night lighting?

anyone use any night lights as I remember someone telling me there are very
few dark nights on a reef. it's just my algae seems OK when the lights are
on but first thing in the morning the brown scum is back on the rocks and
gravel. I have 8 red legged hermits but no turbo snails, should I buy a few
for my 36 gallon tank. what about water movement, may more powerful
circulation pumps help out. this has all started from upgrading my MH.

Robin

36" x 18" x 15" with 36 x 15 x 12 sump with a Rio1700 return pump and prizm
skimmer in the sump and 2 x 402 Hagens at either end pumping forward and 2 x
301 in the middle connected to a wavemaker. I'm doing 9 gallon water
changes every other day but its persistent.

"robin.gordon1" wrote in message
newsmBCc.133$da5.94@newsfe2-win...
anyone use any night lights as I remember someone telling me there are
very
few dark nights on a reef. it's just my algae seems OK when the lights
are
on but first thing in the morning the brown scum is back on the rocks and
gravel. I have 8 red legged hermits but no turbo snails, should I buy a
few
for my 36 gallon tank. what about water movement, may more powerful
circulation pumps help out. this has all started from upgrading my MH.

Robin

36" x 18" x 15" with 36 x 15 x 12 sump with a Rio1700 return pump and
prizm
skimmer in the sump and 2 x 402 Hagens at either end pumping forward and 2
x
301 in the middle connected to a wavemaker. I'm doing 9 gallon water
changes every other day but its persistent.


Try pointing some of your pump current closer to the algae. I assumed it a
red slime type. Prune or manually suck those off but continue pointing those
current close to the algae. The reason for this is to move the algae by the
current and hopefully your skimmer will do the final removal. Make sure you
suck those algae at the same time as you manually pull those algae out. This
way, you will not spread to another place. Also it is to have current
everywhere to prevent any dead spot. Dead spot will promote algae since
nutrient maybe stuck there and feed protential algae.

What do you have in the sump?
I am not to sure if your Prizm [regular] can handle this volume.

CapFusion,...

my skimmer is a prizm with a full 18 blade impeller and deluxe upgrade so it
was a standard but now is a deluxe. I am thinking of an upgrade for my
skimming in the sump, I was very disappointed with the performance of this
red sea skimmer even fro the off. the algae is a orangey brown coloured
algae that covers powerheads rocks corals and all.
I think a refugium is the answer.

Robin

"CapFusion" CapeFussion...@hotmail.., com wrote in message
...

"robin.gordon1" wrote in message
newsmBCc.133$da5.94@newsfe2-win...
anyone use any night lights as I remember someone telling me there are
very
few dark nights on a reef. it's just my algae seems OK when the lights
are
on but first thing in the morning the brown scum is back on the rocks and
gravel. I have 8 red legged hermits but no turbo snails, should I buy a
few
for my 36 gallon tank. what about water movement, may more powerful
circulation pumps help out. this has all started from upgrading my MH.

Robin

36" x 18" x 15" with 36 x 15 x 12 sump with a Rio1700 return pump and
prizm
skimmer in the sump and 2 x 402 Hagens at either end pumping forward and
2
x
301 in the middle connected to a wavemaker. I'm doing 9 gallon water
changes every other day but its persistent.


Try pointing some of your pump current closer to the algae. I assumed it a
red slime type. Prune or manually suck those off but continue pointing
those
current close to the algae. The reason for this is to move the algae by
the
current and hopefully your skimmer will do the final removal. Make sure
you
suck those algae at the same time as you manually pull those algae out.
This
way, you will not spread to another place. Also it is to have current
everywhere to prevent any dead spot. Dead spot will promote algae since
nutrient maybe stuck there and feed protential algae.

What do you have in the sump?
I am not to sure if your Prizm [regular] can handle this volume.

CapFusion,...

"robin.gordon1" wrote in message
news:ddJCc.251$da5.214@newsfe2-win...
my skimmer is a prizm with a full 18 blade impeller and deluxe upgrade so
it
was a standard but now is a deluxe. I am thinking of an upgrade for my
skimming in the sump, I was very disappointed with the performance of this
red sea skimmer even fro the off. the algae is a orangey brown coloured
algae that covers powerheads rocks corals and all.
I think a refugium is the answer.


With refugium added to your whole setup, maybe will fix it. If this is the
case, you are counting on your refugium to do all the work of removing DOC /
nutrient. Using refugium to obsorb nutrient is fine but you still need to do
manual work of cutting down algae from the refugium. This still sound like
your PS is not really doing a really good job of removing nutrient or
effiecient enough. Using PS, nutrient is remove our of your tank circulation
by remove in form of junk / gunk where it get deposit in your drainage
system and not back to your tank.

For refugium to work. You will need DSB / LS and algae like calerpa [or
similar] to absorb and export any nutrient from your main tank. This should
not be necessary if your PS do the job correctly. PS is more efficient and
faster of removing nutrient when compare to refugium.

I would still say your Prizm is not near efficient enough even with the
upgrade you mention. With good water current or flow and PS, those red /
green / purple or even orange should not have the chance to grow that cover
all over the places. Algae should be very limited where water current is
low. Any good current should be able to carry nutrient to PS to be remove
and out of your water circulation system.

I fail to mention from earlier reply. I am make up here.
What is your water parameter?
What source water do you use for your tank?

This is my brand new shiny ¼ cent of a penny for you.

CapFusion,...