old bulbs = cyano?

[tosiek]

Ive had cyano for a few weeks already, happens mid day and goes away at night and repeats daily. I alsp have some brown dietrius. Been cursing myself out over it, been doing water changes weekly/biweekly, removing, increasing flow, changing reactor media, Po4 showing real low (acceptable but not 0), low trates, ect. Temp is stable, lowered light timer, fed less, no light days......you name it i did it. Same with the green film on the glass, usually every day i get some and clean every two days regardless of media changes/water changes. I also ran my 3 week used phosban through some higher Po4 water (gotto love tropic marin salt) and it read lower (almost 0 on the elos kits) after running it in the bucket for a while. So, its not bad posban.

Then i was playing with my frag tank which is hooked up to the same system and it hit me that the tank has no algae, not even on the glass, nothing. I clean off the green film once a week if that. Nothing cleaning anything in the tank either. And the lights are on in that tank 2x as long. Im also seeing more corraline growth in the frag tank than in the display. Which was growing out of control before the cyano problem in the display. The corraline stopped growing in the display same time the cyano appeared. All my coral are coloring up real nice in the display recently before the cyano problem.

Then it hit me that my bulbs are getting close to 9 months used =0)

So, whats peoples thoughts on it? think its actually old bulbs? Anything im missing?

 

[mray]

I think old bulbs can cause algae blooms. Once a bulb loses it's higher frequency wavelengths they will start producing a lower one. One which algae thrive on. In my refugium, when I first used a 5500K bulb I had algae, when I switched to a 10000K bulb it was gone. The 5500K bulb also gave be the best growth with chaeto, maybe there is something to it.

 

[bad coffee]

what kind of bulbs? better quality bulbs last a bit longer.

I realized my phoenix bulbs were 10 months old and I had really bad algae. I changed the bulbs and it went away...

change your bulbs!

B

 

[fernandokng]

Do you know the reason why older bulbs cause algea?

 

[mray]

Lower frequency wavelengths

 

[ZZROCOOL]

I agree had the same thing on my tank 1 bulb was older then the other by 4 months and i forgot to change it. Every day 1 half of my tank grew cyano.

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Same problem here but Mine aren't that old.I got my Geissman T-5'S from Jim back at the last swap.Should I even attempt to get new bulbs?

 

[grknyer]

Tony I had the same problem awhile back. Changed my bulbs and presto. All gone.