Does Blue Led Lighting Cause Algae Growth?

[stevecol56]

I have been told that my Blue LED strip lighting will cause Algae growth? is this true?
 
I use blue for fish colouration and just generally to get rid of the pinkish hue in the tank.
 
Thanks Peps!
 
Steve

 

[Fishmanic]

I don't believe blue lighting would cause any more algae growth than white light would.    Having very bright lights left on for too many hours a day can cause algae growth if other conditions are right for algae growth.

 

[Chad]

If you notice more algae after adding the blue LED's it's not a result of the spectrum being blue but rather the additional lighting. Reef tanks like mine are heavy in blue lighting but it doesn't increase the algae in the tank. 

 

[BerryAttack]

as long as everything is balanced and in check then it shouldn't be an issue. if you have plants then go for the correct lighting for them unless you want show lighting like the blue lighting or something for marine (don't know about marine lighting so have to stop there)

 

[stevecol56]

Thanks Guys,
 
Food for thought there! I am only using a strip of blue cheapie LED (Fleabay specials) to enhance the colours of my fish (And it works lovely!), but did not want to suddenly be in-undated with the dreaded lurgy called Algae!!
 
I am playing with the lighting at the moment and removed the T5's that cam with my Juwel 190 Trigon and put in the TMC Grobeams 600 (x2) strips in there place. I have a controller to control the brightness and time period.
 
Thanks again
Steve

 

[SO19Firearms]

To expand on Tcamos - Too much light means the plants require more CO2 and nutrients - if you don't keep up with the demand you get algae.
To reduce the chances of algae your lighting needs to be less than the given CO2 and nutrient provision.
So mostly about strength and not a right lot to do with colour.
 

 

[stevecol56]

To expand on Tcamos - Too much light means the plants require more CO2 and nutrients - if you don't keep up with the demand you get algae.
To reduce the chances of algae your lighting needs to be less than the given CO2 and nutrient provision.
So mostly about strength and not a right lot to do with colour.
 

 
Ouch my head is hurting....I have a full planted tank and it has been running now for 4 weeks. as mentioned above I have been playing with the lighting.....So how do I know if my lighting is LESS than my given CO2? I run CO2 and have the colour indicators and these are a loverly lime green colour which hopefully tells me that my CO2 is correct. I am just about to start dosing Seachem Flourish Excel instead of Nuetro +.
 
Thanks
Steve

 

[SO19Firearms]

Lime green (30ppm) is about as high as you want to go - the way to know you have 'less' than too much is look out for algae But the right way to start is not to go mental (adding 4x T5 for 12hrs a day type thing)
It sounds like you're on the right track as you are.
Having said that - Excel is a liquid carbon supplement, neutro + is a Complete plant food, so not interchangable.....

 

[stevecol56]

Lime green (30ppm) is about as high as you want to go - the way to know you have 'less' than too much is look out for algae

But the right way to start is not to go mental (adding 4x T5 for 12hrs a day type thing)
It sounds like you're on the right track as you are.
Having said that - Excel is a liquid carbon supplement, neutro + is a Complete plant food, so not interchangable.....

 
Ah!, so would you recommend maybe using both (Neutro + and Flourish Excel) or ditching one or the other?
 
Interested to know what others may use with there CO2?
 
Many thanks for all the help!
 
Steve

 

[SO19Firearms]

Ah!, so would you recommend maybe using both (Neutro + and Flourish Excel) or ditching one or the other?
 
Interested to know what others may use with there CO2?
 
Many thanks for all the help!
 
Steve

You need the Neutro+ or similar for your nutrients like Nitrate and Phosphate etc (you should alaways dose N, P and K + Trace when using CO2) the excel is a useful addition even tho you dose CO2 as there will be extra benefits including algae prevention.

Similar to excel you'd have easycarbo or TNC Carbon - Dan of UKAPs has used CO2 injection alongside liquid Carbon in the past - he used TNC Carbon in this scape he made for Tropica - https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEn1xJpX7Fo
 
HTH

 

[stevecol56]

 

Ah!, so would you recommend maybe using both (Neutro + and Flourish Excel) or ditching one or the other?
 
Interested to know what others may use with there CO2?
 
Many thanks for all the help!
 
Steve

You need the Neutro+ or similar for your nutrients like Nitrate and Phosphate etc (you should alaways dose N, P and K + Trace when using CO2) the excel is a useful addition even tho you dose CO2 as there will be extra benefits including algae prevention.

Similar to excel you'd have easycarbo or TNC Carbon - Dan of UKAPs has used CO2 injection alongside liquid Carbon in the past - he used TNC Carbon in this scape he made for Tropica -
HTH
 

Nice one SO19, spot on with your simplistic help to a starter upper'er (Me).
 
I am now dosing Neutro+ and Excel via my dosing pump along with my co2 injection via the JBL Taifun reactor. I'll monitor the CO2 levels and watch to see if the very minor Beard algae that I have disappears,
 
Thank you.

Steve