Stella's Sixty-Six

[ReefWeeds]

You change carbon every week? The fastest I can do water change for my Reefer is 45 mins for 10 gallons. I have to vacuum the entire sandbed every time because of diatom / algae.

Woohoooo! 425XL! When is this going to happen???

I do. I probably don't need to, but I run it in one of the little desktop IM reactors and figure with all the softies/leathers I have, fresh carbon is the key to keeping everyone happy. My toadstools are finally making somewhat of a comeback, still not 100%.

 

Yeah, if I don't scrape the glass and/or vacuum out all three chambers of the sump, it doesn't take me that long. i set up a water mixing station in a closet about 15 feet from the tank so I just run a tube attached to an MJ1200 from the brute to the tank to fill it back up. I think I'm doing about 10-15 gallons per week. My macro tank, I think I only do a water change once every couple months. The anemone tank I'm doing a gallon a week at the moment. This tank, I am pretty religious about doing 10-15 gallons a week to replenish stuff. I've been lucky not to have any nuisance algae in the DT OTHER than ####ing bubble algae.

425 probably won't happen until towards the end of the year. But it will happen

If you get the 425, all you need to do is buy a piece of glass or even eggcrate to section off an area to hold macros.

That's a good thought. That's what Harry did as well I think.

[Arce]

 

That's a good thought. That's what Harry did as well I think.

 

Id just do eggcrate, can mount it with magnets or glue suction cups to it. Then wrap it in a fine mesh to avoid pieces of macros floating to the pumps nd cloggin them etc. Easiest solution.

[ninjamyst]

I've been lucky not to have any nuisance algae in the DT OTHER than ####### bubble algae.

425 probably won't happen until towards the end of the year. But it will happen

Magellan will take care of that bubble algae easy.

 

Are you keeping the 66 when you get the 425?? If you want bigger sump for the reefer, it's an easy mod. Just buy the 525XL .

 

Id just do eggcrate, can mount it with magnets or glue suction cups to it. Then wrap it in a fine mesh to avoid pieces of macros floating to the pumps nd cloggin them etc. Easiest solution.

Harry and I do exactly that in our 350. I only run chaeto so dont even need the mesh.

[ReefWeeds]

Magellan will take care of that bubble algae easy.

 

Are you keeping the 66 when you get the 425?? If you want bigger sump for the reefer, it's an easy mod. Just buy the 525XL .

 

NOOOOOO I'm not getting the 525 XL

 

I'm going to sell the 66. Either that or put it in the basement and dump all the extra macros in there I wish I could grow corals like I can macros

 

I've seen Magellan munching on some bubble algae already! And get this! He eats the shed from the toadstools. Sucks the shedding slime right off. So now he's stalking my toads for slime. He also does the same with the gorgonians. He's already working on keeping the tank clean!

 

Id just do eggcrate, can mount it with magnets or glue suction cups to it. Then wrap it in a fine mesh to avoid pieces of macros floating to the pumps nd cloggin them etc. Easiest solution.

You are so smart! That's a great plan with the mesh. I'm going to plan it out!

[Arce]

 

Harry and I do exactly that in our 350. I only run chaeto so dont even need the mesh.

 

My 29s first sump didnt have a fuge chamber, i did this method but the cheato wasnt really dense so pieces would break off and clog my return so i put a mesh around it to avoid that.

[ninjamyst]

 

NOOOOOO I'm not getting the 525 XL

 

I'm going to sell the 66. Either that or put it in the basement and dump all the extra macros in there I wish I could grow corals like I can macros

 

I've seen Magellan munching on some bubble algae already! And get this! He eats the shed from the toadstools. Sucks the shedding slime right off. So now he's stalking my toads for slime. He also does the same with the gorgonians. He's already working on keeping the tank clean!

I may have to get a foxface this weekend now. I have some bubble algae too...not an infestation like you have though....hahah

[ReefWeeds]

I may have to get a foxface this weekend now. I have some bubble algae too...not an infestation like you have though....hahah

 

It's awful. I honestly now only remove the stuff at the base of the corals. It's everywhere and my urchin has taken to eating coralline rather than the bubble algae. I figure as long as it isn't bothering corals, it doesn't bother me. And it's a losing battle. When I do finally get another tank, I'm starting with all new rock. I know I still may transfer some spores, but god I hope not.

And the fox face is such a friendly fish! I really really like him. He's a lot of fun to watch and goes all over.

[ninjamyst]

 

It's awful. I honestly now only remove the stuff at the base of the corals. It's everywhere and my urchin has taken to eating coralline rather than the bubble algae. I figure as long as it isn't bothering corals, it doesn't bother me. And it's a losing battle. When I do finally get another tank, I'm starting with all new rock. I know I still may transfer some spores, but god I hope not.

And the fox face is such a friendly fish! I really really like him. He's a lot of fun to watch and goes all over.

Did it just start with a few? Where did they come from? I know mine came on my blasto colony from the LFS. I removed what I visibly can see but it started to spread to other areas. Now I am scared it will overtake the tank...

[ReefWeeds]

Did it just start with a few? Where did they come from? I know mine came on my blasto colony from the LFS. I removed what I visibly can see but it started to spread to other areas. Now I am scared it will overtake the tank...

 

it started on frags I got from a vendor last November. I had never seen any bubble algae in any of my tanks. I had kept the frags on frag racks and would remove the bubbles but they just kept coming back. I'm sure I must've popped a couple because it started showing up in other places even though I hadn't glued up the frags. I ended up tossing the frags because even though I took the corals off the plugs to try to get rid of the algae, the algae would grow on the skeletons. From what I can tell from research, there are a few kinds of valonia. There are some that pop up and are larger bubbles and somewhat easy to remove by knocking them off. Then there are some that grow in small, compact mats and squeeze out the corals. I've got the small bubbles that grow in mats. Unfortunately, they anchor really well and aren't easily knocked off. In fact, I've actually lifted a rock by a mat of bubbles - that's how strong they attach. I would keep up with removing them religiously but since they were so hard to remove, I'm sure I kept popping some and within a month, it was growing everywhere.

 

Some are larger bubbles and grow less compact. Some are smaller and almost oval shaped and grow in the tight mats. Those are the ones that are really hard to control and the same type that I believe took down Lawn's and Kguske's tanks - both of who got corals from the same vendor.

I've tried running low nutrients to keep them in check (nitrates less than 2, phosphates less than .02), but bubble algae seems to grow regardless of nutrients. I get the same amount of reproduction whether my nitrates are 10 or 1. Same with phosphates. The crap sucks.

[ninjamyst]

 

it started on frags I got from a vendor last November. I had never seen any bubble algae in any of my tanks. I had kept the frags on frag racks and would remove the bubbles but they just kept coming back. I'm sure I must've popped a couple because it started showing up in other places even though I hadn't glued up the frags. I ended up tossing the frags because even though I took the corals off the plugs to try to get rid of the algae, the algae would grow on the skeletons. From what I can tell from research, there are a few kinds of valonia. There are some that pop up and are larger bubbles and somewhat easy to remove by knocking them off. Then there are some that grow in small, compact mats and squeeze out the corals. I've got the small bubbles that grow in mats. Unfortunately, they anchor really well and aren't easily knocked off. In fact, I've actually lifted a rock by a mat of bubbles - that's how strong they attach. I would keep up with removing them religiously but since they were so hard to remove, I'm sure I kept popping some and within a month, it was growing everywhere.

 

Some are larger bubbles and grow less compact. Some are smaller and almost oval shaped and grow in the tight mats. Those are the ones that are really hard to control and the same type that I believe took down Lawn's and Kguske's tanks - both of who got corals from the same vendor.

I've tried running low nutrients to keep them in check (nitrates less than 2, phosphates less than .02), but bubble algae seems to grow regardless of nutrients. I get the same amount of reproduction whether my nitrates are 10 or 1. Same with phosphates. The crap sucks.

 

damn, that sounds horrible. i hope i don't have the small mat ones. Magellan gonna be nice and fat pretty soon.

[ReefWeeds]

 

damn, that sounds horrible. i hope i don't have the small mat ones. Magellan gonna be nice and fat pretty soon.

 

HA! yeah, I hope he continues to have an appetite for it He probably could survive on that alone for a good year. I'll have to post some pictures of just how bad it is. Like I said, I remove it from around corals but that is it. i actually think it looks kind of cool and at this point, it's a losing battle so as long as it isn't bothering corals, I let it be. I figure there's algae in reefs so why not just let it grow. I don't sell/trade macros from this tank though. I don't want to spread that love. I'm paranoid that I'd give this crap to someone else.

[ReefWeeds]

Did it just start with a few? Where did they come from? I know mine came on my blasto colony from the LFS. I removed what I visibly can see but it started to spread to other areas. Now I am scared it will overtake the tank...

Took these photos just for you!

 

 

 

Such pretty little pearls of green

 

And now I need to post some good photos to follow the evil green bubbles

 

New sponge:

 

 

Little piece of the reef:

 

 

 

Not the best photo, but this is a little tiny gorg. It's only about an inch tall and it's hard to get a good photo of:

 

AND a couple photos of my dad's 10 gallon tank I gave him for dad's day:

 

 

[Astinus]

It's funny u mention "Bubble" Algae...I just found some in our tank *Sigh*

Pulled 2 bubbles out...2 more still roaming about now. I also discovered some Algae that looks like Green hair? Not sure.

Ur Tanks look great Stells! That includes ur Dad's

[ninjamyst]

you make even bubble algae look pretty =P.

[ReefWeeds]

you make even bubble algae look pretty =P.

 

Want some Stella LE bubble algae? i'll send ya some!

[ReefWeeds]

It's funny u mention "Bubble" Algae...I just found some in our tank *Sigh*

Pulled 2 bubbles out...2 more still roaming about now. I also discovered some Algae that looks like Green hair? Not sure.

Ur Tanks look great Stells! That includes ur Dad's

 

Thanks!!!

[jack1978]

Nice shots, yoga queen!

Love that new sponge.

[ReefWeeds]

Nice shots, yoga queen!

Love that new sponge.

 

Thanks Reverend of the Yoni!

[ReefWeeds]

My snails like to sport bubble algae jackets - also time to scrape the glass:

 

Cardinal and his friend in the background:

 

Magellan:

 

Kind of out of focus.

 

Skoby the goby

 

[ninjamyst]

that snail is tooooo cute!

[ReefWeeds]

Bert in his barnacle:

 

that snail is tooooo cute!

that's hilarious. I saw it just a few minutes ago and had to take a photo for ya.

More Bert:

 

 

Bert in one barnacle and his friend, Skoby, in the other (bottom):

 

[ReefWeeds]

Ok, one more picture for today. The black and white clown in my dad's tank LOVES the caulerpa:

 

[ReefWeeds]

Well, I's got the worms. Brown acoel flatworms to be exact. Crap

[teenyreef]

That snail cracks me up. And we can never have too much Bert. I'm cheering for Magellan's bubble algae crusade

[ninjamyst]

Well, I's got the worms. Brown acoel flatworms to be exact. Crap

oh hey look at that, another thing we have in common....hahah. My yellow coris is not eating them. They are all over my hammer and frogspawns. Dipping doesnt do anything. I really dont want to use Flatworm Exit.