Brown Algae

[allan]

Hello,

I just wanted to verify that I'm not heading towards a heartache.

My tank went through the horrible brown stuff weeks ago, about three weeks into a new tank. It lasted for about two weeks, then it turned green. Or rather certain areas turned green while the rest seemed to have vanished. I had put an Urchin (pincushin) to help pull out the algae.

Then the green started to go away, with the exception of a little on the side glass and on the 'texas holey rock'. Well the green stuff on the rock is getting darker and I noticed last night that my sand bed is getting darker again as if the brown was coming back.

Normal?

I have about 80 lbs of live rock and 140lbs of live sand, majority of the LR was picked up from AD and a 55 Gal sump/fuge that has about 40 lbs of live sand a growing handful of calurpra and about 8 +- lbs of live rock. The fuge portion has a relatively thick growth of green algae that is in places an inch thick in little tufts that wave in the current flow.

Really not interested in getting another infestation of that brown algae, actually not interested in much algae at all in the display tank.

[Gilbert]

sound like you ready to throw in a clean up crew, wolf reef is having a good deal right now

[alton]

Brown Algae/green algae with new tanks is normal. Cut your lighting times back. Like Gilbert said add some cleaners and 6 months down the road you will be fine. Don't forget to use good R/O water for water changes. And welcome to the hobby and MAAST.

[allan]

Ok, I'll get a better crew. Right now I have one or two little snails/slugs (or did, I think the p-shrimp made a meal of them) and a dragon goby.

RO water. How important is this? I've been using tap, declorinating it and then adding it into the fuge... about five gallons a week for evaporation and another 10 gallons every 10 or so days for water changes.

To tell you the truth I think I have pushed my financial advisor as far as she is willing to go with purchasing pieces to get the tank running. Of course I still manage to spend a few bills on the side here and there without her knowing it :shades: but RO sounds expensive.

Thanks for the welcome...

[sampsonndelila]

25 cents a gallon at the pet shop, or 100-150 for the machine.

[moe]

Hey Allen,

Welcome. This site is really great for endless info that one can get for the HOBBY. As for the water I stop using tap a very long time ago, I use to go to H.E.B. to get my water. But then move to d.i. water at my LFS cost the same, better quality water.

For the cleaner crew, I suggest a couple of scooter blennies, there great with algae in the sand, just make sure they have some hiding places.

moe
vini, vidi, vici.

[Gilbert]

i don't think a scooter blennie is part of a clean up crew, atleast mine never stirred up the sand or ate algea

[allan]

Well I believe that I have some good news. I started my tank a few days after new years... My numbers have been around 0 across the board (am, trite, trate and ph (8.2)). I cecked again tonight and my 'trate is at 25... That means that my tank is cycled right?

[R.Allard]

do you have texas holy rock in a salt water tank??? i have said this before and for all the newbies let me say it again. dont put texas holy rock in your tank. even if you have the best water quality you will get algae blooms from the metals in that rock. for the most part it is calcium carbonate but as the rock breaks down it releases heavy metals into the water. have you ever seen a piece of flint rock caught in a piece of texas holy rock... well as the rock breaks down small pieces of flint..etc get released in your tank causing nuisance algae blooms.
i know its expensive for live rock but its better than the heartache and headache it causes.
there is always going to be the exception to the rule youll find a person out there that has put some in their tank and "--" never had a problem. but just like winning the lottery
its the exception and that person should thank their lucky stars and is probably why the algae itsnt leaving the Texas holy rock...

[allan]

Really? I didn't know that. I was told by the LFS that... never mind, even as I said it it sounded bad.

I have a condalactus living in there... how do I get him out?

Other than that I should be able to pull the rock out pretty easily. Point to note though, I wasn't trying to shirk the expense (well I am trying to do that) I merely got the rock when I didn't think that I was going to do salt.

[Rychek]

Hey Allen,
For the cleaner crew, I suggest a couple of scooter blennies, there great with algae in the sand, just make sure they have some hiding places.

moe
vini, vidi, vici.

Scooter Blennies (Synchiropus sp) are not algae eaters, nor are they blennies. They are dragonets and specific carnivores. As such, they shouldn't be added a new tank at all. A Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus) could be helpful with the brown algae though.

[mharmon]

I agree with Rychek. You don't want any Scooter Blennies now and probably not ever seeing as you already have a Dragon Goby. A Dragon Goby is another name for a Mandarin Goby, another species of dragonet closely related to the Scooter. They have similar eating habits and will almost certainly compete for food. They almost always only eat copepods, amphipods, and other very small live food. I don't believe a tank your size would adequately support more than one.

As it is, you may be starving your Mandarin as you may not have an established population of 'pods'. Keep a close eye on this fish and watch for a pinched waist look on the sides of the fish. If you see that, you need to take action or you will probably lose the Mandarin.

Here's a good page that explains what you can do to prepare to keep a mandarin: http://www.melevsreef.com/mandarin_care.html

Good luck!

Mark

[R.Allard]

as far as getting the Condy out you might be able to break the rock around him off but thats dangerious and could tear him.if you dont want to get that invasive try turning the rock toward the back glass and see if hewill move. if you can get him on the move you might be able to slowly wedge your finger between the surface of the rock and his foot to get him to release. if he is in a hole wellyour gonna need to put him and the rock in a 5 gal bucket with tank water in it.
put a air stone in the bucket and let the bucket cool down for the night. he should move to the side of the bucket as it will be warmer than the rock. just remember to acclimate
him back to the tank water slowly and keep an eye on him you dont want him in the bucket any longer than he has to be. i use a air line with a knot in it and adjust to about 2 -3 drips per second from my tank water to acclimate
HTH
Robert

[allan]

Hey guys thanks for the advise. Robert, I will put the rock today and see how it goes.

As far as the dragon (mandarin) he is always sifting through the sand and competes with the others for the shrimp/brine that I feed the others. I always thought that the mandarin was the multicolored picaso looking goby. Mine is white with horizontal florescent lines. Perhaps we aren't talking about the same fish? Of course I am extremely new to the hobby.

Please advise, I do have a lot of bugs, my chromis loves them.

[mharmon]

Hey guys thanks for the advise. Robert, I will put the rock today and see how it goes.

As far as the dragon (mandarin) he is always sifting through the sand and competes with the others for the shrimp/brine that I feed the others. I always thought that the mandarin was the multicolored picaso looking goby. Mine is white with horizontal florescent lines. Perhaps we aren't talking about the same fish? Of course I am extremely new to the hobby.

Please advise, I do have a lot of bugs, my chromis loves them.

Oops! I was wrong about the Dragon Goby. DISREGARD! They are different species....

(DOH!) :red_smile:

[R.Allard]

you have a dragon goby ? what is your salinity? if memory serves me right and i could be wrong those are a silver fish about 6-8 inches long and live in brackish to fresh water. if you have that type i would love to see it.
Robert

[allan]

Hey Robert,

I can post a picture later or you are welcome to stop by. I hope that it isn't a brackish fish though as my salinity is in the 22 to 23 range. This guy is about 2.5" long and seems to be doing well.

As far as the anenome, she decided to come out of the rock after the last post all on her own. She had been in the rock about two weeks and after the post about the holey rock she decided to vacate all on her own. Rock is out and I have a disturbingly large bare area in the tank.

Back to the lfs for more LR...

[R.Allard]

good deal!!! glad to hear it . pm me your number and give ya a ring. maybe i could stop buy next weekend or somethin.

[Rychek]

you have a dragon goby ? what is your salinity? if memory serves me right and i could be wrong those are a silver fish about 6-8 inches long and live in brackish to fresh water. if you have that type i would love to see it.
Robert

I think he has a Sleep Banded Goby (also known as Dragon Goby: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+206&pcatid=206) They are a sand sifting goby that may decided to eat zoa polyps. They would compete for food with a dragonet (to some degree) as they eat the organisms in the sand.

[allan]

Rychek,

Bingo! That's him the sleep banded goby. I have noticed that he chases off the chromis a time or two, his battle buddy seems to be the rabbitfish as they seem to meander from one end of the tank to the other with the rabbit following him in his numerous stops to filter the sand. I think the goby stirs up tidbits that the other likes to nibble at.

I was able to pick up a ten pound cave/circle looking LR from that seems to be a generally good replacement for the holey rock, how ever Madusa the Condy has not come out in the last two days. I think I know where she's at but I can't see her. I've been told before that they sometimes hide and will come out when good and ready.

[allan]

Bad news, my condy passed away. Not sure if it was from the rock or my inexperienced attempt at placing her in a new location. I found it when getting my final aquascaping together. I wasn't sure until it's limbs started to fall away and drift into the current. A mad rush to gather all of the pieces but the tank seems to have fared well.

[R.Allard]

did you run carbon?? if not you might want to for a day or two.sorry to hear that.

[allan]

Yeah, I have a large carbon sack in one of my HOT filters. I was thinking about moving it to the baffles in the sump to get maximum exposure though.