Lighten on African tank!

[Buggieboy]

I have a 75g African lake Malawi tank, Now the tanks been up for around 3yrs with South American Dwarf cichlids in it up til about a month ago. I have just changed it over to a the African tank. before the tank was a low tech ,low light planted tank. With a shop light from homedepot on it with 2 55w 7600k bulbs. 1 x 55w 7600k aquaglo bulb, 1 x 55w 7600k sunglo bulb, no Co2 and i never had algee in this tank.
water primes before change over
PH 6.5 to 6.8 using 50% tap/50% distilled water
KH 125ppm
Gh 150ppm
Now about a week after changing the tank over to the African tank. I started noticing brown algee on the glass alot of it. I'm having to do a W/C every 3 day to keep it under control. Now the waterprimes are
PH 7.8 to 8.0 str8 tap water
Gh 300ppm
KH 250ppm
No plants now only rocks
So I'm wondering if I have to much lighten for the tank. I've heard also that Africans like lower lighten is this ture?
Also we are going throw a season change here and it's came in pretty fast this year. Over the last month and a half we have gone from a drout to a rainy season and now colder weathers starting to move in pretty fast this year. Like today we where at 78oF yesterday and today we are at a hi of 53oF with a strong north wind at 25 to 35mph.
Now I know weather can play a hugh facter in spawning seasons with my South American cichlids. I just wondering if this rainey weather over the last month or so could be fecting the water treatment pant and there adding stuff to adjust the tap water. Or if it's just the fact that I went to totally differnt water prime so fast and the tank has gone throw a mini cycly?
Just trying to keep a handle on this brown algee, before it become a real problum and moves on to the rocks and substructer. I'm hoping I'm just not reading to muh into this weather thing this year. Last year it caused some much touble with my spawning and out door pond breding tanks. I was always trying to improve the spawning and keep on top of the weather changes.

 

[onelivewire]

pH should be around 7.4

 

[Buggieboy]

pH should be around 7.4

The PH is fine for Africans, from 7.5 to 8.2 Africans of lake Malawi should be kept in that range, But that has nothing to do with the problum I'm having nor any of my questions.

 

[Buggieboy]

*bump*

 

[rbell219]

Give us the rest of the test readings...Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia,,,we'll be able to help more. brown algae is diatoms. You could be going through a mini cycle. Did you change all the substrate? Did you change all the filter media? What exactly did you do to change the tank over to Africans?

 

[Buggieboy]

These are the readings as of 10mins ago.9:05pm central time USA,
PH/7.9
GH 225ppm
KH/ 300ppm
Nitrites/ -0-
nitrates/-0-
amonia/ -0-

I removed all the plants ,all but 4 peices of dwrift wood about 5 to 6 inche long. I didn't do anything to the substucter but place PFS { Pool filter sand} layer on top of the old gravel after vacumming it really good. Then I added about 150pds of river bottom rocks.
Here's a couple of pictures of the tank. Now there is three thing you should know, That yes I know they're there and yes I know they need to be removed.
1. Yes there's two red flag cichlids still in the tank and there south american.
2. yes there's kribs in the tank also. I know there africans but not as aggrasive. Still just like the red flags. I can't get them out of the tank they hide in the rocks.
3. the tanks scraced up pretty badly. You would be to if you where 20years old. and housed snaping turtules for 10years. LOL
I removed one of the 55w 7600k bulbs tonight after reading a post on Africans. so the tanks not nowhere near as bright now. Do ya'll thank that will help?

 

[rbell219]

less light always cuts down on algae problems. It's hard to see the algae you're talking about from the pictures. You're water seems to be fine. I'd just leave it alone for awaile. How long are your lights on?....10 hrs was the magic number for me to cut down on algae. Clean the glass with an algae scrubber instead of doing so many water changes--let the tank sit. Patience is the key to results. I'm not sure what will eat diatoms, but you could look into that--snails maybe?? At the least they would supplement your Africans diets.