charzar-g

Hello everyone :]

This may sound silly or maybe even laughable - but is it possible to control where my coraline algae grows? It grows deep purple all over the front glass - but never on the rocks, so i have to tragically scrub it all off... and it just grows back all over the glass again.. Why isn't it growing as fast on the rocks as it is on the glass?

ATP

I have that happened to me. Except the part that it doesn't grow on the rock. I have a rock that's all purple (front, back, sides). It always keeps growing back after I scraped it until my magnesium went down and my calcium levels crashed so some of them died so I scraped them off the glass. They're starting to grow back though


What's your calcium levels?

charzar-g

I really have no idea - I've never tested for it, and Don't even know how. I still have no livestock apart from the live rock and 2 hermit crabs so i never thought it was neccissary yet.

How do i test it?
Should i go and get a test kit?

MizRamzi

We don't test for Coraline algae. It's a very good sign that your tank is maturing. It's one of the good algaes!! Also Coraline love's Blue Atenic lighting. If you wish to control it's growth, use less Atenic (you may even want to stop for a while using it at all) and more white lighting. Coraline hates white light!! Eventually once you get the growth under control you can even out your light usage. If your using any sort of Sea-Chem suppliment you may want to stop or at least cut it down. You could also get certain species of inverts and fish that actually eat coraline. Sea urchins, parrot fish, limpets, chitons.

p.s. I've known many who actually harvest their coralline and with a small drop of jell super glue will attach it onto a piece of LR, or the back of their tanks. Too they'll give it away to others.

ATP

I said calcium not coraline.

Test your water parameters using test kits.

Necessary tests for healthy reefs are:

Calcium
KH
pH
nitrate
phosphate
Magnesium (magnesium is vital because it maintains Ca and KH

All the rest are unnecessary

Also,

I've never put in any chemicals in my tank other than calcium, KH, Magnesium buffers and Instant Ocean Salts. (they're not real ocean salts, they added things to raise water parameters). I used to dose Iodide, but most those stuff are unnecessary and affective.

You should never shut down your actinic lights. They're necessary for coral growth.

charzar-g

Ah ATP, at the moment I only have test sticks which you dip into the water -I know they aren't as acurate, but they do the job until I actually have fish. I do'nt even have any actintic blue lighting. Maybe I should get one. Could i have one actintic and one white bulb on at the same time? (My tank only has 2 bulb sockets)

MizRamzi

If you at some point intend to add corals you'll need a much better lighting system. However since your just starting out with LR 1 of each should be fine. What is the wat of each please? I would run the blue more so then the white at the moment if you want coraline algae growth.
Just so you know, for every question you ask I'm doing research. Hopefully helping and yes I'm learning just as much. Many heads are better then one, lol.

ATP

Sorry, I thought you had a reef. As MizRamzi said, actinic will help coraline algae growth. (In my old tank, I used to run actinic first than daylight with actinic and than actinic before the lights shuts off so it would be like morning, afternoon, evening, night (off). I always use timers.

What does your test stick says?

charzar-g

Okay sorry for a REALLY late reply.
I have a timer, but the lights are joined together, so it can only be the pair of them on or the pair of them off.
As for the test stick:
GH: 180
KH: 180
PH:8
NO2: 0
NO3: 0


thats all it tests for

MizRamzi

You really want to be reading your parameters as if you do have fish. Paying close attention on your, ammonia/nitrate/nitrites/SG/kh/calcium and phosphates. If keeping your sg consistant your ph shouldn't be a concern.

charzar-g

Oh i do - i have a really easy thing to use when it comes to sg, so I do it all the time :]
You just put a few drops onto the tip and then look through it. I think its a refractometer or something?
I do indeed keep everything in check that I can test for. How do i test for calcium? And do i need to add to it?

MizRamzi

You can get the API calcium test kit. This too is important more so when your keeping corals, but for a fish only tank not such a big worry. Your right on with the refractormeter, I have one too.
First let me ask what kind of salt mix are you using? Your cal levels may depend on the type. Some mixes have a higher cal content then others. Also, what are your sg readings? Remember when it comes to your sg, consistency is the key. It takes practice.
Cal levels between 380-420 are pretty good, again more so if keeping corals.
We need to decide if your going to be talking about salt water in terms of a reef system or just a FOWLR system. There is a big difference between the two when it comes to live stock and keeping them.

charzar-g

I am keeping FOWLR for the time being, whilst i learn about the fish and have more room for errors (lets hope not too many) before i move onto corals, but i do wish to get fish so i can change to reef easily, I have my stocklist in mind already
I use red sea max reef salt i think D:

ATP

Buy a calcium test kit. Coraline algae is mainly calcium. It's an algae that eats calcium instead of nitrate/ phophate.

charzar-g

ah okay - and if i do this, what SHOULD the calcium level BE at? :/
(also - may have to wait a while... kinda in the minus numbers with money atm =[)

MizRamzi

A cal level of 380-400 for a FOWLR and a CUC is good. Pay more attention to the basics.CA/ Ph/SG/Ammonia/Nitrates/Nitrites. Check the ph and sg requirements for your fish. Everything else you already know about. Keep it simple!!! Most SW fish do well with an sg between 1.023-1.025 and a PH between 8.0-8.4 so you have room to work with. Important, be consistent! Again lets keep it simple so you don't get overwhelmed. Oh and where are the pics?

ATP

This site will say it all......... basically what Mizramzi said, but it explains and compares all the stuff

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

(you don't need all the things that's listed on the site because yours isn't a reef)

locoyo386

I do not know a whole lot about Coralline algae. What I do know is that there are two basic groups; The geniculate and the non-geniculate. The ones that are the most comon in the home aquarium are the non-geniculate. there are about 1600 different types of coraline algea in this group. I would imagine that the type each individual tank gets depends on the conditions of that tank. For example on of my tanks I have a piece of rock that is practically covered with purple coralline. In the same tank I have a greenish color growing on the glass. On other tanks I only have the green kind and it's only on the glass. In a very few ( I think 2 of them) of them I only have the purple kind. In some I don't have any at all. I do not know if there are many people that can really tell why they grow where they grow or what kind of it will grow. I do know that calcium has something to do with it's growth.

charzar-g

thanks guys - i do already havea CUC, and they're keeping the green demon in check :>
I will get proper test kits once my sticks run out/i get fish. It will probably be the first one first ;P
I might wait till after christmas to get fish.