zulreef
Well-known member
My live rock is covered with coraline alge. Is this ok or not? How do I reduce the coraline alge?
Question about coraline alge
- Thread starter zulreef
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flip_3_6_0
Well-known member
Why would you want less coraline algae? Its a good thing!!!, if it wasnt there you would just have brown rock.
zulreef
Well-known member
flip_3_6_0 said:
I think because for Several months I tested my water for calcium and it was 500ppm up. I would change my water but the level was still 500ppm up. I was setting the level at 1.026 but it was too high in calcium. I changed the water everyday 5 gallons at a time without salt, slowly till I got the level to 440ppm and 1.023. Thanks the relapy.
Zul
wrightme43
Well-known member
Hey Zul. Coraline algae is considered by many to be a very good thing. Here is why I like it in my tanks. It outcompetes and prevent out breaks of ugly nasty algae. It uses nutrients that would be floating about in my tank without it. Corals love to grow on it. In the wild the have alot more success as babies growing on coraline alage than plain rock. I think as well it is very pretty.
Now if you want to get rid of it its easy to kill. Expose it to air for about 2 hours. or expose it to air and get a SCRUNCI brand name steamer and spray it with steam and scrape it off the glass.
I like mine and would recomend that you keep it.
If you really want to get rid of it on rocks it seems all you can do is kill it. Getting it off of rocks is very hard. It will turn bright white and die, then grow all kinds of algae, then the stuff will come back if your tank is healthy and you will have it again.
HTH Steve
Now if you want to get rid of it its easy to kill. Expose it to air for about 2 hours. or expose it to air and get a SCRUNCI brand name steamer and spray it with steam and scrape it off the glass.
I like mine and would recomend that you keep it.
If you really want to get rid of it on rocks it seems all you can do is kill it. Getting it off of rocks is very hard. It will turn bright white and die, then grow all kinds of algae, then the stuff will come back if your tank is healthy and you will have it again.
HTH Steve
wrightme43
Well-known member
Oh Well not to start argument. In my mind I do not have enough info to say your water is out of whack at all. If you are growing coraline you are doing something right. LOL
If you would like post your test results here. For example NOT PERFECT!!!!!!! these are mine with a healthy growing tank
Calcium 470
ALKALINITY 5.60 MEQ/L
MAG 1650
PH 8.3
SALINITY 1.026
TEMP 78.9
AMMONIA UNDECTABLE
NITRITE UNDECTABLE
NITRATE 8 PPM
PHOS .1PPM
these are as of 1-13-05 and tank gets water change tomorrow.
Are you using oceanic salt? that has been quite often looked at as high in calc and Mag low in alkinity.
Steve
If you would like post your test results here. For example NOT PERFECT!!!!!!! these are mine with a healthy growing tank
Calcium 470
ALKALINITY 5.60 MEQ/L
MAG 1650
PH 8.3
SALINITY 1.026
TEMP 78.9
AMMONIA UNDECTABLE
NITRITE UNDECTABLE
NITRATE 8 PPM
PHOS .1PPM
these are as of 1-13-05 and tank gets water change tomorrow.
Are you using oceanic salt? that has been quite often looked at as high in calc and Mag low in alkinity.
Steve
zulreef
Well-known member
My water test results
Calcium 440
ALKALINITY 3.20MEQ/L
MAG??? I don't have test
PH 8.19 Day and 8.33 night
SALINITY 1.023
TEMP 80-82
AMMONIA UNDECTABLE
NITRITE UNDECTABLE
NITRATE 10 PPM
PHOS .03 PPM
Iodine .03 ppm
I am using coralife salt
Calcium 440
ALKALINITY 3.20MEQ/L
MAG??? I don't have test
PH 8.19 Day and 8.33 night
SALINITY 1.023
TEMP 80-82
AMMONIA UNDECTABLE
NITRITE UNDECTABLE
NITRATE 10 PPM
PHOS .03 PPM
Iodine .03 ppm
I am using coralife salt
Last edited:
bradreef
always kidding
there are a few things that eat coraline algae like urchins but they are a pain and eat it only off the rocks.
wrightme43
Well-known member
Looks good to me. I am in no way a expert, though if that was my tank I woul be happy with the results you have. Steve
zulreef
Well-known member
bradreef said:
Brad
,Oh....really.....well, I don't like urchins, but thanks anyway. Does urchins eat zoos and etc? Thanks for the relapy.
Zul
zulreef
Well-known member
wrightme43 said:
Thanks Steve
bradreef
always kidding
urchins can poke corals and yourself. but you would most likely be okay If you buy the right kind.
zulreef
Well-known member
bradreef said:
Thanks Brad
zulreef
Well-known member
Hey Steve,
Here are some live rock covered coraline alge. Sorry the picture is not very clear the MH lights off.
Zul
Here are some live rock covered coraline alge. Sorry the picture is not very clear the MH lights off.
Zul
wrightme43
Well-known member
Looks nice to me. If you are just wanting it off the glass, a razor blade will work. Just make sure it is brand new, and for me I only go in one direction so I dont scratch the glass. One acrylic I have had some luck with a credit card, but that stuff really gets on there good. LOL. It is my understanding that a big percentage of your live rock actually is coraline algae skeleton.
There is a product in Tropical Fish Hobbiest that uses a scraper and steam to remove all traces of coraline off glass or acrylic but it is over 130$ but it supposedly can be used while the tank is running. I hope you have decided to keep your coraline, If not I am sure you can trade with somebody who doesnt have any. LOL They would love you forever. HTH Steve
There is a product in Tropical Fish Hobbiest that uses a scraper and steam to remove all traces of coraline off glass or acrylic but it is over 130$ but it supposedly can be used while the tank is running. I hope you have decided to keep your coraline, If not I am sure you can trade with somebody who doesnt have any. LOL They would love you forever. HTH Steve
Zul,
Your params look fine to me. I wouldn't worry about them. Coralline is good. Sign of a healthy tank. Can be a pain on the glass though. I have to scrape mine periodically. I use a long handle Kent Scraper. Biggest problem is the corners of the tank. I let it go on the back.
regards...Collin
Your params look fine to me. I wouldn't worry about them. Coralline is good. Sign of a healthy tank. Can be a pain on the glass though. I have to scrape mine periodically. I use a long handle Kent Scraper. Biggest problem is the corners of the tank. I let it go on the back.
regards...Collin
zulreef
Well-known member
cwcross said:
Collin, Thanks for the your help
Zul
zulreef
Well-known member
cwcross said:
Hey Collin,
I am asking a question about dose. I dose my tank everyday with 20ml in 75 gallon of calcium and alkalinity (EVS-B-Ionie). Is that ok? When I do this my level goes up to 500ppm.
Thanks
Zul
Zul your levels of cal and alk are a little high for the salinity you are running. for that salinity you want the cal to be around the 350 mark and the alk around 2.5. As collin said its not the end of the world but it does make your corals work harder. I would not dose untill you can get your parameter a little lower, then dose to keep them leveled.
On the corraline I hate it to, if it werent for it I wouldnt have to ever clean the glass, lol but it does look so nice. On the urchins dont go that route, they will actually make the corraline get worse, when they eat it the corraline spores and when the urchin poops, all the spores are free to repopulate, trust me I had a small tribe of rock boring types, I was scraping corraline every few days, I took out a bunch of them and it has slowed alot more.
Mike
On the corraline I hate it to, if it werent for it I wouldnt have to ever clean the glass, lol but it does look so nice. On the urchins dont go that route, they will actually make the corraline get worse, when they eat it the corraline spores and when the urchin poops, all the spores are free to repopulate, trust me I had a small tribe of rock boring types, I was scraping corraline every few days, I took out a bunch of them and it has slowed alot more.
Mike
