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Couple of Algae IDs please


tanked_kiwi

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tanked_kiwi

Tank is about a year old now, and I've got a couple of algae issues to sort out.

 

The first one I've had for some time now, this brown stuff covering my live rock. At first I thought it was diatoms but its very very hard to scrub off with a toothbrush. I also get a dusting of it on my glass if I don't clean if for 2 weeks.

 

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More recently this stuff on my glass. I have a feeling this may have come in on a zoa rock I bought recently, although I can't see any on it. Its hairy and a sort of browny green color, the strands are all attached at a single base point. This is only growing on the glass from what I can tell.

 

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Any help would be great.

 

Cheers

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tanked_kiwi

No, the brown is easy to clean from glass. Seems like diatoms on all accounts except its so hard to remove from the rocks. I also don't understand why its hanging round so long.

 

As for the orher, that's a relief. I'll keep an eye on it. I was worried it might be something worse.

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No, the brown is easy to clean from glass. Seems like diatoms on all accounts except its so hard to remove from the rocks. I also don't understand why its hanging round so long.

As for the orher, that's a relief. I'll keep an eye on it. I was worried it might be something worse.

the reason its hard to clean from rocks is the rocks are very porous and their bodies stick in it easily vs the smooth glass, if their is sufficient silicates and nutrients they will last good thing they aren't harmful.
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tanked_kiwi

Ok thanks. I had assumed they weren't diatoms since they cleared after my tank settled about 9 months ago, and always thought they came off easy. Might be time to run some gfo I think. my DI resin isn't very old and my rodi always tests 0, I wonder where the silicates are coming from. Will this stuff grow without them? I have 10ppm nitrates and 0.06ppm phosphates, so I'll work on getting these down.

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Ok thanks. I had assumed they weren't diatoms since they cleared after my tank settled about 9 months ago, and always thought they came off easy. Might be time to run some gfo I think. my DI resin isn't very old and my rodi always tests 0, I wonder where the silicates are coming from. Will this stuff grow without them? I have 10ppm nitrates and 0.06ppm phosphates, so I'll work on getting these down.

don't worry as I said diatoms are harmless, are there any snails in the tank?

There could be quite a few pathways of silicates, even more potential pathways if you use tap water.

Good thing no tap water for your tanks.

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tanked_kiwi

Yea I could certainly think of worse problems. And definitely no tap water!

 

I don't have any snails just now, I had a couple but lost them over the edge a while ago. I have 1 hermit and will be looking to add some snails soon, they are quite hard to get over here at times and my LFS has some now.

 

Ive never run chemical filtration on this tank and its been fine til recently. Not too sure why. I'll try running some gfo for a while, I need to lower po4 anyway, this should also lower silicates right?

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tanked_kiwi

Another thought, I've noticed a lot of pineapple sponges over the last couple of months, would that point to anything or completely normal?

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Completely normal, also I wouldn't know if your filter will remove the silicates, also I'm pretty sure pineapple sponges are silicaneous sponges, they make the skeleton with silica compounds, and protien. I'd say don't get worried of the silicates, snails will eat the diatoms, new Zealand is pretty darn close to ocean, you can easily go for a trip to a pier and pick some old seaweed, free snails. Just make sure to pick ones from below low tide mark, those kinds will be best suited for tank life.

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Completely normal, also I wouldn't know if your filter will remove the silicates, also I'm pretty sure pineapple sponges are silicaneous sponges, they make the skeleton with silica compounds, and protien. I'd say don't get worried of the silicates, snails will eat the diatoms, new Zealand is pretty darn close to ocean, you can easily go for a trip to a pier and pick some old seaweed, free snails. Just make sure to pick ones from below low tide mark, those kinds will be best suited for tank life.

Amphipod...you're a genius..I love reading your posts:)

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tanked_kiwi

Ok thanks again, great info. I know people over here do collect snails but the problem is they're not tropical and don't live too long in our tanks . In the middle of summer the max water temp where I am is around 18c or 64f and much colder during winter. I'll be sure to buy some this week, I'm wondering if it was when I lost the snails that it got worse, really can't remember. But, I'm not too worried, I'd rather it was diatoms than something worse, I'm just getting sick of seeing the brown stuff and really thought by now my tank would have a bit more purple than it does. Thanks again for your help, I really do appreciate it and its a relief that both issues are minor really.

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I'm glad I could help :) if you identify the snails you may be able to find tank acceptable ones on the shores, but that may take a few hours of searching both online and on the waters lol

But since you are going to the store anyways buy them

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tanked_kiwi

Hmm could be worth a shot, I have a boat so I wonder if I could go somewhere a little more secluded, what would be the best way to attract/catch them you recon? I wonder if I could use some sort of trap? You'd probably have a fit if you knew how much we pay for snails here...... $20 each

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That's so over priced D: best places in my opinion are places loaded with algae, boat piers, Kelpy/ algae loaded spots, rockpools and similar stable and never dried portions of the ocean excluding beaches.take a first check out voyage and bring adequate tools for the pick, nets tweezers and lots of jars. Pluck some algae and pull some snails off rocks not exposed to air at low tide, and don't pick snails near the surface take pictures once you have collectwed a good number, then here is the hard part identifying the snails, pick certain species to collect for next trip and there is a free snails colony.

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tanked_kiwi

Alright, think I'll give this a shot. The main reason I don't have any snails is due to the price and lack of variety, would you like astrea, astrea or astrea snails? Lol nz sucks at times...

 

Will have a crack when we get some good boating weather, will be sure to report back when I do so. I wouldn't know where to start with identifying them.

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Alright, think I'll give this a shot. The main reason I don't have any snails is due to the price and lack of variety, would you like astrea, astrea or astrea snails? Lol nz sucks at times...

Will have a crack when we get some good boating weather, will be sure to report back when I do so. I wouldn't know where to start with identifying them.

that I'd section can be really nice, just dont mention you plan on keeping them in your tanks some people get all of a sudden environmentally conscious and scold you of it. I can help with some identification also, better boat sooner than later, winters coming.
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tanked_kiwi

Could be, we're still a month and a half out and we had snow to 600m last week. I've got a feeling this winter is gonna be a cold 1 :(

 

What do you make of that thing in the 2nd pic on the rock? I bought a ZOA rock a couple weeks ago that had a green hairy mushroom on it, I had thought it was a small one of those that must of spread but I had a closer look before and it looks quite different. I haven't got anything else in the tank that resembles it.

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That's no fun :( I don't like cold but I live in Ohio so winter is always really cold.

 

I see two things in pic 2 a marine fungi, the pale fuzzy looking ball. And an anemone that has some resemblance to majano, first off how big is the anemone? Rember majano are nothing as bad as aiptasia and can be removed so much easier if need to be. Some keep them with no issues.

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tanked_kiwi

I'd better stop complaining then, a cold winter for us would likely be a warm winter for you!

 

The anemone would be about 8 - 10mm or 5/16 to 3/8in. The blurry blob is gone, I've got a feeling it might be something on the glass out of focus, I've got a few of those tiny white snails all over the glass atm. If it is indeed majano, I'll probably just keep an eye on it for now. It looks quite cool even if it is a pest

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Lol that's true :D

 

He probably is some sort of majano or related anemone. I think they are quite pretty. If it instead were aiptasia I would probably isolate it since they can be mean to some other tank mates at times, and if they are big enough I wouldn't wouldn't doubt it if they were eating fish, I have heard some people have actually had fish eaten by huge specimens lol.

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tanked_kiwi

Sweet, I recon it looks pretty too, gonna leave it alone for now. I have heard aiptasia are quite bad, although I didn't realize they were that bad! Aiptasia are the ugly ones anyway right?

 

Thanks a lot for all your help clearing everything up. Enjoy summer when it comes around!

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