green neon looking algae
- Thread starter scrubaholics
- Start date
Hard to tell by the pic, but my guess is that it is the beginning of hair algae. This is really common in new setups. Astria and turbo grazers will keep it down, as will zebrasoma tangs (yellow, sailfin, etc), hermit crabs, and urchins. If it gets long, it's easy to remove strands by hand, but a PITA.
My recommendations would be:
1. Add grazers, especially snails.
2. Dose with calcium supplements to get the coraline algae going. This will out-compete the green stuff.
3. I don't know how much light you are giving it, but coralines don't need much. Not turning the light on may be enough, but definitely don't give it full reef light, otherwise you will end up with green soup.
This is a great article dealing mainly with making your own live rock, but also goes on to curing and growing coralines. The site is chock full of good reading, and I highly recommend checking it out.
My recommendations would be:
1. Add grazers, especially snails.
2. Dose with calcium supplements to get the coraline algae going. This will out-compete the green stuff.
3. I don't know how much light you are giving it, but coralines don't need much. Not turning the light on may be enough, but definitely don't give it full reef light, otherwise you will end up with green soup.
This is a great article dealing mainly with making your own live rock, but also goes on to curing and growing coralines. The site is chock full of good reading, and I highly recommend checking it out.
I'm not personally familiar with that (I haven't been a reefer in several years), but this description of the product states "...we recommend the use of kalkwasser in addition because of its stronger ability to precipitate phosphate..."
Kalkwasser is a minor PITA, but I used it with good results with a drip dosing setup. Another thing that helped (that reading the above description reminded me), is using Phosgard, but that should be secondary to giving the coralines what hey need. HTH.
Kalkwasser is a minor PITA, but I used it with good results with a drip dosing setup. Another thing that helped (that reading the above description reminded me), is using Phosgard, but that should be secondary to giving the coralines what hey need. HTH.
If your live rock smelt bad it was uncured, and all the dieoff is dumping a ton of ammonia into the water. This is causing you to get a blue green algae bloom. I would stop even thinking about additives at this point, and start doing some water changes to straighten things out befroe the whole tank is overrun. What are your test results like? Do you have any? I would also be skimming like fury ar this point. Don't worry about your cycle for a second at this point - you are not going to kill your cycle, or stall it. You need to get the tank 'clean' now or you will be having hassle for months to come. Also don't think coralline will outcompete this stuff - it won't. It has to be removed before coralline can be successful.
I personally wouldn't have any fish in at this point - it only compounds the problem, and it's hard to call it humane
I personally wouldn't have any fish in at this point - it only compounds the problem, and it's hard to call it humane
how many water changes should I do exactly? Should i raise/lower salinity? It is about 1.022 right now. I will get test results ASAP. I do not have a skimmer, maybe i should purchase one. The neon green does not even wanna come off the rocks with a toothbrush? Will my rock ever be cured or good? Should I just throw it out and find some good rock? My 3 damsels are doing fine.
It's hard to tell - do you have any test kits - you really need to get test kits to actually find out what's going - start with pH, ammonia if nothing else, nitrate, nitrite and kH (carbonate hardnress) are handy too. I wouldn't do anything with your salinitty - lowering is likely to cause trouble. If your fish look fine then don't panic.
You should get a skimmer.
You should bear in mind that it's likely to take 6 months before your tank settles down , and a year to become really stable, and in this time a variety of algae blooms are going to occur. You need to learn to just ride some of these out, how to treat some and to have a lot of patience. This period of high instability is one good reason I don't like putting fish in for the first few months - you get a lot less algae problems
You should get a skimmer.
You should bear in mind that it's likely to take 6 months before your tank settles down , and a year to become really stable, and in this time a variety of algae blooms are going to occur. You need to learn to just ride some of these out, how to treat some and to have a lot of patience. This period of high instability is one good reason I don't like putting fish in for the first few months - you get a lot less algae problems
the latest
check out the latest pics
I did a few tests today and added 2 more powerheads for more water circulation. Still doing research on protein skimmers.
Ph- 8.3
amm - 0.25 ppm
nitrite - 0 ppm
nitrate - 0 ppm
alkalinity - normal area
What about that stuff chemi-clean wayne?
Suppose to help the cynoabacteria?
check out the latest pics
I did a few tests today and added 2 more powerheads for more water circulation. Still doing research on protein skimmers.
Ph- 8.3
amm - 0.25 ppm
nitrite - 0 ppm
nitrate - 0 ppm
alkalinity - normal area
What about that stuff chemi-clean wayne?
Suppose to help the cynoabacteria?
Attachments
I'm changing my tune - I think you've just got normal algae. Sit back and enjoy the ride. You will go thro a number of algaes in the next few months and this is just one of them. You haven't really got too much there. IF things are still stable in a few weeks add a bit of a clean up crew.
I'll give you a tip on bacteria - your tank is based on bacteria, hundreds of differnt types, with other critters, all performing the process of natural filtration. If you think a bactericide, which is normally a pretty broad hit Gram positive or negative chemical, or an algicide can specifically hit just the desired organisms and leave everything intact, I would just say I'd be very surprised. No medicines ever I suggest!
I'll give you a tip on bacteria - your tank is based on bacteria, hundreds of differnt types, with other critters, all performing the process of natural filtration. If you think a bactericide, which is normally a pretty broad hit Gram positive or negative chemical, or an algicide can specifically hit just the desired organisms and leave everything intact, I would just say I'd be very surprised. No medicines ever I suggest!
i have about 3 turbo snails and 3 red-leg hermits right now, they have been in since about the 3rd day. They all seem to be doing fine right now, working on the rocks. What about an excaliber protein skimmer? Know much on these? Someone told me the best ever to get is a remora, but they are a little over my budget.
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Lets start off to see what kind of water you are using for your water changes. Are you using tap waterto mix with your salt or RO and DI water to mix with your salts. It makes a world of differance. As for the live rock your friend gave you they always smell bad up close to the nose. Does it smell bad when it is a good distance from your face that will certainly tell ya it is crap. Wayne is probably right about all the things dieing off on the rock causing the ammonia spike which in turn gave you the green algae breakout. Keep using the calcium along with iodine and strontium and it should make the coraline algae choke out the bad stuff. You can always take the rocks out and scrub them with a bristlebrush till the bad algae is gone giving the coraline algae a place to take hold. I have had great success with that. As for your turbo snails you do not have enough unless you have a 10 gallon tank. Remember approx 3 snails per 10 gallons to even go as hardcore as 5 per 10 gallon. Get a orange diamond watchman goby and watch how he keeps turning your substrate over. One of the best fish you could buy. As for the protein skimmer go and get the biggest you can possibly afford. REMEMBER YOUR WATER QUALITY IS EVERYTHING. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO TO FIX YOUR TANK IF YOU USE BAD WATER TO BEGIN WITH YOUR FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE. just became a member and I am always up for questions and i will be checking this board often trying to help out as best as i can. I have been keeping reef tanks for over 12 years. Also the only stupid question is the one not asked. Good luck
i use Ro water. Maybe it didn't stink too too bad from a distance i don't know. So u are saying I should keep using C-balance right now? I am almost 2 weeks into my cycle, I was waiting maybe a little longer to add more snails/crabs. The 4 powerheards I got in there right now seem to helping the bad stuff not grow as much, but it's blowing my sand everywhere. I think Im gonna take one out, and just use 3. Waiting for payday and/or tax refund to get a skimmer.
i did have some sunlight hitting my tank through closed blinds pretty directly. U think that would have a lot to do with the green neon on the rocks? I recently put up a tapestry over the window in my living room so it will kill most of the light passing through. Anyone know what kind of algae comes from sun on a SW tank?