ReefDream
05/18/2002, 01:14 AM
About five months back I started a refugium. At first things grew like wildfire. With in two months my 15-gallon refugium had filled up! I was harvesting almost every other week back then. The macros in the main tank started to lose steam which was a good thing! I thought the refugium was a success.
In the last two months, though, the macro algae even in my refugium started to slow down. My friend gave me some red grape algae that grows wonderfully in his tank, but it withered and almost died in my refugium.
In the last month, red slime started to grow on top of the unhealthy macro algae, slowly taking it over. In the main tank, I started to see yucky brown tuffs growing close to the corals. It looks a bit like turf algae or something, but the fish generally cannot eat it well because it is so hard to get off the rocks (although the foxface and lawnmower blenny try to eat it). Something had changed for the worse.
I did all the regular Salifert tests:
Silicates undetectable.
Nitrates undetectable.
Phosphates undetectable.
Magnesium 1350ppm (perfect)
Getting desperate, I got an iodine test kit. The Salifert test barely detected any iodide/iodate. I started adding SeaChem's iodide. Almost immediately, there were signs of the algae improving. In particular, the red grape algae really seemed to turn around. The mushrooms also started to expand more than they had before. I had read here that there wouldn't be much any change; for me, there were changes adding iodide alone. Reading more on Reef Central about improving macro algae growth, four days ago I bought (or actually I traded for some xenia) Kent Marine Super Chelated Iron Supplement to the tank. I added about twice the recommended amount (I usually do that for the first addition only).
Within literally two days, the good macro algae exploded and the bad red slime just stayed the same, now being overrun by the macro algae! To my surprise, the stony corals also seemingly improved polyp expansion and, my cat's paw, even depth of color!
It's been four days now since the Iron and about a week since my first iodide supplment. The red grape algae is so red it looks like blood and it's never looked like that in my tank! The feather caulerpa is growing like a weed in the refugium and has completely taken over the red slime! Everything looks much better!
I am writing this because I am certain there are others who use algae to export nutrients. I do change water, but I only average about 10 percent a month. I am now of the opinion that's not enough to keep up iodide or iron levels if you have a good deal of growth. I highly recommend both iron and iodide supplements for those who are trying to grow macro algae.
In the last two months, though, the macro algae even in my refugium started to slow down. My friend gave me some red grape algae that grows wonderfully in his tank, but it withered and almost died in my refugium.
In the last month, red slime started to grow on top of the unhealthy macro algae, slowly taking it over. In the main tank, I started to see yucky brown tuffs growing close to the corals. It looks a bit like turf algae or something, but the fish generally cannot eat it well because it is so hard to get off the rocks (although the foxface and lawnmower blenny try to eat it). Something had changed for the worse.
I did all the regular Salifert tests:
Silicates undetectable.
Nitrates undetectable.
Phosphates undetectable.
Magnesium 1350ppm (perfect)
Getting desperate, I got an iodine test kit. The Salifert test barely detected any iodide/iodate. I started adding SeaChem's iodide. Almost immediately, there were signs of the algae improving. In particular, the red grape algae really seemed to turn around. The mushrooms also started to expand more than they had before. I had read here that there wouldn't be much any change; for me, there were changes adding iodide alone. Reading more on Reef Central about improving macro algae growth, four days ago I bought (or actually I traded for some xenia) Kent Marine Super Chelated Iron Supplement to the tank. I added about twice the recommended amount (I usually do that for the first addition only).
Within literally two days, the good macro algae exploded and the bad red slime just stayed the same, now being overrun by the macro algae! To my surprise, the stony corals also seemingly improved polyp expansion and, my cat's paw, even depth of color!
It's been four days now since the Iron and about a week since my first iodide supplment. The red grape algae is so red it looks like blood and it's never looked like that in my tank! The feather caulerpa is growing like a weed in the refugium and has completely taken over the red slime! Everything looks much better!
I am writing this because I am certain there are others who use algae to export nutrients. I do change water, but I only average about 10 percent a month. I am now of the opinion that's not enough to keep up iodide or iron levels if you have a good deal of growth. I highly recommend both iron and iodide supplements for those who are trying to grow macro algae.