Grass like sprouts coming from live rock

[Hutchball]

Hi, is this something to be worried about?

Not sure if the picture is good enough but it is very green, at the moment about 4mm long and looks sort of like 2 or 3 strands of lawn grass.

It on a rock that isn't a rock actually. It's a pink clump of tubes. One of these has a little flower coming out of it!! Not even sure what the rock is!!

 

[Hutchball]

Help?

 

[Jason7894561230]

Im not sure but maybe a kind of hair algea, someone will come and see soon

 

[Hutchball]

Cheers. I have plenty of hair algae! This is very green though and 'singular'(!?)

 

[mr_X]

wait till it grows a bit so you can take a better picture of it. btw, the reason so much algae is showing itself is because you have constructed an excellent environment for growing marine plants. light and nutrient rich water is all you need. you should lower the nutrient level or you'll be scrapping the tank in a short time.
water changes with good source water (r.o.d.i.) and cutting back on feeding is the best defense.

 

[Jason7894561230]

So i was right MR X?

 

[Hutchball]

Hope I won't be scrapping it. I'm learning at every junction!

I've done about 3 big hair algae removals, can't be good for the tank, plus my Clown has now decided to attack me and he's pretty good at it!

 

[nikki_pip]

Hi
We bought a piece of LR when we first started and it was covered in grass not realising it's not really ment to be on there we bought it..

We were going to get rid of it but another fish shop suggested getting a emerald crab or mithrax crab we got both and they have cleared it well good grass eaters def would recommend

Hope this helps

 

[mr_X]

Hope I won't be scrapping it. I'm learning at every junction!

I've done about 3 big hair algae removals, can't be good for the tank, plus my Clown has now decided to attack me and he's pretty good at it!

what is the bio load like?
how often and what are you feeding?
are you using a R.O.D.I. unit?
are you checking the T.D.S (total dissolved solids) coming out of the R.O.?

 

[Hutchball]

what is the bio load like?
how often and what are you feeding?
are you using a R.O.D.I. unit?
are you checking the T.D.S (total dissolved solids) coming out of the R.O.?

I have two clowns, an emperor cardinal, 6 line wrasse, 3 shrimps bit of a clean up crew. Sand shifting star and now an algae disliking algae blenny!
I feed most days, sometimes skip a day. I don't put a lot in. Flakes, pellets and frozen mysis.
I get my water from a shop. I buy it as RODI but I've never tested it for TDS as I don't have a test for it.

Could it be the rocks leeching, not fully cured? One rock in particular seems to get the majority of it.

 

[mr_X]

Could it be the rocks leeching, not fully cured? One rock in particular seems to get the majority of it.

no. it's not the rocks leaching. the reason you are seeing the algae on that one rock is because that one rock came from an area where algae was growing.
how about water changes? how often and how much? btw, a TDS meter is only 15-20 bucks. it's a good investment. check ebay.

So i was right MR X?

i don't know. could be a lot of things really.

 

[Hutchball]

I do 25 liters once a week, sometimes leave it two. The tank is 130 liters.

I will look into getting a tds as it may all be down to the water from the shop.

 

[mr_X]

I do 25 liters once a week, sometimes leave it two. The tank is 130 liters.

I will look into getting a tds as it may all be down to the water from the shop.

sounds like an appropriate water change for that size tank with the feeding you are describing.

you may be right about the LFS water.

 

[Hutchball]

I bought the tank second hand and kept the substrate. Now I'm thinking I should have changed it. I have no idea how old it is either.

 

[mr_X]

ahh..that might be the issue as well. what is the substrate btw? how large are the granules?

 

[Hutchball]

Pretty small but not sand like. Maybe 1 - 1.5 mm. Its off white. I got told it was crushed coral.

When I first thought of this I vacuumed what I could using a siphon. I got some really bad stuff out. I could not get it all because of the rock.

I guess doing this all the time is not good for it though as I will be siphoning out all the good stuff too.

Would the substrate eventually leech everything it has over time?

 

[mr_X]

i would remove that and add aragonite based sand. that will trap detritus (uneaten food and fish poop) and always be a problem for you, unless you constantly vacuum it. over the next few weeks vacuum out a little at a time with water changes until all is gone. then add dry aragonite based sand (thoroughly rinsed).

 

[Hutchball]

I got told it's good for the calcium though? Is that not true?

 

[mr_X]

no. calcium based substrate does buffer the ph, but don't think just because you have crushed coral or aragonite based sand you won't have to buffer calcium.

 

[Hutchball]

Right, ok.

So if I was to change the substrate, I would do a bit at a time, what about the stuff behind the rocks etc?

Also, is it because it is finer that the Detris lies on top instead of going in between?

What size granule would be best pls?