Finally, pics of my m tank (big download)

[Highside]

Finally got some pics up. The colt coral under the rubber band isn't happy, I just put it in the tank and it detached from the rock on the way home. Let me know if anyone thinks the rubber band is a bad idea. Also, the macro alge concerns me. What do you guys think I should do about that? The shot glass has some rubble and a small 1/2 inch piece of colt coral in it. The star polyps appear to be very happy, I have even fragged the mother colony into 4 pieces now and the mothor colony is still 5 inches across.

 

[fishdoc11]

Holy gigantic pictures Batman!

 

[Highside]

So does anyone know what that macro algae is? Maybe even how to get rid of it?

 

[DMBillies]

I don't usually think of most macro as a real nuisance (unlike hair algae which seems to be real difficult to get rid of and grows real fast if you have any nutrients in the water) and I actually like the look of it, especially until I can fill in all of my gaps with corals. According to Sprung's "Algae - A problem solver's guide") some red algaes are actually beneficial. I can't tell what you've got there, but if it really bothers you, most of the time you can just reach in and rip it off. Some algaes will deal better with constant pruning (i.e., grow back pretty quickly) and some will tend to not deal with it well and/or may be reduced enough that herbivores will take care of the rest. If the species you have seem to grow too aggressively for you, might have to consider other methods.

There is the argument that algae leads to problems with the corals (an article was cited on RC somewhere that algae, once it has taken over a real reef is difficult to get rid of because of compounds that the algae releases into the water) and that algae can trap detritus (causing more algae growth) but I think that most of these issues can be controlled by just reaching in and ripping the stuff off the rocks every few weeks.

Certainly you should get other opinions...

 

[1SickReefer]

My modem just blew up thanks! lol jk.... those pics are huge!, very hard to look at..

If you want the marco gone, (depending on the tank size) get a rabbitfish or a foxface. It will be gone by morning.

 

[danieljames]

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/daytona002/m4Small.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/daytona002/m3Small.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/daytona002/m2Small.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v722/daytona002/m1Small.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

remove those monsters man. They blew my modem up too.....lol
I've never had any luck with green caulerpa of any kind. The stuff i've had, especially C. Taxifolia, just grew out of control very fast, and bottle brushes, etc are detritus traps. I've had some luck with the red stuff, but it can grow real quick as well. No more plants for me except for maybe a dedicated lagoon type display just for them.

 

[DMBillies]

I know Gary had some trouble with a rabbitfish nipping at some of his corals. I think they'd definitely take care of the algae, but you have to be careful. I'd imagine a foxface might also be similarly "risky" but I don't have any first-hand experience of that. Just something to think about. You might not have a big enough tank for them either judging from the pictures...

 

[Larson]

On the rubberband w/ leather. I'd ditch that, it looks unnatural. You can use some coral glue or Krazyglue gel. Pull the coral and rock out that you want to attach it to. Gently dry them off with a paper towel. Apply the gel to the rock, and quickly dip that end in the water to create a "skin" on the glue. Then do the same to the bottom of the coral. Then stick them together wait approx 1 min. and put it in the tank where you want it.

That particular macro isn't a huge fast grower unless you've got a nutrient problem, most of your tangs will eat it faster than it can grow. I would probaly avoid a foxface, I've seen alot that have a taste for colts, and xenia. Sailfin,yellow,purple, chevron tang would work.

 

[Highside]

I am thinking that the leather coral will attach naturally to the rock then the rubber band can be removed. It opened up nicely today.

 

[gflat65]

Razor caulerpa is the worst scurge macro I've had to deal with. I've removed all the rock from two and a half tanks to get the stuff out. I had a Scribbled Rabbitfish that took out the razor in about three weeks (the noticeable stuff, anyway), then turned on zoas, then Acan echinata's and lords. Most people who have had them haven't had the issues I've had, though. They get pretty large, though (9" or so). All that said, tank looks great and I wouldn't worry too much about the red algae until it starts covering rock.

 

[Angela Short]

My scribbled rabbit fish is ideal and so far never touched nothing but there is always a posibility. I would think a softy would slime out and fall away from any super glue methode. Rubberbanding or tieing is the methode of choice for sofyies like a kenya tree .