Bright Red algae in my BB reef

[cecilturtle]

Mine seems to recede when it encroaches any encrusting coral...even monti caps. I guess I fall somewhere between JB and Blue's comments on how offensive this algae is. But I will say if given a choice I would rather live without it.

 

[Jamesurq]

I'm obnoxious

So amazing coralline growth is the cure for all that ails you huh? No red algae - no need for cleanup... wow!

Tell us more!

 

[arconom]

Heres more of bluebentgrass's kind words to others.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=644382

 

[JB NY]

I don't know what you mean by outstanding coralline growth? I just stopped dosing strontium last month because I couldn't keep up with the growth. If I had to bump the coralline up a notch to get "outstanding" growth, I think I would be spending all my time scrapping the glass to keep the tank viewable. At that point I would probably take the red algae over the coralline. At least with it I can still see my corals. :lol:

This truly is an innocent question, I promise.

If your tank is pretty clean, does that mean that about 60 snails starve every 4 months or so? Or are they meeting thier end some other way?

Probably some other way. Poor collection leads to a certain die off in a month or so. I also have some crabs in the main tank, they probably get a few. The snails in the frag tank and refugium seem to last forever, the main tank I need to add more every few month.

 

[bluebentgrass]

I have a few snails. Less than 10 and no i don't need more.

The point is the red garbage algae is gone coralline grows like crazy, and all i did was change media and from 14.5k bulbs to 20k

If you wish ignore what i observe ignore it and enjoy your red algae
I know you can't stand the red agae and would take coralline over thatugly eyesore.

Interesting jb that you had to use strontium to get outstanding coralline growth. I believe the arm media you use and other Pure sources of caco3 lack a particular micro nutrient for coralline to thrive.
That is probably why the red garbage algae thrives. No competition for surface area

Who in the right mind would think coralline would overgrow an acro colony?
Never will happen.

 

[JB NY]

I don't understand what you think could be in the Korallin reactor media as far as micro nutrients??? It's crushed coral, that's it. Same as ARM and other media.

one's choice of reactor media IMO has little to do with coralline growth. I don't think anyone has ever made the correlation to ones choice of media and their coralline growth. My salt was low in strontium. So I dosed strontium to get coralline growth.

Coralline won't overgrow an acropora, but it will overgrow my glass.

I'm not doubting that you might have had a little bit of algae that's disappearance coincided with your trying Koralline's crushed coral for your reactor media. I'm just pointing out that I doubt it's the reason, as people who do not even use a calcium reactor have the algea. And I would bet others who use Koralline media have it too, they just have not chimed in on the thread.

 

[bluebentgrass]

People who don't use a reactor have it because the water is missing a micro nutrient causing coralline NOT to thrive so the surface area left is overgrown by the red garbage..
What is interesting is that you have to add something to get coralline to thrive. The korallin media is crushed snail shells and such not coral skeleton.

I believe the korallin media is adding the correct ratio of micro nutrients.

I use IO salt and don't dose ANYTHING

 

[bluebentgrass]

Let me add this. The physical appearance of arm,korallITH is different than korallin.

 

[JB NY]

Korallin
"It consists of dead coral skeletons that are broken and crushed by the action of the ocean waves."
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_substrates_calcium_reactor_media_korallin_caco3.asp?CartId=

Korallith is not crushed coral it is a calcium carbonate granulate. Probably just some rock that is calcium carbonate that they grind up.

I'm not doubting that you have good coralline growth and are happy with your tank. IO is a fine salt, it is however, low in calcium, low in magnesium and high in alk.

 

[JB NY]

ARM is probably just ground up more before the box it up.

 

[bluebentgrass]

Not a chance. No way on gods green earth could the media look as it does by grinding up korallin.
I did notice that you were concerned about the red garbageso it does bother you.

You can justify arm as ground up more and so on and so on but the fact is that the stuff is chemically different.

 

[bluebentgrass]

JBNY sir
give it a try, if you have had trouble ridding the tank of the red algae try changing media.
I can gaurantee that the stuff is chemically different the media has snail shells in it.

Secondly you take way to much pride in your tank to accept red algae on the rock.No need to cook rock that isnt the problem it is a micro nutrient issue..

CA is easy to add so is magnesium but do you need high magnesium? It seems to interfere with the formation of ca co3 perhaps repacing the growing crytal with mg instaed of ca blocking crytatl formation.

how pure are the caco3 crytals? in korallin they dont seem to pure as microhutrients appear to be trapped inthe structure.

 

[joefish]

Whats MedX ?

 

[bluebentgrass]

laser guided bombs! Some will get it!!
Have you had a cold lately?/ then you have made some laser guided bombs

ANTIBODIES

 

[JAANDGC]

So all JBNY has to do is place some of his dead snail shells in his reactor and he would be fine???

 

[bluebentgrass]

They are small snail shells so i dont know if they would be chemically the same as say astrea snails. I wish life was as simple as you assume!!! Are all snails created equal chemically???

Hmm place es-cargo in reactor and boom same chemically

its a micro nutrient issue
folks

 

[JAANDGC]

I thought escargot was a land snail. If it is then no they would not be the same.

 

[bluebentgrass]

jaadgc i was being sarcastic.... of course all snail shells are not the same chemically

i was refering to the one dude that claims he can add snails and have the same media

Yor choice my observation is that media does matter.

 

[Satori]

Korallin
"It consists of dead coral skeletons that are broken and crushed by the action of the ocean waves."
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_substrates_calcium_reactor_media_korallin_caco3.asp?CartId=

Korallith is not crushed coral it is a calcium carbonate granulate. Probably just some rock that is calcium carbonate that they grind up.

I'm not doubting that you have good coralline growth and are happy with your tank. IO is a fine salt, it is however, low in calcium, low in magnesium and high in alk.

It doesn't say anything about snail shells.

 

[ruder]

I have the same red algae in my tank for about 2 years.
But the algae disappear after 1 month by changing to rowacarbon without any other changes.