Thinking about a saltwater tank...

[Ingy]

Feather dusters.

 

[Bearchumjs]

Feather dusters.

Agreed. They are some sort of little feather duster or tube worms. Harmless and beneficial. I have some in my tank too.

 

[okapizebra]

Good to hear, thanks!

Fishy and shrimpy doing well so far. Not exactly sure about the coral because it hasn't opened up yet... But we shall see how it does.

 

[okapizebra]

I'm getting lots of diatoms and algae now! I order some snails from reefcleaners to finish my CUC. If there's some purple algae growing on the wall, is it most likely corraline?

 

[Bearchumjs]

I'm getting lots of diatoms and algae now! I order some snails from reefcleaners to finish my CUC. If there's some purple algae growing on the wall, is it most likely corraline?

I would imagine it is most likely coraline.

 

[okapizebra]

What kinds of algae, other than coraline, are actually good, if any? Also found a stomatella snail today.

 

[Gregcoyote]

What kinds of algae, other than coraline, are actually good, if any? Also found a stomatella snail today.

That's a good question. One way to look at it is that all algae are beneficial in one way, they are exporting nitrogen if harvested. Even ones that can't be re-fed back to the fish. The real question if you are wanting to use algae to help clean your water is which are the most efficient growers and the easiest to harvest. I grow several types in my algae scrubber (green filament, brissilus and chaeto with about 1 square foot of pulsing Xenia). But even nuisance algae, if removed from the tank water, is exporting a lot of organic products away from the reef. Even diatoms are tying up selenium and then can be removed during a water change with a siphon.

Protein skimmers and algae scrubbing are "natural" filtration systems mimicking Mother Nature.

Of course tangs, especially Kole tangs, like the green slime algae that forms on the glass as a precursor to green filament algae.

Hope that helps?

One more point, be careful what you throw down the toilet. There are some algaes that have gotten into the wild and are wrecking some areas. I put my algae I throw away into the landfill with the garbage.

 

[okapizebra]

True, all the kinds of algae are all present in the ocean or some body of water and are definitely beneficial because they use nitrogen. But it's different in a closed system. I guess I should say, are there any that will grow in the tank, that aren't a nuisance, and won't take over, such as coraline? Just out of curiosity, really... I'm seeing lots of different algaes form in my tank.

I definitely know a lot about natural filtration.. all my FW tanks are moderately/heavily planted.

 

[Gregcoyote]

True, all the kinds of algae are all present in the ocean or some body of water and are definitely beneficial because they use nitrogen. But it's different in a closed system. I guess I should say, are there any that will grow in the tank, that aren't a nuisance, and won't take over, such as coraline? Just out of curiosity, really... I'm seeing lots of different algaes form in my tank.

I definitely know a lot about natural filtration.. all my FW tanks are moderately/heavily planted.

You won't have all that much control as to what grows. As conditions in your tank change, so will the algae. I disagree that it is different in a closed system, I think it becomes a situation of either working with the algae or battling it continuously. I guess chaeto is as close to what you are looking for.

 

[okapizebra]

I figured. I still think it is different in a closed situation. You don't ever see algae taking over the entire ocean, because things are generally always balanced and stable, unless a major pollutant enters. Plus it's so massive. I'm not really trying to grow anything for any specific purpose, honestly just curious about different types of algae. Thanks

 

[okapizebra]

Just thought I'd give you all an update if you were interested.

My order from reefcleaners was fantastic. I'd highly recommend them to anyone. It may also help that I only live about 20 mins from them. They sent me a ton of extra snails to cover any DOAs and well... I've had no deaths at all. Excellent quality snails. And they are doing a great job of cleaning up all the algae.

Unfortunately, my order with reefs2go was the exact opposite. My yellow clown goby died, as well as my cleaner shrimp and the free zoa frag I got... honestly I have no idea why. I am blaming it on the fact that shipping may have been too stressful on them.

My firefish and neon goby are continuing to do great! They are healthy and happy and very active. My hermits and all snails are doing great as well. The reason I blame shipping for the deaths of my order from reefs2go is because the only things that have died are the things from them. Everything else is very healthy.

I have been doing around 20-25% PWCs weekly. The corals were doing great, one especially, until I started noticing that one has not had its polyps open for several days now... and noticed there are nudibranchs all over it... pretty disappointed because I really liked it! Is there any way of getting them off of it? They are so tiny, but they are definitely there... How am I supposed to buy something that comes with its pest already on them?? If I can't get them off I'm not sure what I'm going to do... how can I just let it sit there and be eaten?

Would xenia be appropriate for my set up? I think they are so cool... and if I were to get one, those nudibranchs wouldn't eat that right?? I thought they were specific to zoanthids... but I want to double check.

I am off tomorrow for vacation for a week so I'm getting in my PWC tonight and I'll do the next one when I return. If I were to make water tonight, would it be fine for a week in the bucket with the heater and the pump? It won't go bad, will it? This way I have water ready for me when I get home. I made little bags of food labeled with the days on it for my mom to feed them.

 

[jjamontan]

I take it that you don't do a coral dip when adding new o.es to your tank.

 

[okapizebra]

I dipped them in distilled water before placing in the tank.

 

[jjamontan]

No coral dip

 

[okapizebra]

I don't know what that is. I didn't know you were supposed to dip them? I'm still very new at SW...

 

[okapizebra]

Okay well I come home to bad news that my light has blown out... Man, apparently so far corals are not for me! So they are being eaten by nudibranchs, and now they have no light. And since it is almost Christmas I will not have a new light for at least a week. Any ideas on what to do?

 

[okapizebra]

I ordered a new light (made a thread if anyone saw it) and it should be here by Wednesday. My zoas have been two weeks without light... any chance they'll spring back? And ideas on how to get rid of the nudis?

 

[Beengirl]

I ordered a new light (made a thread if anyone saw it) and it should be here by Wednesday. My zoas have been two weeks without light... any chance they'll spring back? And ideas on how to get rid of the nudis?

The zoas might come back. They're pretty hardy. If you can grab the nudis with tweezers or something, do that. If not, you could buy some coral dip that'll kill nudis and dip them.

 

[okapizebra]

By now I've seen a bunch crawling around the tank. Do you think if I keep doing dips they'll eventually go away?

 

[danbstrong]

By now I've seen a bunch crawling around the tank. Do you think if I keep doing dips they'll eventually go away?

I plucked zoa eating nudis for hours one night ugh i wonder if a wrass would eat em?