Green film on glass

[fthompson3]

Hello again.

I have been using the Coralife lunar lite I purchased a few weeks back for 10 to 12 hours a day. I have a quick question about my tank. It has been setup for 5 weeks now and is currently cycling. The last 3 days I have come home after having the lights on and have a green film all over the glass and sand in my tank. Is this normal during a tank cycle? I have been scrubbing the glass everyday this week and am just wondering if something is wrong. I have about 30 pounds of live rock in a 46 gallon bow tank. About a week and a half ago I had some type of brown algae growing on the sand bed. Thats gone and now I got the greens!

Thanks for your help.

[mantisfreak]

The green film could be a phytoplankton bloom or just various microalgaes that are feeding off the nutrients during the cycle.

Why are you lighting your tank for 10~12 hours per day during a cycle?

[fthompson3]

I was under the impression that I was supposed to. How long should I be lighting it?

[mantisfreak]

There's going to be a difference of opinion on this. I would say zero hours but many people would say a couple of hours per day. I don't care if I have all of the coralline algae at the end of my 'initial cycle' as most others. It spreads quite rapidly.

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

[fthompson3]

Thanks so much for the valuable information. My live rock has a lot of good plant growth on it. I'm afraid if I leave the light off for to long the plants will die off. Today I left the light off while I'm at work. I was planning on turning it on for a few hours when I get home. Let me know what you think.

Also, when should I start to run the light for 10 to 12 hours a day? After the cycle is complete?

[Geoff]

running lights during cycling is a personal thing. most like to because it keeps any light needing critters that came with the LR alive during the cycle. it can also help you in finding problem areas in your flow patterns. areas that grow algae are usually areas that have poor flow and detritus is able to settle down supplying nutrients for algae. most find it is better to find these spots before you really start to put critters in the tank.

G~