Moss and lights and stuff...

[closershave]

Hi all,

I have a couple of quick questions to ask you.

My friend has a small aquarium set-up with a couple of sea horses and live rock in it. In recent days, she has noticed some green moss and pink fluffy stuff growing on the rock.

Is this a problem?

Should she take the live rock out and clean it, or is this part of the natural setting being created within the tank?

Also, the local pet store has advised her she should only have the light in her tank on for a maximum of five hours a day.

Is this true?

At the moment, the light is on for about ten - twelve hours a day (essentially mirroring the daylight outside).

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Lucifer]

The moss sounds more like algae.
Algae in a SW tank is from a few thing.

1. New tank syndrome which happens between 4 weeks to 6 months.
2. High in nitrate and ammonia.
3. Incorrect lighting. Could be colour temp (K) and/or hours lights on and/or tank getting natural sunlight.
4. Not enough water flow.

If this is a new tank, then suck out the algae when she does water change. It will go away after the tank has fully cycled.
High nitrate and ammonia due to insufficient filter and/or too much feeding and/or not enough water changes.
Algae love the low K lights. Marine tanks usually use 10,000k and above lights. Change your lights every year. They lose thier intensity after a while and will cause algae to grow faster and much more.
The more flow in your tank, the harder the algae can grow. But you got seahorse which don't like too much flow. If your take is a 50l, try to get about 10-20 time that amount in flow. eg. In a 50l tank you need about 500-1000lph pump, in 100l tank you need about 1000-2000plh pump. It don't have to be one powerhead, you can use a few. I got 10,00lph of fow in my 350l tank.

Lighting hours depends on you. If you have corals, then I would have light on for about 8-12hr a day (mine are on for 8hr a day). If you have seahorse only, then put them on when you get home from work/school and trun them off when you in bed. Use a timmer so there is lest worry.

[huxford88]

hey guys my tank is starting to suffer with green algea it seems to even be growing on the surface gona do a water change and do a clean up any tips for getting with crap off my live rock ?

[Lucifer]

Remove by hand while you doing your water change.

Keep doing your weekly water change.

Feed less and reduce the light by and hour or two.

If its a new tank, then give it time to pass. It may take a few days to a few months.

If the tank been running over a year then look for the source that is causing the algae.