xr30w tank heat and algae

[cestep6]

Hi Folks,

I have a 72 Gallon Reef Corner tank that I recently installed the XR30W G3 pro (8 inches above tank). The tank is 24 inches deep. Also have a Vortech pump. Tank heater is unplugged. The Schedule is set to Coral growth. I have a mixture of hard and soft corals and fish (Clown, dottie back, rabbit fish and gobies)

I've got 2 issues that I'm hoping you all can help me with:

1. After installing the lights at 95% intensity and the cover on the tank, the water temp within 3 days went from 78 to 85 degrees. I turned off the heater and the temp dropped 3 degrees. I ended up removing the cover and the tank has dropped to 80.2 but it increases evaporation. How can I correct this issue?

2. I've been battling hair algae. With the help of emerald crabs, and water changes using RODI water, it's greatly reduced. However, I still get a algae film on the glass that I have to clean each day. I'm told this is due to the light intensity. I've tried phopsphate reduce, but it hasn't helped.

Can anyone help? I'm attaching a newbie. I'm attaching a pic of the tank. Please excuse the purple shadows.

[Hitch08]

What have you done to try to reduce phosphates? Have you tried GFO?

For the heat, do you have a sump? I've read that many achieve a drop of two in temp when running a small cheap fan over the sump. But, that will increase evaporation.

82* is on the high end, but not really hot.

[cestep6]

HI Hitch,

Thanks for the response. Yes, I do have a sump, really don't want to add a fan for that reason. What I'm trying to figure out is why with the top on the tank that the temp spikes so quickly?

On your GFO question, I have not tried that (not sure how). My phosphate levels read 0. I've been told that theres a test or a kit to detect micro amounts of phosphates but I have not been able to locate it.

I've tried Chem pure and Phosphate RX. The hair algae is pretty much gone. it's that film that forms on the glass that I'm trying to get rid of. I've been told that it's due to the intensity of the G3pro lights. I have reduced the intensity down to 80%.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Carl

[Johnseye]

Not sure if running your Radions at 95% is a good thing. Do you have corals? I'm running mine at 35%. I haven't seen many if any running them over 65%.

Evaporation is a good thing but you have to deal with rodi top off. If it's a glass top it also allows better light penetration.

If your heaters are temp controlled they shouldn't go on when it's over your set temp.

What is the temp in your house? Are you running the a/c?

[Hitch08]

Here is the Hannah Checker Ultra Low Range Phosphorus tester: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/phosph...ine-water.html

It's not cheap, but it's the one that, I believe, most on here recommend. The flip side is that some on here will say that some testers (not sure if his applies to that one) will read zero even when there is some present. The reason for that is its consumed by the algae.

If you need to run GFO, the best way to run it is in a reactor. Here is the one that I bought: http://www.saltysupply.com/NextReef-...t-p/nx1115.htm That one includes a pump. You can get one without, if you already have one.

Here is another reactor that people seem to like: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gf...or-single.html

Here's some highly recommended GFO: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-bu...-capacity.html

Hopefully someone will come along with more knowledge than I and give you some better advice. I am wondering, for example, if you could turn down the lights a bit. I've read where people run a good bit lower.

EDIT: Like above.

[BrettDS]

I'm actually going through very similar similar issues. I have two xr30w pro's in the canopy of my 75G tank. I've been running them at about 60 to 70% and I'm having issues with the tank overheating as well. Two days ago when I bumped the lights up from 60% to 70% the tank hit a high of 83.6. I think part of the problem is that the lights generate a decent amount of heat and my canopy is pretty closed in. The back is open, but the tank is very close to the wall, so there's less than 1/2 inch clearance on the sides and top for ventilation. I put a thermometer in the canopy the other day and realized that the air temp inside the canopy was just a hair under 100 degrees with the lights at 70%... I'm sure that's causing a lot of the high temps in the tank.

Yesterday I wound up cutting two 4" vent holes on the top of the canopy in the center in the hopes that the hot air would rise up and out of the canopy and help keep the temp down. The air temp in the canopy has gone down a bit... it's about 95 degrees instead of 99, so it didn't go down as much as I would have hoped, but I'm hoping that will still make a positive change as far as the tank temp goes. Yesterday I hit a high of 83.1, but since I was working on the canopy for a while I'm not sure if that reading means much. However, since the temp didn't get as high during the day it was also able to cool a bit more during the night. I had a low of 80.4 last night instead of 81.3 the night before, so hopefully that will help keep the temp down too.

We'll see how it does today since this will be the first normal day after the vents were added to the canopy. Right now at 1PM I'm at 81.8 versus two days ago when I was at 82.6 at this time, so hopefully that's a good sign.

If the top vents aren't enough I think I'll either try to cut some additional vents in the top or possibly add some vent fans to the side to blow cool air in and force the hot are up and out the the holes I cut yesterday. I'm kind of hoping to avoid the fans so that I don't have to worry about extra noise and having something else to break.

All that said, though, you basically have three ways to get your tank cooler...

1 - avoiding heating it up in the first place... This is what I'm working on by trying to get the air in the canopy cooler

2 - buying a chiller... obviously expensive both in terms of initial cost as well as operating costs

3 - evaporative cooling I know you said you're trying to avoid this, but if you don't want to buy a chiller (and I don't blame you there) and you can't avoid heating the water then this is really the only other option.

[cestep6]

Hi johnseye

In response to your questions:

Yes, I have corals (hard and soft). We do have central AIR and it's running at 76 degrees. The hood is glass and I have the heater disconnected.

Is there a common intensity that you've hear for G3 pros? If you look at the pic I posted, the frogs spawn is going crazy.

Are there any signs that I can look for on the coral that the light is to intense? I have kenya tree, birds nest, zuanthids, and various mushrooms.

Ideas?

Thanks,

Carl

[Johnseye]

Originally Posted by cestep6

Hi johnseye

In response to your questions:

Yes, I have corals (hard and soft). We do have central AIR and it's running at 76 degrees. The hood is glass and I have the heater disconnected.

Is there a common intensity that you've hear for G3 pros? If you look at the pic I posted, the frogs spawn is going crazy.

Are there any signs that I can look for on the coral that the light is to intense? I have kenya tree, birds nest, zuanthids, and various mushrooms.

Ideas?

Thanks,

Carl

As long as your corals aren't bleaching (turning white) then your intensity is ok, except for your algae issue. Of all the posts I've read no one has run them at 95% but maybe those people just didn't post anything.

I'd suggest a fan in your canopy or like another posted, drill large holes in the top to vent. I was running T5s in mine then switched to Radions because of the heat. I had cut holes and had a fan running. Canopies are heat traps unless the top is open.

[cestep6]

HI johnseye,

Sorry I should have been more clear. My tank does not have a canopy. Just a glass top.

[BrettDS]

Originally Posted by cestep6

HI johnseye,

Sorry I should have been more clear. My tank does not have a canopy. Just a glass top.

Hmm, yeah, that top is probably preventing evaporation and also holding some of the heat in. Removing the top and/or a fan over your sump (or a chiller) might be your only options.

If you don't already have one, you might consider installing some sort of auto top off system. That makes dealing with evaporation much less painful.

[Reduck]

Maybe it would be smart to lower the intensity a bit this time of year. I am running a x30g3pro and keep it around 65-70%l Temps creep up to 80 or 81 even with a screen top and lots of flow. Evaporation occurs naturally. My ATO takes care of that. It is normal.

If you are growing algae, I would suspect excess nutrients before the lights. GFO or other media may help lower your phosphates but reducing the intake will help more.

How much do you feed and what are you feeding?
Is there any sunlight hitting the tank directly?
How old is the tank?

[BrettDS]

I'm thinking he has a single xr30w pro on a 72G tank, so it probably needs to be turned up a bit compared to people running two, so it does make sense that it's up around 95. Like I said, I keep mine around 60 or 70, but I have two on a 75G tank

[Reduck]

Originally Posted by BrettDS

I'm thinking he has a single xr30w pro on a 72G tank, so it probably needs to be turned up a bit compared to people running two, so it does make sense that it's up around 95. Like I said, I keep mine around 60 or 70, but I have two on a 75G tank

Light needs will vary from tank to tank. Depends on depth from light and livestock. It's just a suggestion to slow down the heat gain and algea growth.. I have 2 for my 75 as well.