Is Algae a problem in an SPS tank?

[brad]

I am trying to transition my 270 to an SPS tank. I am building DIY LED lighting, and trying to improve my water quality. I am still getting film algae, and have a massive problem with corraline algae. I was hoping the former would disappear and the later would diminish once I got my water parameters correct. Is this the case, or will I always be needing to scrape the sides? Is there any point trying Acropora or Montipora while I still have this algae growth?

 

[Allmost]

hello,
Coraline algae is not bad. except the part that it has to scraped off it actually shows everything is in line.

film algae ... brown or green or translucent ? either one, no Issues with SPS.

measure your po4 and no3, keep them low.

measure KH and CA++ and keep them stable, and you will be fine.

problematic algae are like hair algae, which can grow at the base of corals and kill them by not letting oxygen get to corals. and other algae like that.

film algae is actually considered coral food in most cases !

 

[Steve175]

Great coraline growth = ready for SPS IME

 

[brad]

Great coraline growth = wish I could see inside the tank

I do have green film algae

I never measure phosphates, even with the hanna low range. I occasionally find hair algae in places I never scrape, I do not see it grow on the tank sides or live rock.

The main reason I asked is I need to build a new canopy that lets me get into the tank easier. I was hoping cleaning up my water would get rid of (or at least slow down) the algae growth, and the canopy could wait a long time. No such luck.

 

[Allmost]

not really understanding the case ....

Coraline algae grows. its part of nature. that's why we have mag floats to clean glass.

if you want nothing to grow in tank, then you can do that, but nothing will live in it, not corals, not algae, nothing.

I run a prety low nutrition system via Zeovit, but still have to clean the front and side glasses at least once a week. every other day cleaning of glass is prety common.

but you can get urchins to take care of the coraline for you.

not seeing the relation of canopy to the algae growth.

 

[Reef264]

Great coraline growth = ready for SPS IME

Yes...+1

I have found that Coralline Algae Doesn't grow as well inh Lower Alkalinity, 6-7 dKH.I used to have it growing like crazy, then i accidently ran my Alalinity at 6-8 dKH and it slowed down quite a bit.

-Ray

 

[krzyphsygy]

Yes...+1

I have found that Coralline Algae Doesn't grow as well inh Lower Alkalinity, 6-7 dKH.I used to have it growing like crazy, then i accidently ran my Alalinity at 6-8 dKH and it slowed down quite a bit.

-Ray

So you think coraline grows better in a high DKH setting? How high? I have a new system almost 6 months old with mostly dry marco rock and some live rock. I have zero coraline growth, stable calcium at 425 and stable alk at 7.4 but not coraline. I have good lighting with ATI T5 and I have some coraline on the live rock but cant get it to grow so that statement interests me.

Sorry to hijack...........

 

[Reef264]

I do think that, I'm sure someone's opinion will contradict mine, this isn't fact, it's just what I have found.

Ever Since I removed The Coralline off the Walks if my tank, My Alk Doesn't fall as much each day.Not much, maybe a .2 dKH difference per day.

-Ray

 

[ridetheducati]

The main reason I asked is I need to build a new canopy that lets me get into the tank easier. I was hoping cleaning up my water would get rid of (or at least slow down) the algae growth, and the canopy could wait a long time. No such luck.

This thread is funny. You want to keep SPS, but having difficulties managing coraline algae.

 

[REEF SMAC]

This thread is funny. You want to keep SPS, but having difficulties managing coraline algae.

Yah.. My thoughts exactly.:strange:

 

[deeznutz1]

I hate coraline algae!

 

[Dapg8gt]

I don't see the problem. If you use a scraper and don't let the purple stuff get a strong foothold where you don't want it to be you should be fine. You can't stop coraline algae it's part of the Ocean you are trying to replicate in your tank.. As stated above a few urchins will take care of it or at least keep it at bay. Or get some asterina stars in there my tank has a hard time keeping a lot of coraline due to them. Beware though as some state they eat zoas/coral. I havent had them touch a coral or zoa in 11 years FWIW.

 

[brad]

This thread is funny. You want to keep SPS, but having difficulties managing coraline algae.

I wanted to keep SPS, so I upgraded my lighting and decided not to keep my canopy. I am going to build a new one, but for now, have 1"x8"s that are a pain to take off.

The plan was to work on water quality until I stopped getting algae growth, then add SPS frags, and then build a nice canopy. I never stopped getting algae growth, so I posted here.

I have an Acrylic tank. Once coraline gets a good hold, it is almost impossible to remove, and it grows very fast in my tank.

 

[gbru316]

I have an Acrylic tank. Once coraline gets a good hold, it is almost impossible to remove, and it grows very fast in my tank.

That's because the same conditions that make an ideal environment for SPS also make an ideal environment for coralline. You'll be hard pressed to create an ideal environment for one while suppresing the other.

 

[sahin]

Yes...+1

I have found that Coralline Algae Doesn't grow as well inh Lower Alkalinity, 6-7 dKH.I used to have it growing like crazy, then i accidently ran my Alalinity at 6-8 dKH and it slowed down quite a bit.

-Ray

So you think coraline grows better in a high DKH setting? How high? I have a new system almost 6 months old with mostly dry marco rock and some live rock. I have zero coraline growth, stable calcium at 425 and stable alk at 7.4 but not coraline. I have good lighting with ATI T5 and I have some coraline on the live rock but cant get it to grow so that statement interests me.

Sorry to hijack...........

Sorry to sidetrack the thread; but since restarting my tank, this time round, I am running my alk at 10dKH, all my previous setups were always around 7. I am finding that coralline algae is growing VERY fast.

In fact, I was reading around how to get coralline algae to grow fast, and read somewhere on a site that the guy said to keep Alk slightly higher to get faster coralline growth.

Whilst I cannot say for certain that alk is the cause of this; it is was my aim and the observation I have is similar to that of Reef264.

 

[saltwater to go]

So you think coraline grows better in a high DKH setting? How high? I have a new system almost 6 months old with mostly dry marco rock and some live rock. I have zero coraline growth, stable calcium at 425 and stable alk at 7.4 but not coraline. I have good lighting with ATI T5 and I have some coraline on the live rock but cant get it to grow so that statement interests me.

Sorry to hijack...........

need to get alkalinity above 8, 7.4 is to low i never let mine go below 10 it is very important to keep your calcium at 400-450 and your alkalinity at 8-12 other wise your corals and calcorous are build their skeletons

 

[brad]

That's because the same conditions that make an ideal environment for SPS also make an ideal environment for coralline. You'll be hard pressed to create an ideal environment for one while suppresing the other.

So far I have been very successful at this. The few times I introduce Acropora, it died immediately, however coralline seems to grow so fast that by the time I am done scraping it, it is already growing back.

 

[Allmost]

So far I have been very successful at this. The few times I introduce Acropora, it died immediately, however coralline seems to grow so fast that by the time I am done scraping it, it is already growing back.

seems like you did not understand it, or just want to say others experience is wrong ? if that is the case, I dont see the point.

either way, I dont think you are here to get help, but Ill try again ... coraline algae is CACO3 [ Calcium carbonate] same thing that SPS corals are ! coraline algae formation means that caco3 can form, chemistry for it si right, which means SPS COULD also grow. I said COULD not WILL 100%. it could grow means the chemistry with regards to KH, CA, mg and ... are fine, but this does not mean eveything else is fine.

if you are killing SPS, then you need to look else where and see why they die, what happens ? do they loose tissue > ? how is the flow and lighting ?

 

[krzyphsygy]

I am going to try to get coraline to grow by raising my alk. It is currently at about 7.4 and stable there. SPS corals are growing well under this DKH, however I have no coraline growth under that DKH so I am going to try it out. I am going to raise, actually already started. I am going to go to 10dkh over the course of a week or so. Raise slowly and hold it there.

Gonna give it a try.

 

[blakers82]

I am going to try to get coraline to grow by raising my alk. It is currently at about 7.4 and stable there. SPS corals are growing well under this DKH, however I have no coraline growth under that DKH so I am going to try it out. I am going to raise, actually already started. I am going to go to 10dkh over the course of a week or so. Raise slowly and hold it there.

Gonna give it a try.

It can take some time to find a sweet spot with growing and coloring of SPS. If you are experiencing good growth and coloration I would highly recommend NOT adjusting any parameters. If you must try higher a alkalinity, I strongly suggest not raising more than 1dKh.

Small adjustments are better than big swings and most of the time, providing your parameters are stable, not tweaking with things is the best move.

What's that saying?? SPS - Stability Promotes Success


On another side note: Are you using any Zeo products? You guys may know this, but since we are talking alkalinty...I know some Zeovit guys run there alk below 8dKh. Cheers!