Refuguim algea needed

[wooglin]

I am looking for some spaghetti algea, or something similar for my refuguium. Dont want calpura, there is something else lots of people use that is great for nutrient export? Any ideas? Anyone got some they want to spare from a pruning?

Thanks,
Alan

[fishdoc11]

I have some sargassum that you are welcome to. It volunteered out of some Fiji rock I have. It does'nt bloom and according to Sprung it is an indicator of and helps in promoting good water quality. It will be a couple more weeks before I can pull any out of the tank however. That's the tank that got ick a few weeks ago and I still want to wait a couple more weeks before I give anybody anything out of it. Also I could still take a couple of those Porcelain crabs off your hands if that's cool.
Chris

[A. Critter Killer]

ORA does some, holla @ me Sun. or Mon. and I can tell you what might be available. ----Sean

[aquaman67]

http://www.inlandaquatics.com/prod/tr_algae.html

Has some, it's at the bottom of the page...

[rcmike]

Hey guys, I have a question. I have put different macroalgaes in my fuge and can't get it to grow very well. I have tried dosing iron and that didn't help. What can I do to get it to grow? It either just dies off or gets covered with hair algae and then dies. I have a 250W Iwasaki MH light over the 30 gal fuge. I used to have a 10 gallon fuge and it grew macro algae like crazy.

[aquaman67]

I've heard lower light (like normal output) at 6500k works best.

Maybe you have too much light?

What did you have over your 10 gallon?

[rcmike]

I had a lights of america 65 watt compact flourescent. I was thinking maybe I have too much light also. The iwisakis are increadibly bright for a 250W bulb also. I have some 10K ushios I may try. They are not as bright, but may be the wrong spectrum. It may help keep the hair algae from growing as much though.

[A. Critter Killer]

If ytou stick with a p/c, try a 6700K, or if you go with a flourescent, try a 2700K. ----Sean

[fishdoc11]

I think lower lights (PC's or NO's)would work better also. I have grown macroalgae fine with one 20 watt bulb over a 29 gallon, although you probably want a little more than that. You probably don't need to use halides unless you wanted to make it a prop tank. You might not want to dose iron as that may also contribute to your algae problem. Also what do you dose besides iron and what are your nitrates and phosphates and what do you use for topup water?
Chris

[rcmike]

I have a few corals in there and I may just use it for corals. I need somewhere to put frags anyway. I have gobs of copepods that have sprung up in the last couple of weeks. I haven't dosed iron for a while. I don't have any nitrates and only a trace of phosphates. I am using RO water for topoff. I had a major tank die-off about 7-8 months ago because of some bad salt and the phosphates were off the scale for a while. I have almost got it back to 0. The tank is really just now getting back to normal. The funny thing is that I never could get corraline algae to grow before and now it covers the back wall.

[fishdoc11]

Algae is a hard one to solve sometimes. I have thought about running phos zorb or something similar on my tank. I have a trace of phosphates also. That seems to be a popular thing to do on sps tanks recently. Seems the sps color up and grow better with absolutely no phosphates. Do you have that new algae book Sprung put out? I have it if you would like to borrow it.
Chris

[rcmike]

I would stay away from the phos zorb though. I have heard it causes some softies to close up. I can't imagine it could be good for sps either if it is bad for softies. I have heard good things about phosban and rowaphos though. I tried some phosban after the tank crash and it reduced it quickly. I don't have that book but have skimmed over it a little. Looks like a good book. I changed my bulbs back to 10,000K bulbs yesterday and it looks like the macros have grown a little.

[wooglin]

Dont use phoszorb, use that other stuff, hold on... the name is coming to me.... Its ROWAPhos... Much better. The phoszorb, and some of the other products in that class are based on aluminum, and do release aluminium back into the aquarium which is not something you want.

https://www.aquatichouse.com/cart/index.html?1450.html~item2

[fishdoc11]

Thanks guys. I have a jar of phos zorb if anybody wants it. I've had it sitting around for awhile is the only reason I thought of using it. Somebody could still use it for a freshwater tank. Do you want any of that Sargassum wooglin? My hermit crabs are eating it instead of the hair algae they are supposed to be eating. I checked and it's been over a month so stuff out of there should be safe now. I can bring it to the meeting if you like. Just let me know. thanks, Chris

[wooglin]

Yes, I would definately like some sargassum. I cant make it to the meeting unfourtunately. Have a church small group that night. We will hve to setup something else.

[fishdoc11]

Well I just looked and now I have flatworms in that tank. If it's not one thing it's another. I can still bring you some if you like but I don't think you want flatworms. Otherwise I can pick what is there now and wait for the flatworms to die down. I'm sure new stuff will grow and maybe I can get you some then. Sorry, just discovered they were there.
Chris

[reewik]

What does a flat worm look like?

[rcmike]

Check the picture at the bottom of this page.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/flatwrmfaq3.htm

[fishdoc11]

Like a flat worm lol! Looks like a small rectangularish flat green/brown thing with a little red point in the front. Looks like a boxy planaria if you know what that looks like. They are both in the phylum platyhelminthes. They can reach plague proportions in a reef aquarium but after that usually die off until you don't notice them anymore.
Chris

[coralreefing]

I've got them too. It's always something huh. At least they aren't deadly like ich or as big a nuicence as hair algae. Now how do we get rid of them?

Chris

[fishdoc11]

They will die off in a few months. Some spotted Mandarins are supposed to eat them. I got one when I had an outbreak in my 75 and he starved to death(I guess he did'nt like them). Also sixlines and Sean knows about a Nudibranch that eats them. I hope you did'nt get them from the Sinularia. If you did I apologize, I had no idea until day before yesterday.
Chris

[coralreefing]

No telling where they started. I could have given them to you too. I wonder how many have them that haven't realized it yet. I guess as long as they don't turn into a plague I don't mind them. Do they make good tank cleaners, like pods, they are eating something.

Chris

[fishdoc11]

I don't think they eat enough to make a difference but I could be wrong.
Chris