Pics and a question

[kparton]

Here's a few pictures of my 50G newly set up for the second time. I'm battling hair algae (as you can see) but believe it or not, it's getting better.

My question is this, are serpent stars aggressive? This is the first time I've seen them out since I introduced them earliy this week. I'm glad they seem to be eating (that's when they came out, when I fed), last time I tried starfish, all their legs fell off and they died.

 

[kparton]

Here's a picture of the starfish doing...something.

 

[klingsa]

Some serpent stars are piscivores, and will catch small fish with their arms. Most are detritovores, and won't bother anything that's alive. It's hard to tell what kind you have, so I can't say for sure if yours is agressive. And if you keep only large, quick fish, then I'd think you'd be fine either way.

Sara

 

[danmhippo]

You do not have much livestock in your tank. What do you feed? and how much how often?

I think you will be much happier if your tank is not as bushy looking.....lol!

The stars won't do crap about hair algae, neither does much of crustacean and many fish suitable for 50G. I think you need to really cut down on nutrient input into the tank.

Good luck

Oh, on the stars, when the water quality is detereorating, or if they are experiencing ph or hardness shock, you will see their legs fell off or rot. They are telling you there is something quite wrong with your water.

 

[ride928]

Try shortening the photoperiod on your halides and feed less to cut down the hair.

 

[investigator1]

Holy crap! I thought my tank was bad until I saw this thread. **sigh of relief**

 

[Anonymous]

Bro, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!!!

I live here in DC too. Man give us a full run down of how you set this tank up, to include how you make water, what you put into it feed wise and any supplements you're using.
That amount of hair algae is NOT normal.

 

[kparton]

OK, I didn't think it was THAT bad.

It's a 50G tank
90 lbs live rock
20 lbs live sand and 100 lbs Southdown
Feed a small amount every other day (I started feeding well after the hair algae had set in. It acnnot be the source).

There are no fish in the tank, only snails, some crabs and some shrimp and the two stars. I knew none of these inverts would eat the hair algae.

pH 8.3
temp 78-80
Nitrates - <1
Nitrites and ammonia - 0
Water produced by my own RO/DI unit.
My water has 0.03ppm phosphates although I did more phosphates before in the tank, I think from initially cleaning the tank with tap water.

I do water changes weekly. I have been doing 10G water changes, now I am doing 5.

The lights are 2 175 10,000K pendants.

I definitely am not adding any nitrients to the water. There are no parameters that should be leading to this algae except for the fact that I just cycled the tank and cured the rock in there. It's a mystery to me.

Thanks

 

[kparton]

The only supplements I'm adding now are calcium and iodine.

 

[kparton]

Try shortening the photoperiod on your halides and feed less to cut down the hair.

Shortening the photoperiod is the one thing I haven't tried. It was a last resort for me just because I am seeing some nice coralline algae growing and I don't want to deprive it as well.

I might just try not feeding at all, but I was worried about my shrimp as I think nthey need to be fed. I can't really cut my feedings much since they are already very small. It's not adding to my nitrates anyway because I just finished doing a test and my nitrates are basically 0.

I'm still going to give it more time. I remove a lot of hair algae when I do water changes and I've seen a lot of improvement in the last week. I still think phosphates were my problem initially, but I've gotten rid of almost all of it (maybe.03 ppm remain).

 

[kparton]

Holy crap! I thought my tank was bad until I saw this thread. **sigh of relief**

You're welcome...I guess.

 

[kparton]

I think you will be much happier if your tank is not as bushy looking.....lol!

One of the few sentences on reefs.org that no one would argue with.

I know it looks like I've created a disaster here, but my water parameters and practices are actually quite in nline with what most people would recommend. I spent quite a large amount if time reading this board and other materials for new ideas. At this point, I really have to wait it out, as I'm not willing to break this tank down only a month and a half after I set it up and spent all this money. The livestock I have is doing quite well, so hopefully the algae will settle down and I'll get through this phase.

 

[consigliere]

i am trying to help you with this post.....you have serious problems with your incoming tapwater supply !! that hair algae is an indication that however you are treating your water prior to putting it in the tank -you are not removing all nutrients....you could also have tons of phosphate bound onto the surface of all that newly cured rock.....i just redid my tank with southdown and believe me that stuff is like a sponge....nutrient laden water or rock will only sorb into the sand and act like a nutrient "sink"so review your water purification method -get a copy of your town's municipal water supply report and check for the addition of ortho phosphates or even worse poly phoshates....get some rowaphos or some poly filters going....and change out some of that water after you have identified which nutrients are not being removed.....

 

[kparton]

So the RO/DI would not help with these tap water problems?

I've done 100% water changes twice in addition to my smaller water changes. Also, the water that comes out of my RO/DI unit has 0 phosphates, silicates, and any other nutrient I test for. I'm not sure what you're telling me to do other than that I can't use water that I purified myself.

 

[kparton]

So the RO/DI would not help with these tap water problems?

I've done 100% water changes twice in addition to my smaller water changes. Also, the water that comes out of my RO/DI unit has 0 phosphates, silicates, and any other nutrient I test for. I'm not sure what you're telling me to do other than that I can't use water that I purified myself.

 

[PeeJ]

ro/di helps, evidence of that in your tests. just rip out the algae by hand. looks like there is enough big stuff that you could pull a lot of it out and maybe the rest will die off

 

[kparton]

ro/di helps, evidence of that in your tests. just rip out the algae by hand. looks like there is enough big stuff that you could pull a lot of it out and maybe the rest will die off

This is the course I've been taking primarily. Just keeping up good habits and removing as much algae as possible. As I said, although everyone it mortified by it, it actually is a big improvement from a week ago.

I actually didn't expect these responses when I posted. Everyone's been telling me a big hair algae bloom is to be expected in a new tank, I figured this was just my hair algae bloom. I'm going to do my best to get rid of it.

 

[4angel]

The only supplements I'm adding now are calcium and iodine.

Why are you adding iodine? I heard that to much iodine can be a contributing factor in algae blooms. Do you have a test kit and are you monitoring the iodine? I am by no means an authority in this. However IMO something like iodine is supplemented enough in the salt that I use for water changes.
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Asian Forum

 

[kparton]

The only supplements I'm adding now are calcium and iodine.

Why are you adding iodine? I heard that to much iodine can be a contributing factor in algae blooms. Do you have a test kit and are you monitoring the iodine? I am by no means an authority in this. However IMO something like iodine is supplemented enough in the salt that I use for water changes.

I actuallyhave not tested for iodine, but I only dosed it once, and that was this week, well after the algae bloom started. The only reason I was dosing iodine is because of the shrimps that I added, I know they need iodine to properly molt their exoskeleton. I will pick up a test kit for future reference though.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

At this point there's little need to dose iodine. Many folks are able to go without. Also, tuxedo urchins and conchs are known for their veracious algae eating. If there's any literature that shows iodine additions boosting nuisance algal growth, let's try to find it and determine once and for all.

It is the large, green BRITTLE star (spiny legs) that is known to be a fish-eater, not serpent stars. The sea stars you have are fine. Stick with Ophioderma spp. and you'll be fine.

The issue of phosphates is not a dead one, the readings can be coming up zero while the hair algae has them temporarily bound. Photoperiod is an excellent way of getting a handle, the coralline algal growth can wait. Think of it this way--you might get coralline growth, but it won't last long if it's smothered by the hair algae.

Have done any searches in our library? If not, make use (it can be rather extensive, but NOT as extensive as the Advanced Aquarist online 'zine database. Hoo boy, now that's extensive!) http://www.reefs.org/library -- Also, try this site for information, we have more FAQ's on this issue than I could count -- http://www.wetwebmedia.com -- just use the Google search engine at the bottom of the page for links within the site.

Consider planting some other macro algaes in the tank for a while to set up a competition for nutrients, as well. If it grows really well, harvest and donate to the local marine aquarium society, or take it to your local shop for credit.