New Reefer Question

[OSXFreak]

So I'm fairly new to reefing... I have a question about my refugium and rock.

So I have a HOB refugium that has a bunch of brown algae. I know why this started, it was due to lack of Flow, as I took it down to a trickle for some stupid reason. I also noticed my Cheato was slimy and browning and all that. So I pulled it out, and washed it with saltwater and put it back in refugium. I have approx 1.5 inches of live sand and a few fragmented rocks.

As I said it has some brown algae in it on the sides and what not. I went to the LFS last night with the intention to buy some snails. He informed me that I better make sure there is not way for the snails to get lodged in to anything. He also said that if I were to just keep the light on and the flow going, the Cheato would start to grow again and suck up the nutrients that the brown algae is using, and the stuff would die off..

First question.. Is that true. Not overly concerned about it int he refugium as I'd rather it be there then in tank.

The second question... I noticed one of my Dry Rocks which are white, has some of the brown algae on it now. I notice that on all you seasoned reefers rocks it is Live Rock, and that there is some grey, purple, brown and so on. So basically should I just ignore this brown stuff on the rocks, and just clean it off the glass if it shows up? Knowing that eventually this will season the rock and will eventually become Live?

The tank is over a month old. Has live sand and from others on this board, I was doing good. So I just want to make sure I'm not cleaning something that will prevent the process...

Thanks

Chip

 

[OSXFreak]

So I figured pics are worth more then me telling you about the rock.

I included a few pics of my Rock, and also the sand bed which is slightly tan in spots. Almost wondering if I should buy a sand shifter to keep it turned over?

I did post a related topic earlier but that was before rock was brown.

I also noticed that on the Cheato, there is some growth. Clear strands growing, so I think it's gonna come back and be healthy. so that's a good sign.

Finally I took a pic of my levels from a test I just did. Looks to me that Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates are at 0 while PH is at 7.8 - 8.0

I did a 20% water change on Tuesday, 2 weeks after getting 2 clowns and a cleaner shrimp.

Thanks again for all you guys can offer. just a nervous nellie being new to this.

Chip

 

[Smitty]

Another Chicagoan, welcome aboard. The brown algae is probably just diatoms, which are common in newer tanks, and will eventually go away. The cheato does need good flow and lighting to thrive, so the lfs was telling you correctly. And the dry/white rocks will lose that brown colored algae(diatoms) and become live and colorful over time. :)

 

[ob_on3]

My hob refugium has the same thing...full of algae..I wouldn't worry...algae isn't necessarily a bad thing...everyone says it usually starts brown then turns other colors, just takes time...I'm gonna put one snail in mine...only diff in mine I don't have sand or mud in mine...IMO a waist of space...just LR and calupora...not sure if spelled right

 

[OSXFreak]

Another Chicagoan, welcome aboard. The brown algae is probably just diatoms, which are common in newer tanks, and will eventually go away. The cheato does need good flow and lighting to thrive, so the lfs was telling you correctly. And the dry/white rocks will lose that brown colored algae(diatoms) and become live and colorful over time. :)

Smitty nice to see a fellow SouthSider in the mix... I grew up in the Matteson, Chicago Heights area.. :)

Anyhow, thanks for talking me off the ledge. There's so much to learn, and I could have either sat with a tank full of water and spent months reading while having the wife watch the waves of water splashing from the powerhead or I could have gone out and purchased a couple fish and see how it went. I decided after almost 3 weeks of being up and running with nothing in it, to get a Male & Female clown. Since that time I have a cleaner shrimp and 2 green Chromis as well. So just want to make sure I don't do anything to harm the fish.

Checked again this AM, and yep Cheato is growing, so that is a good sign.

So... As for the PH, the PH is showing 7.8 - 8.0 but I thought I read somewhere it is better at 8.4 and up to 8.8 for Reef systems. Right now the tank is FOWLR although the rock was dry live and not really LIVE yet. Basically it is not fish only with fake stuff, and also not fish with anemone or corals. But eventually I do want to get it to that level. But that is much father down the road after the rock is truly LIVE, and I have my routine down on caring for the tank in general. I'm thinking by mid spring/early summer maybe buying my first Anemone Bubble tip, for the clowns :)

Anyhow still thinking I need to work on the PH, and the Salinity as it is always low compared to what is needed for reef, so would it harm anything to attempt to raise up knowing reef is coming in a few months? Or should I keep as it is and when I feel the tank is ready to buy Anemone then start raising the PH and Salinity?

Thanks

Chip

 

[OSXFreak]

My hob refugium has the same thing...full of algae..I wouldn't worry...algae isn't necessarily a bad thing...everyone says it usually starts brown then turns other colors, just takes time...I'm gonna put one snail in mine...only diff in mine I don't have sand or mud in mine...IMO a waist of space...just LR and calupora...not sure if spelled right

I may do the snail think in mine as well, just need to cap the inlet tube to prevent the snail from crawling up in it.

For now it is staying, and I keep checking the Cheato for growth and so far so good. I debated on the live sand bed in mine, and decided to go for it. In my mind figured it was beneficial. But that's my amateur thinking :) he he he

Thanks for the info and assuring me the brown will change colors eventually just takes time.

Chip

 

[Ted]

As far as ph and salinity, the most important things with these is stability. Ph is going to naturally change through out the day. At night it is lower then in the day, or lights out is lower then lights on. To combat this many of us run refugiums on a reverse light cycle then the main tank. My fuge light is on when the main tank light is off and vise versa. Salinity for a fish only is better on the lower end on a fish only and better on the higher end for a reef. If this tank is going to be a reef tank then raise it up but slowly. Changing salt levels fast will kill fish.

 

[Laz]

These guys have got you covered!

Oh, and when testing, compare your results upside, not laid down as this gives a much lighter color.

 

[OSXFreak]

As far as ph and salinity, the most important things with these is stability. Ph is going to naturally change through out the day. At night it is lower then in the day, or lights out is lower then lights on. To combat this many of us run refugiums on a reverse light cycle then the main tank. My fuge light is on when the main tank light is off and vise versa. Salinity for a fish only is better on the lower end on a fish only and better on the higher end for a reef. If this tank is going to be a reef tank then raise it up but slowly. Changing salt levels fast will kill fish.

Thanks for the info. Yeah I run the Ref light 24/7. And seems when I check PH in day it is same as evening checking. But never bothered to check it after lights are out in late evening.

I've gotten in the habit of turning on tank lights (Led) around 6am, and then leave them on until approx 7pm. Then I turn over to the night lights and let it sit with them for a bit. Then off by 9pm. So dark other then Ref light running from 9pm to 6am.
I will start to slowly raise the salinity as I do plan to have this as a reef down the road. As long as it will not harm the fish being higher. More importantly I think I need to get a piece of Live Rock from lfs so I can seed this thing. :)

Thanks for the info.

Chip

 

[OSXFreak]

These guys have got you covered!

Oh, and when testing, compare your results upside, not laid down as this gives a much lighter color.

Yeah I usually test it standing up by holding in hand vertically and place it along side the cards white spot so I can see the changes for each tube.

Good tip, thanks for the info. :) and your right seems these guys have my back.

 

[little_fish]

Regrading the algae that is growing, just upping the flow is often enough to make it go away. But do keep up on your water changes and pull it out when you do.

The pH you have is fine, and I wouldnt try and mess with it. Stability is key.

Also if you have fish in your tank and have cycled your tank than your rock is already live, no need to go out and buy stuff.

Also its very easy to convert to a reef, just make sure you have good lights and enough flow! But I would hold off on the nem, they require pristine water conditions and stability. Things you usually dont find until the tank is around a year old. They are much harder to keep than most corals.

 

[OSXFreak]

Freaks New Reefer World

Figured I'd use this thread as my tank evolution thread. :)

So decided I needed to Seed... So I picked up 2 small Live Rocks at the lfs. I also picked 2 Turbo Snails, and 4 Zebra Crabs.

Must say those zebra Crabs are all over the tank already. I'm liking the fact the tank is looking more ALIVE this past week. From purchasing 2 Green Chromis which instantly made the clown fish start to come away from the corner. Now all 4 are swimming all over the tank. And the Shrimp is very active and already claimed the new Live Rock HIS.

Thanks for all the help so far. I'm sure more questions to come

Chip