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FAQs about Marine Macro-Algae Health/Disease/Pests/Predators
Related Articles: Marine Algae,
Algae Can Be Your Friend, Refugiums, Avoiding
Algae Problems in Marine System,
Algae Control,
Marine Maintenance, Nutrient
Control and Export, Marine Scavengers,
Snails,
Hermit Crabs,
Mithrax/Emerald Green Crabs, Sea Urchins,
Blennies, Algae Filters,
Ctenochaetus/Bristle Mouth Tangs,
Zebrasoma/Sailfin Tangs, Skimmers,
Skimmer Selection, Marine Algae,
Coralline Algae, Green Algae,
Brown Algae, Blue-Green
"Algae"/(Cyanobacteria), Diatoms,
Brown Algae, Related FAQs:
Marine (Macro) Algae 1,
Marine (Macro) Algae 2, Marine (Macro)
Algae 3, Marine
(Macro) Algae 4, Marine (Macro)
Algae 5, Rationale,
Identification,
Selection/Compatibility/Control,
Systems, Lighting, Nutrition,
Culture Algae Use in Refugiums,
Coralline Algae: Use in Marine Aquariums, Marine
Algae ID 1, Marine Algae ID 2,
Marine Algae Control FAQs II,
Marine Algaecide Use, Nutrient
Limitation, Marine Algae Eaters,
Culturing Macro-Algae;
Controlling: BGA/Cyano,
Red/Encrusting Algae, Green Algae,
Brown/Diatom Algae, |
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The
Great Chaetomorpha Caper (What Killed His Chaeto?) - 03/29/2006
Thanks for taking my email.
<Our pleasure! Scott . with you today!>
I have a six week old 75 gal eventual reef tank, 80# LR with DSB, now
completely cycled. Ammonia and Nitrite 0, Nitrate <5. In the sump I have
a separate 8 gal refugium fed by a 1/2in PVC branch off my main overflow
drain.
<Sounds nice!>
Soon after the tank cycled--- about three
weeks ago--- I added Chaeto to the refugium with very low flow and it
grew like gangbusters. Water parameters have been essentially stable
throughout. Then (reading somewhere that Chaeto should "tumble") I
dramatically increased the refugium flow. Two or three days later there
was a diatom bloom, and then--- while scratching my head--- I noticed
the Chaeto had wilted into a rotting mushy ball. I tossed it in the
garbage and the diatoms soon disappeared. I surmise the Chaeto released
a bolus of nutrients when it died, thus feeding the diatoms.
<A very
good guess, IMO>
Any idea what killed my Chaeto? Besides increasing
refugium flow, the only other thing I can think of is that, the week
before this happened, I raised my dKH from 9 to 10--- over about 4-5
evenings with B-Ionic #1. Would appreciate any input.
Russell in
Louisville, KY.
<Hi Russell. Sounds like you were really on top of
things. However, Chaetomorpha is like any other algae in that it can and
does crash when something is not to its liking. Hard to say what did it
in. I doubt that the increasing dKH is what killed off your Chaeto.
Contrary to what you may have heard, I've always kept this macroalgae in
systems with a gentle current. Other macroalgae, such as Gracilaria, DO
like to have a tumbling motion. Perhaps the strong water motion damaged
some of the woven masses of the algae, which lead to a crash. Could have
even been a combination of a few little things. I'd try a gain, but keep
the flow moderate, and try to keep excessive amounts of detritus and
other algae out of the Chaetomorpha "matrix" to ensure maximum growth
and health. Hang in there! Regards, Scott F.> What Killed My
Chaeto? Bob's go... multiple msg. sends? - 03/29/2006
Thanks for taking my email.
<Thanks for writing>
I have a six
week old 75 gal eventual reef tank, 80# LR with DSB, now completely
cycled. Ammonia and Nitrite 0, Nitrate <5. In the sump I have a separate
8 gal refugium fed by a 1/2in PVC branch off my main overflow drain.
Soon after the tank cycled--- about three weeks ago--- I added Chaeto to
the refugium with very low flow and it grew like gangbusters. Water
parameters have been essentially stable throughout. Then (reading
somewhere that Chaeto should "tumble") I dramatically increased the
refugium flow.
<Mmm... doesn't really need to have vigorous
circulation>
Two or three days later there was a diatom bloom, and
then--- while scratching my head--- I noticed the Chaeto had wilted
into a rotting mushy ball. I tossed it in the garbage and the diatoms
soon disappeared. I surmise the Chaeto released a bolus of nutrients
when it died, thus feeding the diatoms.
<Good theory... how would we
test?>
Any idea what killed my Chaeto?
<Likely the tumbling>
Besides increasing refugium flow, the only other thing I can think of is
that, the week before this happened,
I raised my dKH from 9 to 10---
over about 4-5 evenings with B-Ionic #1.
Would appreciate any input.
Russell in Louisville, KY.
<Could have been mal-affected by other
changes... in nutrient availability, the cycling in of new competitive,
predatory organisms... I would not be dissuaded from trying again in a
few weeks to months (sans the tumbling). Bob Fenner in Hawai'i, down
with the NELHA crowd, including some old friends who are involved in
macrophyte culture... that do use tumbling... but in large settings,
complete, axenic...>
Quarantine...Macroalgae 6/5/06
Hi Crew,
<Hello Jeff>
I just purchased some macroalgae for my refugium. How should I
quarantine it so nothing that came home with it will infect my system?
<How comfortable do you feel with your dealer?> If uneasy, quarantine
the same as you would for fish. In most cases dealers usually keep
macro in separate tanks where no fish are present. If all his tanks are
centrally filtered, then we are back to the top. James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks,
<You're welcome>
Jeff Golden
Brown Algae in Chaetomorpha 5/15/06
Dear Crew,
<<Hello>>
I am using Chaetomorpha between my refugium baffles as a
macro algae filter. A golden-brown algae with fine strands has become
enmeshed in the Chaetomorpha.
<<Likely a blue-green algae/Cyano
bacteria>>
Rinsing and cleaning the Chaetomorpha periodically with
marine water helps but the golden brown algae keeps returning. What can
I do to ensure that the Chaetomorpha and not the golden-brown algae
thrives?
<<Mmm, if the macro algae is not being malaffected I
wouldn't be concerned. The Cyano is obviously feeding off of something
in your system>>
I have a 75-gallon reef aquarium with a 29-gallon
downstream refugium. The Chaetomorpha is kept in a space between the
refugium baffles which is 5" wide x 12" long x 15" deep. The
Chaetomorpha culture is 3-inches in depth and kept suspended with a
strong up flow powered by an Iwaki MD-30RXT pump. A mesh screen keeps
the macro-algae from the pump compartment. Over this relatively small
5"x12" surface area, I've placed a Jalli compact fluorescent fixture for
reverse daylight photosynthesis (RDP). The fixture's 13-watt "daylight"
bulb is switched on by a timer for 8 hours each night. I can replace
the daylight bulb with an actinic bulb, replace the 13-watt fixture with
an 18-watt fixture and change the photoperiod. Which steps do you
think will help the Chaetomorpha in its battle with micro-algae?
<<The lighting is not likely affect the Cyano, but for the health of the
macro algae definitely keep a "daylight" bulb, and if you think growth
is slow, up the wattage. I would also try siphoning out the accumulated
"gunk" from the bottom of the baffle/Chaetomorpha chamber...the macro
algae is functioning like a mechanical filter and probably trapping a
lot of detritus which may be spurring the Cyano>>
Thanks very much.
Regards,
Paul
<<Cheers, EricR>> Zoanthids and algae with
air bubbles
Howdy Bob and crew! Thanks in advance for the
fantastic site and all the time you guys put into helping people like
me. ;)
First off, my water: SG: 1.0245, PH: 8.2, Calc: ~430, dKH: 11
Alk: ~3 (I think, I can't recall exactly honestly), Nitrates: 0,
Nitrites: 0,
Ammonia: 0, Phosphates: 0.0-0.1, Temp: 79.4-80.2
(throughout the day).
It is a 70 gallon tank (36 x 18 x 25; was
limited by width where it was installed and figure the extra water
volume would be a good thing) and currently I'm doing 20 gallon changes
once a month with top off water from evaporation as needed (sometimes
just a little every day; I top off in the sump). Large wet/dry (for a
150g system), with built-in skimmer (from ProClear), Eheim 700g/hr pump,
60lbs live sand (3-4" DSB), 90lbs premium live rock (gorgeous rock,
60lbs came out of a 4 year old 400gal reef that was taken apart and sold
in pieces; all was cured and completely covered on coralline). 150w
Ebo/Jager heater (in sump) and lastly the CurrentUSA Orbit 36" 2x96w PC
fixture (10,000 and 6,700).
<< All sounds good, but the lighting
seems a little low. >>
Livestock: 2 Ocellaris Clowns, 1 Rainford
Goby, 1 Scooter Blenny, 3 Emerald Crabs, 1 Sally Lightfoot Crab, 2 Fire
Shrimp, 8 or so Snails and 2 sand-sifting Starfish, some Bubble Caulerpa
racemosa and Caulerpa mexicana.
*whew!*
Ok, my two questions!
1) I've got some Zoanthids (brown Button Polyps specifically, not
sure on the exact name). They came attached to a nice piece of live rock
but I've noticed some brown "sticks" protruding from the rock, almost
pushing up the polyps. Tonight I observed what I thought to be tentacles
coming out of the ends of the sticks (looked like 2 each). Could these
be some form of worm? << Very good possibility. If so, I'll say they
are beneficial. >> They are very thin, probably <1mm. I did not notice
them originally when I brought the specimen home (they could've
been
there, I just didn't notice), but sine they've become more
"prominent" the polyps seem to but suffering some; losing color and some
are not quite opened all the way (though most are and are responding
well to target feeding with a turkey baster). Just not sure what to do
with these brown sticks!
<< I'd leave them be. If the polyps are
large enough to cut, you could always propagate them onto other rocks.
>>
2) I've got some hair algae in a few places (nothing
overwhelming, just two parts on two pieces of rock). My Rainford Goby
and my Scooter Blenny seem to enjoy nibbling on it ( as do the Emerald
Crabs, and as it wasn't much I just leave it alone. The Goby and Blenny
primarily eat Emerald Entre and whatever 'pods are living in the
Caulerpa (they police it pretty often; especially the Rainford).
Actually, the Blenny kind of nibbles everywhere; sand, rocks, frozen
food. He seems very happy and well fed; both the Blenny and the Goby
have noticeable belly's, I hope that's a good thing! If not, I have fat
fish. ;)
The question about the algae: It seems to be fairly
consistently covered in small air bubbles (as is the Caulerpa actually).
I figured it was either CO2 or O2, but was unsure of it and if it was
something to be concerned about. I do have good circulation/aeration,
but as far as I can tell it's not bubbles from that.
<< It's nothing
to be overly concerned with, but usually the bubbles on algae is seen in
unhealthy tanks. I'd watch the water motion and nutrient levels. >>
Thanks in advance for all your time! :-)
~Jeff
<< Blundell >>
Ich, Macroalgae and medication 11/12/04
Hello again to the WWM
guru! <Hardly a guru, but glad to help!>
I wanted to get some
further input on the ammonia situation in the OT tank. Unfortunately the
Flame and neon goby are covered with ich now. The LFS rep & I discussed
the constant spikes despite my using cycled water and daily WCs. Guess
what we figured out...I have been placing a piece of LR in there, which
naturally had some die off (yes, it was newer rock, duh!!).
<Yup.
That will do it.>
Now the thing is this, I put them quickly into the
fuge (which has been unplugged from the main tank), and got a "reef
safe" ich treatment to treat them while there. <The problem with these
treatments is that they are most often made reef safe by recommending
such a low dose that they aren't effective.>
Here's the big
question...wouldn't you know, there's a shipment of Macroalgae on the
way and I 'm not sure if its safe to put them in the fuge while the ich
treatment is proceeding. I'd place the algae in my main tank, but the
hermits would likely have a heyday with them! What would you
suggest? <I would suggest having passing on the macros or letting
someone else hold them for you. I also suggest that all of the rock
that will be used for a display be cycled BEFORE adding any
livestock. Your sick livestock should be treated in a separate tank,
and any future additions should be quarantined. Best
Regards. AdamC.> Allegra in SD
Dying Chaetomorpha... needs
more water flow? 1/29/05
Hey guys. Just a quickie for ya, if you
don't mind. I have an upstream refugium with a few bundles of Chaeto,
and for some reason it is turning white and dying off.
<the most
common reason is a lack of water flow. Chaeto is very hardy with regard
for lighting (5 watts per gallon will do)... but it is very needy for
water flow so strong that it stays tumbling>
I run a system with a
fairly high nutrient load, since it is a softie tank, so I am a bit
confused as to the issue here. I have a 10K regular wattage fluorescent
bulb, run opposite of my display tank. Is it a possibility that Iron is
depleted too rapidly in my system?
<not likely the problem here>
I
dose b-ionic daily, and it lists iron as one of the trace elements...
but I am wondering if I need to supplement further. At any rate, I
though Chaetomorpha was not an algae that dies off as it has been, so I
am a bit confused.
<correct... it is quite hardy and not prone to
events of sexual die-offs... particularly if/when you have been
harvesting it regularly>
Any speculations would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks!
<this is a common question and problem... most
always a lack of water flow. Apply enough to make the Chaeto ball
tumble. Anthony> Botryocladia Predators
Hello.
<Hey, Mike G here>
I recently purchased a red grape macro
(Botryocladia sp.) and would like to know if there are snails that will
eat algae, but not touch my red grape macro.
<An astonishing array
of herbivorous marine life will consume Botryocladia species macroalgae,
I am sorry to inform you. I would think it would be consumed soon after
you began to fill your tank.>
Also, would a lawnmower blenny eat the
red grape macro?
<I would think so.>
Chaetomorpha help
The problem/questions:
I'm having a problem with Chaetomorpha
slowly dying. Small sections are turning from dark green to clear and
those clear sections eventually go limp and dissolve or break away. I
have tried placing the colonies at different heights within the tanks
but with no improvement. Gracilaria in this same system is growing
rapidly. Ochtodes is doing well but growing slowly. Micro algae exists,
but is kept under control by snails and other tiny invert grazers to the
point where I no longer need to clean the glass. The macro Algaes are
separated by a reasonable distance, but is it possible these are
conducting some sort of chemical warfare?
<Yes>
I chose these
varieties because I believe they are less noxious then most. What is
your opinion of chelated Iron in a marine system?
<Generally ferrous
matter is not rate limited in marine systems, but it does little
possible harm to add it>
I have heard anything from definitely not to
it's a requirement of macro algae. I have started adding Kent Marine
Iron supplement for the past month, but that doesn't seem to make a
difference one way or the other so far.
The setup:
The
system is 3 months old consisting of a display and refugium with several
types of macro algae. It is currently fishless but has two L. debelius
and a good assortment of micro-fauna. Both tanks use compact fluorescent
lighting - ~4w/gal in the display and ~5w/gal in the 'fuge. The lights
are on 10 hours in the display and 18 hours in the 'fuge on a reverse
schedule.
Everything is growing well except the Chaetomorpha. There
is a fist sized colony in the display directly in the path of one of the
returns; it tumbles freely. The second colony in the 'fuge is much large
and is stationary with moderate water flow; it rests on a 2" bed of Kent
Bio-Sediment.
Water parameters:
Temp: 80-82F
Specific
Grav: 1.022-23
pH: 8.2
KH: 110-160 mg/L
Calcium: 440-520 mg/L
<This is a bit high... I would let drop to about 400 ppm>
Ammonia:
undetectable
Nitrate: undetectable
Nitrate: ~5 mg/L
Phosphate:
undetectable
Silicate: undetectable
Free Iron: undetectable
Chelated Iron: 0.1-0.25 mg/L
<I strongly suspect that the
Chaetomorpha is indeed being "deselected" for biologically in your
system... and would either move it to some other separate system, or let
it go. Bob Fenner> Aiptasia infestation & quarantine question
Dear Crew,
<Hi Paul, MacL here with you this fine and lovely day.>
Last week, I obtained a half-pound of live Gracilaria parvispora (Ogo)
from a dealer in Hawaii. I specifically asked the dealer if I needed to
quarantine the Ogo before adding it to my downstream marine refugium.
His emailed reply was no. <First and foremost, quarantine everything!>
Upon adding the Ogo to my refugium, I noticed a few dead amphipods. A
few days later, I discovered three 1-inch Aiptasia specimens attached to
the glass and to a clump of Ogo. I've never had Aiptasia in my tanks
before. After spending all night throwing out everything in my refugium
including live rock, quarantining the Ogo in a bucket after the fact,
sanitizing my refugium and hoping that the Aiptasia hasn't made it to
the main tank, are there any other precautions I should take?
<You
should be aware that lots of people use Aiptasia in refugiums for
nutrient export. On the other hand its possible that this dealer was
unaware that he had Aiptasia in his Ogo. Most people are going to say
that you don't have to quarantine grasses etc before you put them in
your tank because usually they come out of a situation where they've
been used for nutrient export.>
Regarding the dealer, should I simply
warn him to check his Ogo tanks for Aiptasia or should I also demand my
money back? What is customary?
<I might email him and tell him that
you ended up having to put the Ogo in quarantine because you found some
Aiptasia in it and you didn't want to chance having that go into your
tank. I'm sure he didn't mean you any harm, but if you feel very
strongly about it you might see if he's willing to give your money back
or perhaps you two can come to a compromise. You'll need to treat the
Ogo in quarantine to remove the Aiptasia from what's there.>
Aiptasia Infestation
Dear Crew,
<Hi Paul, MacL here with you
again today.>
(1) If Aiptasia is used in refugiums for nutrient
export, how does one prevent the Aiptasia from contaminating the main
aquarium?
<The people I know who are using it in this manner are
keeping in enclosed in their sumps. So far they are telling me that they
are not having it move. I personally wouldn't like to take the chance.
One person I know who is cultivating it in their refugium has a second
tank with softies that contains peppermint shrimps and copperband
butterflies in the line before his main tank, so he controls them that
way.>
(2) Is it common for growers of Gracilaria parvispora to
culture it in tanks with amphipods and other marine creatures, such as
Aiptasia?
<With pods, definitely. With Aiptasia, probably not. But
there are many people who don't view Gracilaria the way that others do.
To them its a nuisance. This is something that is changing as more
people begin to use it in their refugiums.>
(3) Are you aware of any
suppliers of live Gracilaria parvispora and Chaetomorpha linum within
the 48 states? (I live in Colorado.)
<Honestly no I'm not unless
Inland Aquatics has it. However, I do know that there are lots of people
trading it on lots of websites. One with people close to your area would
be www.reeffrontiers.com.
They have a lot of people based in the western United States who are
using Chaetomorpha.>
Thanks very much.
<Its been lovely to talk
with you Paul, if we can be of any further assistance please let us
know. MacL> Aiptasia in the Chaetomorpha - 09/11/2005
Good
morning fine folks! Hope you're having a nice relaxing weekend.
<More or less, yes. Thanks. Hope you've had a good one, too.>
I
received some Chaetomorpha from a fellow aquarist a couple of days ago
through the mail. It was very compacted but otherwise looked nice and
green and healthy.
<Nifty.>
I put some of it in my 20 GAL
holding tank and the rest in my "in tank refugium" in the main
tank. The refugium is nothing more than a box made of egg crate and
wrapped in window screen to contain the algae and keep the Yellow Tang
out.
<So far, so good....>
Tonight as I was feeding the tank, I
noticed something sticking out of the Chaeto.
<I'm
hearing the "Jaws" theme starting, here....>
Upon closer inspection,
there seem to be MANY Aiptasia living in it.
<Insert
hysterical scream>
I thought they would only be introduced via Live
Rock.
<Anything they can grow on can introduce them.>
Could you please take a minute and look at the pictures and tell me if I
have the ID correct? Is it Aiptasia?
<Yes sir.>
If so, I'll
just throw the Chaeto out so as to make sure it does not get into the
main tank.
<I would probably store it in your separate/quarantine
system and kill the little guys with Kalkwasser injection. Either way,
good to get 'em out of your tank.>
Yet another "plug" for
quarantining EVERYTHING wet that goes in your tank.
<Yes, agreed.>
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/navajo001/aip3.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/navajo001/aip2.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y195/navajo001/aip1.jpg
As
always, THANK YOU for your time and all that you do! Still hoping to
get enough experience and confidence to be able to volunteer my time to
your site someday.
<Hey, gain that confidence quick! (grin)>
Thank you,
Tom (The Tool Man)
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Halimeda Algae
I have a 55 Reef tank setup that has been up for 4
Mo. now with 80-90 lbs of live rock from a tank that was up over a year.
DSB 4+" tons of pink and dark purple algae etc. 260 watts of PC lighting
all parameters within acceptable range (except nitrates 20+/- ppm I
think due to new tank). Some SPS and LPS and softies all doing well. Now
my question. I have some Cactus Algae (Halimeda SP) that was doing
great, growing one section a day. Then it started to slow down growth
and parts of it started to get some coralline on it. Now it is starting
to turn completely White. Can you shed a little light on this for me? I
did like the look of this stuff and would like it to continue to grow.
Do you think it's the nitrate?
<Not the nitrate, but there are
several things that can cause this: too much light, over shading, water
warmer than 84 degrees F, or a magnesium deficiency>
Any suggestions
as to how to get it down in addition to water changes. How long does a
DSB take to start helping with nitrates?
<you should notice it any
time now>
As always Thanks for your time and knowledge. Dennis
Vigliotte
<best, Chris> - Algae Questions -
As per my
original email... I am thinking that I am having a little bit of Turtle
Weed growing out of my live sand and a bit on my live rock. <Keep an eye
on this stuff, it grows like... well... a weed.> As well, from the
pictures and description in your website, the 'sea-weedy' type algae
that is growing in the front corner of my tank appears to be Bryopsis
plumosa. In both cases, nothing to worry about other than it doesn't
look to great??? <Is only a 'problem' because it grows so well... can
overtake other more desirable items in the tank.> There is not a lot of
water circulation in the front corners of my tank so I can turn my power
heads to it... this should help shouldn't it? <Yes.> Other than that,
once I move my tank in two months I will get more critters that will
help out... Any good livestock recommendations to feed on the two
algae's that I mentioned?? <A blue tuxedo urchin, Mespilia globulus.>
My power heads, filter hoses, and heater are coated with a 'slime' (as
is the back wall of my tank). Anything to worry about?? <Probably
Cyanobacteria... not a worry per se, but something that can come to
cover everything if not dealt with.> It is kind of a brown/green sludge
that breaks off and floats around my tank. Is this something that
should be scraped off frequently??? <I would.> Will too much of this
floating around my tank cause problems??? <Not in and of itself.>
Thanks, Dave
<Cheers, J -- > Dwarf Seahorses, Refugiums and
Macro Algae 5/2/04
Hey gang! Good morning from New Jersey!
<Good afternoon from the other side of the country>
First off, I'd
like to thank you for the wonderful service you do for us fish geeks. It
is greatly appreciated.
< You're most welcome from another fish
geek!>
Now, I wanted to run this past you guys before I end up
bashing my head against the wall later.
<Yikes......Please refrain
from head bashing. Then the seahorses will really have a problem and you
will have a headache.>
I currently have several dwarf seahorses in a
five gallon but the brine shrimp is really taking its toll on the
nitrate levels.
<Hmmmm I assume you are feeding live. My first
thought is perhaps you are over feeding a bit. You might want to cut
back a bit and do more frequent water changes. If you are not keeping
any clean up critters you might want to consider a few Nassarius snails,
which will quickly consume detritus, uneaten food, decaying organics,
and fish waste. In addition a few of the Hawaiian red shrimp
Halocaridina rubra would feed on excess brine shrimp>
So I plan on
upgrading to a 10 gallon for increased water volume.
I would like to
partition off half of the tank for a refugium. The side that the
seahorses are on would be bare bottom for easy cleaning and the fuge
side would contain a DSB with some rock and macroalgae. The hang on
filter would uptake from the
seahorse side, spill out through the
fuge and flow back into the display area.
<It's not the typical dwarf
set up but sounds very good actually. I have a friend who kept her
dwarfs very successfully in the 40g refugium connected to her 125g
reef. Be sure to provide some sort of barrier to the intake to protect
them from getting sucked against the intake......perhaps a sponge. I
would probably be tempted to go with at least a little bit of sand and
some of the macros on their on their side for a more natural
environment. Unless of course you are keeping captive bred dwarfs which
might be used to a more barren tank with a glass bottom.
I have one
concern .......live rock and the macros combined with live Artemia is
the perfect breeding ground for hydroids which as you probably know can
wipe out an entire tank of dwarfs. You can avoid this by treating the
rock and macro algae with Panacur for 3 days There is more information
on dwarf seahorses and their care on www.syngnathid.org in the Tiny
Tots forum and specifically hydroids and this treatment regimen in this
thread.....
http://www.syngnathid.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=Dwarfs&Number=11739&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1
>
So my question is concerning the macro. I have access to several
types but I'm not sure which would be best for this application and I
know that mixing too many species, especially in this size tank isn't
good. Keep in mind that dwarves fair best in 1.019 - 1.021 SG. <Yes I
am familiar with that.>
I have access to the following: feathery
Caulerpa , grape Caulerpa (...would prefer however not to use these),
Halimeda ,Penicillus ,Udotea ,Ulva, red Gracilaria, green Gracilaria,
and Bryopsis (haha! want some?)
< I think I will pass on the Bryopsis
but thanks so much for the generous offer <G> anyway . You are limited
here by the optimal specific gravity range of the Dwarfs, with the
exception of the Penicillus which can be kept at 1.020. The rest of
these species have an optimal specific gravity range of 1.023 to 1.025.>
Depending on which macroalgae you think is best, do you think I could
get away with a 15watt NO 9325 Kelvin bulb on a 10 gal? (I'm thinking
probably not!
hehe) How about 2x13 watt PCs 50/50?..or would you
suggest a different Kelvin since the only thing in the tank that would
benefit from a specific spectrum would be the algae?
<You can find
the answers to this in this article Macro-Algae Use in Marine Aquariums
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/maralgae.htm . >
thanks, chickie
moomoo
<You're most welcome, Leslie> Bio-Load Question
Hello Guys,
<Hi! Ryan with you today>
Just to preface this
message, I attempted to check the WWW site for possible answers to my
question, however the page could not be viewed (could not find server
error ). Anyway, I hope you don't mind. <Not at all- and I bet you
learned a ton in the process as well>
It seems I am almost daily
(maybe some exaggeration but not much) pruning the Caulerpa/algae within
my 180G, 200lbs (Florida LR), Hamilton MH and PC's (12 hour cycle), 30G
sump, Shorty Turbo Skimmer with Rose anemone, Squamosa Clam, (2)
Dottyback, various Mushrooms, and various Zoanthus, numerous (100's)
snails/crabs . I have about 10 different kinds of Caulerpa /plants/algae
(red/green/tan) including: Halimeda, Grape, Feather, Red Macroalgae,
Brown Macroalgae, and what looks like Red Turf. I am considering
the purchase a couple different species of tangs, and blenny to assist
with algae control, a Yellowstripe Clownfish for the anemone and 3-4
Blue/Green Chromis for continuous viewing. <OK>
My questions are: Am
I being overly concerned with this pruning deal <No, and if the algae
grows, then there are nutrients to export.> and am I over populating
this tank and causing too heavy a bioload. <You're looking at adding
some fish here- they certainly could help. A Foxface may be a better
algae consumer than a blenny, in my opinion. I would keep it to 2 tang
sized fishes, and you could add quite a few damsels for a school. The
clown is acceptable as well. As long as you stock slowly enough for the
bacterial populations to keep up without a crash, I think you're
balancing out quite nicely.> Any response will be welcome. You guys are
the best to lend your time and suggestions to paranoids like me. <I'm
just another paranoid my friend- But instead of being worried about just
my tanks, I worry about yours too! See ya, Ryan>
Red Bubble
Algae Causing Seahorse Problems?
Hi Bob,
<Hi Leslie, Craig
here>
Something very strange happens every time one of my seahorses
(all captive bred) hitches to this small piece of red bubble algae,
sorry I do not know what species it is. I have had red bubble algae in
the tank with the horses before without any problems, maybe this is a
different species.
<Sounds like Cyanobacteria, not algae. Could be
quite poisonous to these guys I suppose>
So..... they act like they
are stuck and trying to get free, but can't.....writhing, twisting,
trying to pull away from it, and rubbing their body and head against it.
Now, they do not do this at any other time at all. I have had 2
unexplained deaths
of the smaller horses recently. When it was one of
the small ones I just thought maybe they got their tail twisted in it.
Last night one of my larger Ocean Riders got "stuck". I released her and
removed the algae from the tank. She has always, from day one, been a
very good and aggressive eater. After the incident last night, she ate
one piece of Mysis out of the water column, continued to hunt, but just
stared at anything else she came upon. This am she did not look quite
right, she was hitched hanging upside down like a possum. The lights
were still out when I left for work, so I will see how she is tonight
when I get home.
I am wondering if there could be something in or on
that piece of algae that could possibly be stinging, stressing or
injuring them in some way.
Thanks for you help, Leslie
<Well, in
Cyanobacteria, cyanide. Reduce nutrient load in tank causing Cyano,
increase circulation in those areas affected (I know, be careful with
too much) make sure your skimmer is clean and working in top form, water
changes and perhaps filtration with a PolyFilter or? Get rid of the
Cyano! (excess nutrient, low current) Craig> Re: Red Bubble
Algae Causing Seahorse Problems?
Hi Craig,
<Anthony Calfo with
the follow up>
Thanks for the rapid response. I guess I was not clear
enough. I am pretty familiar with Cyano. I have had Cyano in my tanks on
various occasions several times. There is no visible Cyano in this tank
at this time. This is a piece of red Caulerpa I purchased from one of my
LFS. Inland aquatics sells 2 varieties as well. It looks like the green
grape Caulerpa, but is red. I believe it may be Botryocladia uvaria, as
it looks very similar to the photo in Baensch Marine Atlas, vol 1 on
page 233.
<I am familiar with it an believe it to be relatively
non-toxic although numerous fish toxins have been isolated in Caulerpas.
Perhaps something here too although I doubt it>
Are there any
parasites, bugs or critters that can live in or on this type of Caulerpa
causing the type of "irritation" to my horses that I described in my
original e mail?
<not really... the macro is not a viable host.
There is something concurrent about the "relationship" between the
plants and seahorse (if at all) that we are missing. Do consider that it
could be something altogether different. Have you tested dissolved
oxygen levels by chance? Or do you shut off your skimmer or any other
filter at night?>
I am concerned due to the strange behavior as well
as the 2 unexplained deaths. Thanks, Leslie
<best regards, Anthony>
Sea Urchins and Macroalgae
Hi! Is there a sea urchin that can be
trusted with macroalgae and sessile invertebrates?
<Please see here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/urchins.htm -Steven Pro> Macroalgae
Gone Wild!
I'm having trouble with my Penicillus turning pale,
and also my Halimeda occasionally looks white then looks green again.
Would it affect the plants if the liquid reactor I have been adding was
precipitating in the tank?
<This color change happens often with
these plants, usually after the lights go out- then they often turn
green again. I wouldn't be overly alarmed by this. The "Liquid
Reactor" probably wouldn't do them any extreme harm...but the
calcium/alkalinity dynamic could be out of whack, causing all sorts of
problems with your animals. DO monitor these parameters if you're gonna
add any type of calcium product.>
I am checking to see the parameters
for iodine, ph, calcium and nitrate tomorrow.
<Ahh- that's good!>
Also two types of Caulerpa prolifera have partly turned transparent then
stopped, it hasn't spread. Do you think that nutrients are being taken
out too fast by the Caulerpa?
<Let's see what your water tests say
about that. Most likely, these algae are releasing their sexual products
into the water, which is not the best thing for your water quality. My
advice would be to get these "weeds" out of the tank as soon as
possible. This propensity to go "sexual" is just one of the aspects of
the "dark side" of Caulerpa- a reason why more an more hobbyists are
using different macroalgae (like the Halimeda, and others such as
Chaetomorpha) in their systems. One of my favorite quotes comes from
Anthony's MACNA presentation: "Friends don't let friends buy Caulerpa!".
That pretty much sums it up! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
Macroalgae Gone Wild! (Pt 2)
I actually get the test results
tomorrow or even today. But before then I have noticed hat my Caulerpa
racemosa is turning red! Is this relevant?
<Maybe not relevant...But
it's WEIRD! Seriously, could be Cyanobacteria overtaking the Caulerpa???
Hard to say. I've never heard of a green algae turning red...Seems
contrary to what we learn in biology...but who knows? I am certainly no
botanist...I think it would be cool for you to record this occurrence
with some pics! Perhaps the "Men In Black" from the Government may want
to stop buy and see if this is an extraterrestrial plant species- watch
out for unmarked grey Ford Fairmont's in your neighborhood...>
Also
my Penicillus is almost white. The whitening of the Halimeda isn't
related to lighting either I should add, but not all the plant is white,
other parts are green and I'm aware that this plant can regenerate after
turning white. But the Penicillus doesn't have a stiff stalk anymore,
its flexible. I've moved that plant elsewhere in the aquarium to see if
this makes a difference. The plant is/was (before turning white)?
growing runners.
<Well, I'd be inclined to leave it for a bit to see
what happens. The fact that it's growing runners is good...Keep a close
eye on it- as long as its not decomposing or otherwise degrading your
water quality, let's see what happens. I personally don't like to give
up so easily, and I think that you are the same! Keep in
touch! Regards, Scott F> QT of new macrophytes
Follow-up question if I may
I am getting some Halimedas from same
supplier-should plants be freshwater rinsed, drugged or quarantined
before going into main tank?
<Just rinsed (in seawater) on removal
from the shipping water, and quarantined for a few days. Bob Fenner>
Thanks again! Macro Algae, Qt...
Dear Mr. Fenner,
Do
you recommend any dipping or quarantine procedure prior to placing macro
algae in one's main aquarium to prevent introducing fish parasites from
the dealers tanks?
Or is simply dumping the shipping water and
rinsing them with some water from the main tank sufficient?
Regards,
Alec
>>
Good question... If there is any doubt at all about the
possibility of dragging an infectious or parasitic agent, I'd dip/bath
the macro-algae, even quarantine it afterwards for two weeks...
Bob
Fenner Die off!!
Hello everyone.
<all of my many
personalities/voices in my head say Hello! right back... One of them is
barking "whasssuuuuuuuup?">
It's very nice to know you guys are out
there, just waiting for something to go wrong, and ready with an answer!
Having said that, here's my tale of woe!
In the last 3 weeks or so, I
have noticed the plant life in my 55 gal. reef dieing off. I didn't pay
too much attention because I don't really care for the species, Brown
Macroalgae (Sargassum hystrix. But then, I noticed my Brown Wafer Algae
(Lobophora variegata) dieing off????
And now, my Maroon Coralline
(Peyssonnelia sp.) is covered with white patches and my, Gelidium
pusillum is falling apart!
<salinity shock (critical threshold had
been crossed in a nutrient deficiency (plants grow, but supplementation
has not kept up... they demand more each day and then crash when they do
not get it), or a sudden influx of freshwater, or a change in lighting
(new bulbs or decidedly aged bulbs) are common culprits for such
die-off>
My nitrates are always a bit high,
<not likely a problem
at all>
and at the present they are at 80 ppm. I did a water change
about 3 weeks ago, and will do another in a week.
Maybe I'm just
feeding too much?
<even more unlikely regarding nutrients (more are
generally better for the plant life) unless the feeding has degraded
other components of water quality like pH (is it lower because of the
heavy feeding? Below 8.1 by day could be a bit stressful, but even that
is a stretch)>
One more thing, please??? I just witnessed some really
cool behavior. One of my Dominos just backed itself into the many
clutches of my Banded coral shrimp. The shrimp seemed to be cleaning
him! So cool!
< yes... a wonder of the sea>
I've never seen this
before however I do know it is a common happening among ocean
inhabitants~
<rather common indeed, but ever so beautiful>
Thanks
for your time! Pam
<best regards, Anthony>
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