Bright Red algae in my BB reef
- Thread starter Zoom
- Start date
i also use ARM and IO salt (1.026).cecilturtle
Premium Member
I too have the stuff shown in the first 2 pages by Zoom and JB but I know I got mine from a LFS. It has progressively spread unto adjoining rocks from that one rock. I do not use ARM media or Koralin as I am very comfortable dosing B-Ionic. No to aminos, zeo, etc. also.
I do agree with the other common variables of 10K/T5 Actinic, strong flow, clean water. And Joe's comment about Mag is interesting as I use Oceanic salt, noted for high Cal. and Mag.
I do agree with the other common variables of 10K/T5 Actinic, strong flow, clean water. And Joe's comment about Mag is interesting as I use Oceanic salt, noted for high Cal. and Mag.
Znut Reefer
Premium Member
I had this algae back when I only used IO salt. And mag was low.
bluebentgrass
In Memoriam
tfb,
water parameters.
pH 8.15 day 8.0 night
35ppt(1.026)
ca 400
alk 8(i don't let it get much higher than this)
MG( i have not checked for a long time i will check later but i did try the add magnesium way back when and it did nothing) I brought my mg to 1350. Nothing changed.
REDOX 350
I feed 4 cubes of formula a day
skim with euro-reef cs8-2
tank temp 77
reactor ph 6.5
effluent flow 80 ml/min
effluent alk 20
lighting 3 hqi de pendants with 20k ab bulbs mounted 5 inches off water running 12 hours a day.
I do have 2 turbo grazers(left over from the battle days)
tank is a 150 60 by 24 by 24 with a DSB 3 inches thick.
I change my carbon ESV once a month 2 cups.
25% water change once a month
IO salt
I DO NOT use any phosphate removal media. I vaccum 25% of my DSB once a month.
Way back when i used aluminum oxide material and noticed my pocillipora polyps CLOSE. I immediatly removed the media. The coral recovered.(this could be due to drop in alk as one would expect aluminum carbonate to form depleting your alkalinity. Test results confirm a drop in alkalinity from the addition of aluminum oxide.
FE oxide material caused rtn in one of my corals 3 years ago.
I have not lost a colony for 3 years. The tank is doing extremely well.
water parameters.
pH 8.15 day 8.0 night
35ppt(1.026)
ca 400
alk 8(i don't let it get much higher than this)
MG( i have not checked for a long time i will check later but i did try the add magnesium way back when and it did nothing) I brought my mg to 1350. Nothing changed.
REDOX 350
I feed 4 cubes of formula a day
skim with euro-reef cs8-2
tank temp 77
reactor ph 6.5
effluent flow 80 ml/min
effluent alk 20
lighting 3 hqi de pendants with 20k ab bulbs mounted 5 inches off water running 12 hours a day.
I do have 2 turbo grazers(left over from the battle days)
tank is a 150 60 by 24 by 24 with a DSB 3 inches thick.
I change my carbon ESV once a month 2 cups.
25% water change once a month
IO salt
I DO NOT use any phosphate removal media. I vaccum 25% of my DSB once a month.
Way back when i used aluminum oxide material and noticed my pocillipora polyps CLOSE. I immediatly removed the media. The coral recovered.(this could be due to drop in alk as one would expect aluminum carbonate to form depleting your alkalinity. Test results confirm a drop in alkalinity from the addition of aluminum oxide.
FE oxide material caused rtn in one of my corals 3 years ago.
I have not lost a colony for 3 years. The tank is doing extremely well.
JB NY
Active member
I have found through this thread and PM's that people send me that this algae show no preference to salt, BB or DSB, magnesium levels, or calcium reactor media.
bluebentgrass, I wish I had the luck to have this algae disappear but I really don't think it was the switch of reactor media. Why would that do it? People use ARM, Koralith, crushed coral, Shuran and some other one or two I'm probably forgetting. But I find that they all have it. Personally I think the switch in media just coincided with the disappearance of the algae.
Even Bomber has been growing in a separate tank to see what get's rid of it to no avail.
bluebentgrass, I wish I had the luck to have this algae disappear but I really don't think it was the switch of reactor media. Why would that do it? People use ARM, Koralith, crushed coral, Shuran and some other one or two I'm probably forgetting. But I find that they all have it. Personally I think the switch in media just coincided with the disappearance of the algae.
Even Bomber has been growing in a separate tank to see what get's rid of it to no avail.
bluebentgrass
In Memoriam
JBNY,
Thanks for the encouraging words!
Your right it probably was just some freak of nature that made it go away. Had nothing to do with the addition of perhaps a micronutrient found in the korallin that allowed coralline algea to flourish and the red garbage algae to lose surface area to grow on.
It could be the 20k bulbs versus the 14.5k bulbs.
In any event it is GONE.
the stuff aint pretty
The media i use now is KORALLIN not korallith.
Thanks for the encouraging words!
Your right it probably was just some freak of nature that made it go away. Had nothing to do with the addition of perhaps a micronutrient found in the korallin that allowed coralline algea to flourish and the red garbage algae to lose surface area to grow on.
It could be the 20k bulbs versus the 14.5k bulbs.
In any event it is GONE.
the stuff aint pretty
The media i use now is KORALLIN not korallith.
joefish
Premium Member
It's funny how some thing get started , The salt reference was me being sarcastic to the media reference . I very highly doubt it has to do with a brand of anything .
I also doubt it has to do with with bulb Kelvin . The switch for bluebent grass might have slowed it down from less par , then the critters that eat it had time to catch up . But that's just my thinking .
What I do think is that it likes the same conditions as coraline , but is able to out compete with it for the elements needed.
Having this red algae in the tank doesn't seem to harm the corals at all . The corals seem to thrive all the same . Just add the urchins in to keep it in check and stop worrying about it .
I also doubt it has to do with with bulb Kelvin . The switch for bluebent grass might have slowed it down from less par , then the critters that eat it had time to catch up . But that's just my thinking .
What I do think is that it likes the same conditions as coraline , but is able to out compete with it for the elements needed.
Having this red algae in the tank doesn't seem to harm the corals at all . The corals seem to thrive all the same . Just add the urchins in to keep it in check and stop worrying about it .
JB NY said:I agree. I've pretty much stopped worring about it. Really I could care what my rocks look like, I'm looking at my corals anyway.
So am I (YOUR corals, I meant.
). What concerns me a little bit about MY corals however, is that this yellow-brown mat seems a little more invasive than the red stuff. Like mentioned a few pages back, it can smother out weak, new, or very small frags attached directly to the rockwork. Therefore, I am now mounting anything new on a small pedestal in hopes the frag will become established by the time the mat (which my wife calls 'The Fog') reaches them.I do plan to boost my clean-up crew however on general principle.
Bomber: If you're still checking in, do the snails from the vendor in FL come with that algae on their shells?
bluebentgrass
In Memoriam
I havent added to my clean up crew in a few years. In fact, i have a few astrea snails and 2 turbo grazers. I have a tiny clean up crew.
Don't give up on the battle. You have to admit that the stuff is ugly and no way should a $5,000 reef have this ugly stuff growing in it.
My rock and corals are beautiful.
Trust me, the difference is night and day now. You don't have to accept the garbage growing on your rock. If there was a way to avoid it from the start think of the measures you would put in place to avoid it!
If you don't worry about it its because you can't win the battle. NO one in their right mind would accept the algae on their rocks.
Don't give up on the battle. You have to admit that the stuff is ugly and no way should a $5,000 reef have this ugly stuff growing in it.
My rock and corals are beautiful.
Trust me, the difference is night and day now. You don't have to accept the garbage growing on your rock. If there was a way to avoid it from the start think of the measures you would put in place to avoid it!
If you don't worry about it its because you can't win the battle. NO one in their right mind would accept the algae on their rocks.
bluebentgrass
In Memoriam
Clean up crew is a thing of the past for me. Do you really need a clean up crew with outstanding coralline growth?
its either the media(i think so)
the bulb(20k is the only way)\
or what? skimmer> i skim relatively dry.
My corals are outstanding in color.... I vaccum my sand bed though.
its either the media(i think so)
the bulb(20k is the only way)\
or what? skimmer> i skim relatively dry.
My corals are outstanding in color.... I vaccum my sand bed though.
bluebentgrass
In Memoriam
jbny has an outstanding avatar but the red garbage behind the acro is discusting when your reef is probably $10k!!!
Think about it!!!!
Can you really accept the red garbage in your reef?????
Think about it!!!!
Can you really accept the red garbage in your reef?????
bluebentgrass
In Memoriam
sucrates
No there is no red algae. the rock is covered with coralline,
thanks for the comment/observation. Its not that blue in person.
The grin is obnoxious and your 3 stars are overly obnoxious!
No there is no red algae. the rock is covered with coralline,
thanks for the comment/observation. Its not that blue in person.
The grin is obnoxious and your 3 stars are overly obnoxious!
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