Scarlet Red Algae beginning to form! Good or Bad??

[stu1210]

A couple of places on my calcerous (sp?) ocean rock i have started noticing a peppering or bright scarlet red algae start to form, it doesnt appear slimy or anything..

Is this undesirable algae? i hope its not the start of cyano

i brought my tank about 3-4 months ago, the tank was established for 3 years previous and was sold with the live sand and mature water.. one rock has a slight dusting of diatoms and a little hair algae

I'm using it as a fish only system with no live rock as of yet due to the price and availability over here in the UK

i have read that a few factors may help prevent this

1. water flow
2. Lighting

at the moment i don't test for phosphate, calcium or Alkalinity as its a fish only system! But after 6 months was hoping to introduce some softies and mushrooms so was gonna buy me some new test kits

This is the first sign of any trouble in the tank as of yet! I have 2 percula clowns and a yellow rock gobie, 2 hermits, 1 dancing shrimp and a chocolate Chip starfish ( i know this will have to go when i introduce softies!!) which are all doing well

The tank is a 60 gallon with a 20 gallon sump

i'm using a Eheim Pro II canister for filtration

Water flow comes from the canister filter, 1 ehiem 1260 return from the sump mounted quite high in the tank for surface agitation and a rio 800 powerhead mounted the opposite end and quite low

i don't have skimmer in use yet as i am waiting for a replacement powerhead for my CPR Bak pak2

my lighting is 1 blue atinic and 2 marine white flou tubes with reflectors the blue stays on for 14 hours a day and the white for 12 (with 1 hour over gaps)

surely my water movement and lighting is adaquate?

My tests are as follows:

Ammonia 0
NitrIte 0
NitrAte 10ppm
PH 8.2
SG 1.024

I use RO as my source water and IO salt mix

thanks for any info in advance (sorry for the long post)

 

[wayne]

It might be calcaerous algae but equally it might be the start of cyanobacteria. I guess the easy way to tell is if it suddenly explodes in size.... Your nitrate is a little high but not bad. High phosphate would be a worry. At the end of the day it's hard and foolish to expect a system to have no algae, or to want that.
It pains me to read that you're not using live rock due to price and availability. I can't really imagine a tank without it, and I think if you desire to keep centropyge or small butterflies at any point, or many other fish the biodiversity that live rock supplies is more than useful. There's plenty of the stuff for sale in Britain, and the price of it is largely a function of air freight.

 

[stu1210]

i would love to use live rock, but for a tank of my size i would need close to 30 kilo and at £15.50 a kilo that would be costing in the region of £460!!

i will be buying a lowly amount of 5 kilo in the next few weeks and hopefully build it up gradually!

i do realise that a system needs algae and it doesn't bother me in the slightest to see a covering of hair alge or diatoms! but equally i dont it to cause major problems like cyano could!

So if the algae stays sparse is this good or bad!?

Thanks for the reply wayne, if it turns out to be cyano would high phosphates cause this!? also i have always used RO purchased from my LFS would phosphate be a problem!?...

Also i think my test kit may read a little high on NitrAtes its never fell below 10ppm

i'll also add that its only present on my calcerous rock and no where else!

 

[wayne]

Well building up kilos a time is not a problem if you're careful. If you're paying 15 quid a kilo make sure it's good. No chance of a deal on 10 kilos? I don't kno where you live but try shopping around - you should do anyway. I guess it depends on how fast you can drive with a bucket of damp rock. I have had to pay similar prices in the past - I don't mnind spending a lot of money on rock , but I won't buy rubbish at that price either. Do they have any poorer quality rock that's cheaper you can use as base?
Algae staying sparse is good. Believe me cyano can explode in growth. High phosphates and high nitrates can get it going... alarmingly once it's got a good grip nitrate control will not remove it as it can fix it's own nitrogen. I would guess if you're using RO you're likely in good shape. You can always use rowaphos or similar as a guarantee.
The fact the stuffs only on calcaerous rock is good - it's likely a favoured coralline. As a note it sounds like your water movement is adequate - is the return from a cannister a single point or a spray bar - spray bars can be used to get lots of nice turbulence but you really have to keep an eye out for clogging.

 

[stu1210]

yeah the return is a spray bar!

i live in the west midlands! Can you reccomend any good dealers on live rock!?

at the minute i only know of MG Marines and Shirley Aqautics

What would i use as base rock!? would the calcerous ocean be any good!?..

 

[wayne]

I don't know the West Midlands at all. I guess it depends on how far you're prepared to drive - how far away are Calico? Look through the ads in Practical Fishkeeping and see what seems reasonable - phone for live rock prices before you go.
Calcaerous ocean might be ok. Bear in mind that you will only ever get in your tank wahat you put in - if you use 35 pounds of base seeded by 5 pounds of live rock you will only ever get what came in with the live rock... you'll get bacteria, likely some other things, but when you read about people only stocking with live rock and getting sponges, brittlestars, worms, crustaceans blah, blah, blah, well these things don't drop out of thin air. However I suspect you have worked this out.
Water return from a spray bar is very good as you can use it together withthe powerheads to get excellent turbulent flow.

 

[wayne]

You might want to look at www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk and look under marine stuff. I would note that 'reluctant sale' lives in the W Midlands and is selling a Royal Gramma for a tenner and giving chromis away...