watts per gallon, no?
> 
> I only have some val, hygro and some hornwort in there because I've got a couple of BP's and they do like to root around.
> 
> ...


I don't think your light fixtures are comparable. The larger one is probably quite a bit more efficient than the smaller setup. New lamps also produce more light at first. Ferts are not expensive if you make your own. You can get a 10 year supply for your tank for maybe $30.


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Power compacts are more efficient than the T12s the 2 watt rule applies to. I think you need to consider you are at 3 watts or more equivalent. Power compacts are essentially T5s bent in a U. I have been growing Vals in a 48" 30gal tank with 1 32 W T8 unreflected for a few years now. I took out over a hundred plants 2 weeks ago. Even with that small amount of light I have some algae issues.


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## Skeeter (Sep 9, 2009)

Tark77 said:


> As for the decision between ottos and SAEs. Ottos are only sensitive for the acclimatisation period. Past that, they are fairly hardy. SAEs do a better job on hair algae, but my concern with them is they get a little large and aggressive for a comunity tank. If you are only keeping corys/tetras etc. I would stick to the ottos. If you have more aggressive fish, the SAEs.
> 
> What is your stock?


2 blood parrots (3" female, 5" male), ~10 tiger barbs, 5 albino cories. For filtration, there's an Emperor 400 and a 250 on there. Nitrates are around 20. Tank has been set up for a little over a year...no new stocking...same fish that were acquired in the fall of 2009.


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## Skeeter (Sep 9, 2009)

BillD said:


> I have been growing Vals in a 48" 30gal tank with 1 32 W T8 unreflected for a few years now. I took out over a hundred plants 2 weeks ago. Even with that small amount of light I have some algae issues.


I don't know what the deal is with me and vals but I can't seem to keep the stuff alive! Even in my smaller tank where the plants do well...my vals do not grow and generally look like crap.

I think they would be ideal for the BP tank if I could only get them to grow......


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## Tark77 (Sep 6, 2010)

What kind of substrate are you using? Vals are heavy root feeders and my not like your soil. Do you use root tabs?


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## Skeeter (Sep 9, 2009)

Tark77 said:


> What kind of substrate are you using? Vals are heavy root feeders and my not like your soil. Do you use root tabs?


I'm low tech/low maintenance all the way...it's just regular aquarium gravel. Not sure if anything else would be suitable with the blood parrots in there?

I guess I should grab some fert tabs for the gravel and maybe throw the old canopy back on...

I do like the quality of light that comes from the higher output bulbs though...sigh.

What about getting some frogbit to cut down on the amount of light entering the tank...would that help???


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Some shade might help, as well as staggering the light period with severl breaks of an hour or more. Vals can be really easy or impossible in my experience. The tank I grow mine in has some soil mixed into the bottom inch of gravel. You could try Jobes sticks for Ferns shoved into the substrate. One plant that would love your setup is chain Sword, E. latifolius. Mine grow like wildfire in plain gravel. Five or six plants will multiply to 1,000 in a year.


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