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Stomkat
05/16/2011, 07:21 PM
I bought copepods today for my "empty" tank. I added them into the Chaeto in my fuge, but quite a bit made their way to the DT. A multitude attached themselves to the front glass. I wanted a closer look.

It struck me that I have a strip light that I bought to grow my garden seedlings. It has plant lights in it. I put it on the tank, and discovered this wonderfully clear (when there is no light on it) tank has a nice film of algae on the glass. I scrubbed it off the front and now the copepods are elsewhere looking for their meal.

Is it ok for me to use this light on the tank until I buy the LED's I intend on (distant future), or am I setting the tank up for an algae outbreak?

This tank has nothing larger than a copepod in it currently ... well, except a couple asterina stars, a few tiny feather worms and a couple bristle worms.

I will be doing twice a week water changes for a bit to lower nitrates (wavering from 80-160), because I'm at the end of the tank's cycle also.

thegrun
05/16/2011, 08:54 PM
You are playing with fire! The light is made with the ideal spectrum for growing algae, so algae you will get.

peppie
05/16/2011, 09:06 PM
+1 ^ That light would be good for your fuge. I would not run it on the DT. You will be fine not to have a light on the DT untill your mailman has come.

Stomkat
05/17/2011, 09:26 AM
That's what I figured, but I wasn't sure. I put it on there, cleaned the glass, then started thinking ... between the high nitrates and plant lights this could be trouble.

Thank you!