Fishdad's Reef Setup
- Thread starter FishDad
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I'm glad to hear you say that. Seems some people have had it completely overwhelm there systems. Since my last post I removed some substrate that it was growing on and freshwater rinsed some of the rocks that had it as well. I tend to agree that if I stay on top of it, it will wither. But then there is that awful image of tanks overrun with dinos that I can't get out of my head.
So Newman you are anti invoking the "3 days of darkness" method? That sounds like a movie. Or a bible verse.
So Newman you are anti invoking the "3 days of darkness" method? That sounds like a movie. Or a bible verse.
lol the problem with darkness is you coral. they would not like that.
does your algae look like a cyano film at all?
i'd say just be patient and keep it off the corals and wait a month or two. if it does not improve in that time at all then you should try the black out.
there are tons of times in this hobby when you will want clean results overnight. and it's just not going to happen. things happen slowly.
but i'm also saying dont let it get out of control.
does your algae look like a cyano film at all?
i'd say just be patient and keep it off the corals and wait a month or two. if it does not improve in that time at all then you should try the black out.
there are tons of times in this hobby when you will want clean results overnight. and it's just not going to happen. things happen slowly.
but i'm also saying dont let it get out of control.
No it really doesn't look like cyano. It doesn't behave like cyano either. Also my water params are just about perfect in every testable area, and based on the nature of dino, it tends to seize on that perfection. Heh, AWESOME!
Apparently frequent water changes make it worse as well.
I guess it sustains itself through photosynthesis and trace elements, thus why diligent water changes and fantastically expensive lighting seem to make it worse. I also found that there are many non-toxic forms of it as well that snails can eat. It just looks like hell.
High nitrates kill it, high ph kills it and the absence of light kills it.
Apparently frequent water changes make it worse as well.
I guess it sustains itself through photosynthesis and trace elements, thus why diligent water changes and fantastically expensive lighting seem to make it worse. I also found that there are many non-toxic forms of it as well that snails can eat. It just looks like hell.
High nitrates kill it, high ph kills it and the absence of light kills it.
It takes longer to establish the ecosystem of a marine tank than fresh or brackish tank.
I agree with Newman: if you do the blackout you may indeed eradicate THIS bloom, but at the cost of the health of the corals. A definite win/LOSE situation for the tank overall. And it would not prevent the next algae from taking over when the conditions are right.
I agree with Newman: if you do the blackout you may indeed eradicate THIS bloom, but at the cost of the health of the corals. A definite win/LOSE situation for the tank overall. And it would not prevent the next algae from taking over when the conditions are right.
Yeah I tend to agree with you guys about the black out. As long as its controllable with maintenance I can deal with it.
I knew you would say that Newman, I'm sure you're right, but my LFS makes it tough. They are constantly moving coral in and out. That acro and birdsnest I bought in a 2 for 19.99 tank.
Plus they opened 5 minutes from my house right when I decided to start the reef. Turns out I was there first customer and bought all my stuff from them. So they are always throwing deals at me. I think the owner does a lot on ebay so that may be why he comes in so cheap.
I knew you would say that Newman, I'm sure you're right, but my LFS makes it tough. They are constantly moving coral in and out. That acro and birdsnest I bought in a 2 for 19.99 tank.
Plus they opened 5 minutes from my house right when I decided to start the reef. Turns out I was there first customer and bought all my stuff from them. So they are always throwing deals at me. I think the owner does a lot on ebay so that may be why he comes in so cheap.
That's reassuring, thanks OC. Keeping a reef tank is a strange learning experience. My wife jokingly, but astutely pointed out that keeping a reef is like trying to play God. I think she's right. Its literally a cut-out of nature in my living room and I'm frustrated that I don't have 100% control over it. From algae to parasites and monster-killer hitchhikers to dino gas, its incredible when you stand back and think about the variety of life in just 125 gallons of water.
That may be a bit existential for a fish tank but I am laid off and the browns season is over so I have nothing left to inwardly contemplate.
That may be a bit existential for a fish tank but I am laid off and the browns season is over so I have nothing left to inwardly contemplate.
the variety of life you're going to get into 125gallons will be more than you can comprehend by the time you're done lol.
just in my 3 gal i had representations of all major phyla of invertebrates after 2.5 years.
Porifera - HH sponges, Cnidaria - corals, hydroids, Nematoda - some tiny random spazzy worm things floating in our water, Mollusca - giant clam, HH bivalves, dwarf cerith snails, Annelida - bristleworms, Platyhelminthes - HH Acoel flatworms(harmless), Arthropoda - amphipods, shrimp, crabs, and isopods, Echinodermata - asterina starfish.
Even had Bryozoa, Rotiphera, Nemertia representatives, all as hitch hikers. also the chordate phylum Tunicata (sea squirts).
That much diversity in just 3 gallons of saltwater is a lot to think about. i don't even want to imagine what 125gallons can hold lol!
just in my 3 gal i had representations of all major phyla of invertebrates after 2.5 years.
Porifera - HH sponges, Cnidaria - corals, hydroids, Nematoda - some tiny random spazzy worm things floating in our water, Mollusca - giant clam, HH bivalves, dwarf cerith snails, Annelida - bristleworms, Platyhelminthes - HH Acoel flatworms(harmless), Arthropoda - amphipods, shrimp, crabs, and isopods, Echinodermata - asterina starfish.
Even had Bryozoa, Rotiphera, Nemertia representatives, all as hitch hikers. also the chordate phylum Tunicata (sea squirts).
That much diversity in just 3 gallons of saltwater is a lot to think about. i don't even want to imagine what 125gallons can hold lol!
Here are a few observation about my dinoflagellets that I find interesting...
They only grow in areas of direct light, high and low. This is one of the infamous traits as I have found. But they also seem to prefer more calcium based rock to attach too. They tend to grow quite heavily on my coral skeletons and completely avoids my live rock. And although I'm not sure what the live rock is primarily composed of, I do know it does not have nearly the same level of calcium or lime in it.
The dinos also really like my substrate which is a combination of coral sand and crushed shell. Here it grows particularly heavy and very fast. But it stays mostly on the right side of the tank. I can't say for certain but I think it may have to do with the blue bulbs. Since my lights are staggered in my fixture one side gets slightly more kelvins and one gets slightly less. The blue put out more k's, so that could make sense.
Right around Christmas it seemed I was on the verge of loosing control of them. They were growing very heavy at an unusually fast rate. Simultaneously algae was appearing on the glass so I replaced the gfo. That of course eliminated the algae issue and seems to have greatly slowed the growth rate of the dinos. That means they consume phosphates.
Lastly and fortunately my snails absolutely devour this stuff. I'm really lucky for this since many strains are deadly to snails.The dinos are easily blown off the substrate with a turkey baster but not so on the rock. All I have to do is drop a snail on a rock with dinos and they'll have it cleaned in an hour.
More snails!
They only grow in areas of direct light, high and low. This is one of the infamous traits as I have found. But they also seem to prefer more calcium based rock to attach too. They tend to grow quite heavily on my coral skeletons and completely avoids my live rock. And although I'm not sure what the live rock is primarily composed of, I do know it does not have nearly the same level of calcium or lime in it.
The dinos also really like my substrate which is a combination of coral sand and crushed shell. Here it grows particularly heavy and very fast. But it stays mostly on the right side of the tank. I can't say for certain but I think it may have to do with the blue bulbs. Since my lights are staggered in my fixture one side gets slightly more kelvins and one gets slightly less. The blue put out more k's, so that could make sense.
Right around Christmas it seemed I was on the verge of loosing control of them. They were growing very heavy at an unusually fast rate. Simultaneously algae was appearing on the glass so I replaced the gfo. That of course eliminated the algae issue and seems to have greatly slowed the growth rate of the dinos. That means they consume phosphates.
Lastly and fortunately my snails absolutely devour this stuff. I'm really lucky for this since many strains are deadly to snails.The dinos are easily blown off the substrate with a turkey baster but not so on the rock. All I have to do is drop a snail on a rock with dinos and they'll have it cleaned in an hour.
More snails!
