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#1
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Lots of Different Algae's going on here...
I can see some Bryopsis, Green Hair, Bubble (really small) and some Caulerpa (I think, very small green polyp looking plant) all growing in my cycling tank. Along with some slime like type algae that I'm not sure what it is. I'm 2 weeks into my cycle right now, although the Ammonia spike may have already happened, since the rock was mostly cycled if not completely.
So, what should I do? Kill the lights for a few days? Turkey Baste everything up that I can? Get more flow in the tank? Try to remove anything manually? All of the above... |
#2
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Since the tank is still so new just keep doing your water changes and you could cut back your lights just a little. You can remove as much of the alge as you can by hand. Pull the rocks with the alge out and while doing your water change rinse and scrub the alge off your rocks and then place them back in the tank.
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#3
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I thought scrubbing the rock was a bad idea... I read that somewhere else. Won't that kill/damage all the pods and bacteria that I've got growing in my tank?
I think there's one more type too, I've got some small fuzy spots on the substrate in a few places. Look like balls of lint. Looks like all I got for hitchhikers were macroalgae! |
#4
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All of the above sounds right. If the lights are left off for too long you could slow any coraline growth but so will shading by bryopsis and derbasia. I would do what I could manually including scrubbing really bad rocks. I might even leave them out of the tank and in the sump for several days to deprive them of light. I don't think scrubbing it off in tank water harms the bacteria.
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Tom |
#5
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I think it will be easier for you to manual extract and starve off the algae now, while your tank is new rather than later..
In my opinion, you should leave your lights off. You're still cycling your tank and any lost coralline due to shutting off your lights can be added/re-seeded later on. I would rather have a tank that is delayed by a month in coralline growth or that requires coraline to be re-seeded than a tank riddled with caulerpa and hair algae. Also, check your source water for phosphates. |
#6
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How would you re-seed coralline? The rock I bought doesn't have much on it but the price was right so I was willing to be patient for the growth anyway.
As far as the Algae goes, I'm tempted to drop a snail in there to see if it would make a dent in any of it (0 ammonia and low Nitrates so I don't think it would be cruel). I could still brush the worst of the rocks since there should be enough algae on the rest to feed a few snails in there. |
#7
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umm, why?
WHY get rid of algae? Watch it, maybe pull the bubble, and the rest, well, I personally don't see much wrong with it. Leave it, set up a refugium to out compete it with cheato, and well.. sooner or later its toast.
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my advice:walk away. do nothing. til tomorrow. if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone |
#8
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True, my refuge will be going on sometime in the next week or so. I'll have the AC110 on Monday. Probably won't get it ready and on until next weekend.
Was the why in regards to the snail, the brushing, or both? |
#9
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both
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my advice:walk away. do nothing. til tomorrow. if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone |
#10
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I'd remove what I could. True the refugium algae will slow it down but it's pretty efficient at picking up nutrients when it's established and can persist even in low nutrient water. It is also likely shading out potential coraline.
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Tom |
#11
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For the bubble algae, there's quite a few of them, but they're all really small (ie: I couldn't pick them off with my bare hands without pinching them, even if I tried really hard). Do you think it's best to wait for them to grow a little bit, or am I better off using tweezers when they're small (ie: 1mm).
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#12
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Tweezers or a toothbrush may work and a turkey baster to suck them up when loosened.
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Tom |
#13
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I pulled out a good 15 or so. I can see at least another 7 that I either missed (it's late, I'll make another pass tomorrow), are in places that I have no chance of pulling them from, or are too small to grab.
Not sure what I'll do with the small/unreachable ones... |
#14
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wait for growth to get them.
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my advice:walk away. do nothing. til tomorrow. if its still alive, it will hopefully be fine. If you do not see it, do not try to find it. it may be hiding. just LEAVE it alone |
#15
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Once my cycle was complete I put in a varied clean up crew and raised the Mg to 1500 before I put in fish or corals. I could see the algae dying and CUC mowed down the rest.
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#16
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When I had a persistent patch I covered it with a piece of rock for a couple of weeks. Lack of light does wonders.
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Tom |
#17
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I had an outbreak when I cycled. From what I read it is totally normal and to be expected. You might even have another outbreak prior to the tank completeing the cycle. If I were you I would ride it out. Remove as much as you can, espically the slime algae and balls. If they are too small I would wait until they grow. Better to wait than to bust them and have a wide spread outbreak
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If you are here, you are addicted!!!! |
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