Jump to content
Cultivated Reef

ROCKS + RUBBERMAID TUB + T5's + PURPLE UP


chabooky386

Recommended Posts

chabooky386

So I bought some BRS reef saver rocks and ended up using like 1/3 of the rocks I ordered. So I am going to try to cure them with coraline algae in a small rubbermaid tub I have. Ill see what works and doesn't work and will post my opinion as it progresses. PLEASE let me know if there is anything else I should do.

 

All I am running is:

 

4 T5 bulbs 2 atinic blue 2 daylight

1 maxijet powerhead

Purple up dosing

 

post-71617-1334091921_thumb.jpg

post-71617-1334091927_thumb.jpg

post-71617-1334091916_thumb.jpg

Link to comment

Cool experiment, just make sure you seed the rocks with a few scrapings of coralline algae in the beginning, be interesting to see if it takes off.

Link to comment

are you going to be having a control test?

 

cant really compare if you dont have anything to compare to

 

could be a fun science fair project B)

Link to comment

Without livestock, consumption shouldn't be an issue with this setup (until coralline growth takes off). Also boost the magnesium and alkalinity levels. It'd be nice if you posted your calcium, magnesium, and alkalinity levels. Maybe test at least once a week and let us know how much and what you dosed.

Link to comment
I'm very close to starting the same thing.

make sure you start a control test so we can see the difference in the two

 

thx

Link to comment

I'm not motivated enough to perform a verifiable experiment using separate but identical processes.

 

Perhaps the OP is.

Link to comment

Your welcome. This is a test to replicate what I did.

 

However I sun cured my rocks in 5 gallon buckets. Dosed 5ml a day. Also I used uncured live rock instead of dry. No water changes. Cure time was 3 months. Purple up contains alk mag and calcium and there is no livestock involved or fear of a crash. Also scrape every patch of coralline you can as often as you can with a razor blade it will spread faster.

Link to comment
chabooky386
Your welcome. This is a test to replicate what I did.

 

However I sun cured my rocks in 5 gallon buckets. Dosed 5ml a day. Also I used uncured live rock instead of dry. No water changes. Cure time was 3 months. Purple up contains alk mag and calcium and there is no livestock involved or fear of a crash. Also scrape every patch of coralline you can as often as you can with a razor blade it will spread faster.

 

Well Deckoz I took some of my live rock out in my tank and threw it in the tub as well. Some of it is dry rock and some of it is live but with a hair of coraline algae on it. Does the tub look ok? Should I dose everyday too or...?

 

And one last thing, I don't need to check the levels of the water do i?

Link to comment
nor_cal_nano

You're doing this just as an experiment right? Not trying to pre-purple your rock before you put it in your display?

 

Coralline is pretty temperamental in my experience and just because its purple when its introduced doesn't mean its going to stay that way. A change in parameters or lighting will have a definite impact on it.

Link to comment

I dosed every day - noob style like the directions say haha it can't hurt anything. I never checked params except the last weeks coming into putting the display tank up. Ammonia nitrite nitrate. I did throw a cube of my sis in once a week to keep the cycle going.. tub looks absolutely fine. Its good your using some rock with coralline on it. Take a razor and scrape off as much as you can into the water...coralline also since your doing it inside with a light. If I'm not mistaken there are no I'll effects when lighting coralline 24/7. So potentially you can double your growth rate

Link to comment
chabooky386
I dosed every day - noob style like the directions say haha it can't hurt anything. I never checked params except the last weeks coming into putting the display tank up. Ammonia nitrite nitrate. I did throw a cube of my sis in once a week to keep the cycle going.. tub looks absolutely fine. Its good your using some rock with coralline on it. Take a razor and scrape off as much as you can into the water...coralline also since your doing it inside with a light. If I'm not mistaken there are no I'll effects when lighting coralline 24/7. So potentially you can double your growth rate

 

Yeah well the rocks with a little coraline is very minimal so I expect it to take some time to lift off. Everyone that hasn't done this is freaking me out saying this and that. And, here we stand with you that has actually done it actually giving me informative advice lol.

 

Hmmm yeah I think I might leave it on all day. But, would it matter what bulbs to leave on? Atinic blue or daylight bulbs?

Link to comment

IME, you do not need the T5s. They actually do better with just natural daylight.The coraline algae is usually more dense under shade as opposed to the top surface of the rocks.

Link to comment
IME, you do not need the T5s. They actually do better with just natural daylight.The coraline algae is usually more dense under shade as opposed to the top surface of the rocks.

 

 

I know off topic, but my fuge is covered by Natural White and Deep Red LED's only.... so its very similar to natural light in the 3000k range. This was a brand new korialla two months ago and is completely covered in coralline. The growth rate is similar to that of under the sun vs in the tank. Basically I was about to come here and say natural light will work better, which is also why I run my LED's in the 6000k range for 5 hours when im not home because the best/fasted. growth is in the 4-8k range. But peacemaker already said it for me.

 

 

sorry for the horrible picture

IMG_20120412_190128.jpg

Link to comment
nor_cal_nano

I was always under the impression that coralline preferred bluish light, which is why it normally grows in deeper water. I may be wrong.

Link to comment
nor_cal_nano

This is what I've always heard:

Coraline algae loves actinic blue actinic light and hates white light. To give your coraline a boost, increase your blue light and decrease your white light.

 

Coraline grows best deep in the ocean where only blue spectrum light can penetrate. When starting a reef tank, allow the blue actinic bulbs to run 24 hours a day for two weeks.

 

http://www.saltwater-aquarium-online-guide...line-algae.html

 

Not necessarily a site that I would trust without question, but still.

Link to comment
HecticDialectics
I was always under the impression that coralline preferred bluish light, which is why it normally grows in deeper water. I may be wrong.

 

There's more blue light 5 feet from the surface than 25 feet from the surface. ;)

 

 

Most coralline does not like high intensity light ime. In my 10g it'll only grow around the edges of rocks, on the glass, and in the shade. The regular purple stuff won't grow thick over the top of the rocks directly under the MH.

Link to comment

I dunno - Im just going off of what I've done and where my coralline grows the fasted is all

 

here was my rock after ward

 

reefrock4_edit0-1.jpg

 

This is the only pic i could find unlit in the beginning when i was about to do the tank transfer

 

PART951323262000156.jpg

 

IMG_20111208_184327_edit0.jpg

 

oh the days of crappy cameras lol

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...