hybrid liverock/skeletal aquascape

[stevestank]

Hello fellow reefers. I have been an aquarist for quite some time. I have a cycled custom 72 gallon bow front/bow back tank that has cycled and seems pretty stable. I have some nice big 2.5 ft stag coral and some red pipe organ coral that I'd really like to keep in my tank along with my new liverock and inhabitants. My question is... Will the bleached white stag coral and pipeorgan eventually become encrusted with coraline algae and colorful/full of life like the liverock? How long does this take? I'm dripping kalkwasser for make-up water and using kent part 1 and 2. Otherwise, I'm skimming and using a big Eheim wet/dry model 2229 for filtration. What I don't want to happen is for all the white coral to end up with unsightly brown and green algae. Your thoughts please?

 

[bond007069]

Re: hybrid liverock/skeletal aquascape

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7944414#post7944414 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevestank
My question is... Will the bleached white stag coral and pipeorgan eventually become encrusted with coraline algae and colorful/full of life like the liverock? How long does this take?

May be i dont understand the question

is the "white stag coral" a dead skeleton.

If so it will get stuff growing on it in a few weeks (algea, corraline, hair alges)

The only way to keep it bleached is to expose to sun and air, no water. IMO

 

[Jamokie01]

The first thing that will grow on it is green colored algae, but it will soon turn that grey color that liverock is and it will be covered in coralline just like anything else in your tank. I have some branches from old dead staghorns in my tank, that came with it when I bought it, there is also a large old tabletop. They are growing coralline on them and look awesome in the tank.

 

[Kreeger1]

I'm skimming and using a big Eheim wet/dry model 2229 for filtration.

Thats not skimming thats a different type of filtration mainly used now with Fish inly tanks.

 

[Rizing]

ya ditch the wet/dry if you have live rock in there, keep the skimmer

 

[oldreefer76]

I think he has the surface skimmer attached to the Ehiem wet/dry not an actual protein skimmer

 

[stevestank]

thanks for comments

thanks for comments

I have a coralife superskimmer w/needle wheel and an eheim wet/dry. I like having the eheim because it moves water through its spray bar rhythmically and provides good bio/chem filtration with the media I have in the baskets. Why ditch the eheim? I hear eheim is one of the best filters I can have for a reef. Some folks say ditch the skimmer because it removes many of the trace elements and other beneficial things in a tank. I just installed my metal halide lights over the tank last night. I'd like some live rock if anyone near Akron might have some to spare for a good price. Otherwise, I'm interested in some corals for my budding reef tank.

 

[Kreeger1]

The wet dry filters are nitrate factories. Someone just sold you the line that there the best filter for a reef. If that line was true we'd all have one. Did RMS get you on that?
Erik

 

[stevestank]

eheim

eheim

I've had this eheim for quite some time. I have researched that they can produce nitrates. One of my three bins contains nitrate sponge media. The other two contain media for nitrifying bacteria to do their thing. I test my Nitrates pretty regularly. It's always .1... never more than .2. I'm looking for more live rock and corals to help stabilize the tank a bit. Any thoughts?

The other reason I like the eheim is because the spray bar creates a nice ebb and flow over my liverock/corals and moves some water.

Your thoughts Kreeger?

Thanks in advance for your comments. You seem very knowledgable.

 

[bond007069]

Re: eheim

Re: eheim

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7957561#post7957561 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevestank

Your thoughts Kreeger?

Thanks in advance for your comments. You seem very knowledgable.

Oh man thats funny....HAHA, jk erik

 

[stevestank]

kreeg

kreeg

Hey... I figured 16 years in the hobby might qualify the Kreegster to be classified as knowledgable... I suppose we live and learn

 

[cowcio]

Re: hybrid liverock/skeletal aquascape

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7944414#post7944414 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevestank
. My question is... Will the bleached white stag coral and pipeorgan eventually become encrusted with coraline algae and colorful/full of life like the liverock?

A quote from a popular marine magazine:

"Live rock is actually dead coral or rock covered with coralline algae â€" pink- or purple-coloured algae found growing on rocky substrata in all of the world’s oceans. It’s used in aquariums to form a reef base in order to house tropical fish, corals, and invertebrates. The coralline algae also help keep the water clean."


You mentioned that you have 20 pounds of LR in your tank. That LR will seed the dead corals and over time change the dead coral into "Live Rock".

 

[itZme]

Re: kreeg

Re: kreeg

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7959146#post7959146 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevestank
Hey... I figured 16 years in the hobby might qualify the Kreegster to be classified as knowledgable...

We all make that same mistake... until we get to know Erik. LOL

No, we are all just ragging on Erik. He knows his reefin'. It's those barebottom guys you have to watch out for ... *Cough* Andy *Cough*

LOL

 

[itZme]

Re: hybrid liverock/skeletal aquascape

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7944414#post7944414 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevestank
My question is... Will the bleached white stag coral and pipeorgan eventually become encrusted with coralline algae and colorful/full of life like the liverock? How long does this take?

The short answer is YES it will become encrusted eventually. How fast depends on several factors. If you have corraline growing on the glass and it grows in fast then it should be a matter of weeks to a few months. If you have trouble growing coralline or have low calcium then it could take lots longer. Either way it WILL be live rock just as any rocks you add will become live after being in the tank for a while. They make artificial reefs out of old concrete bridge chunks and sunken barges etc...
Lots of us do the same with man-made concrete rocks for the aquarium.

-- Kevin

 

[stevestank]

coral algae on dead corals.

coral algae on dead corals.

Hey thanks fellas. I am dripping kalkwasser to make up water every other day (topless tank). Here's another question if you don't mind... My kalkwasser drip bottle has a valve about 2.5 inches from the bottom so some of the milky white stuff settles out and doesn't drip into my reef tank. Question: I usually add 1/3 of a teaspoon of new kalkwasser to that bottom 2.5 inches of "stuff", add a gallon of water, shake violently for 5 seconds, let settle for a while, and then drip a drop every two seconds. I figure if I keep this up, the coraline algae will develop as a result of calcirous water replenishment. Should I dump the "stuff" in the bottom of my bottle or should I continue with what I'm doing?

 

[itZme]

Some people say that you have to watch your PH to judge if the Kalk is used up or not even if there is still some "stuff" in there. They also say if you use pickling lime for kalk instead of the expensive stuff you will have that powdery residue that doesn't help the tank at all.
I would just shake and drip what you have in the bottle while testing PH every day or two until you notice it dropping and then clean it out and start with new powder. I think I used to totally clean it out maybe once a month or so.