Questions Algae type and health of corals

[tboyd]

Hi all,

I have now had my tank up and running for several months and have started adding to it and everything is going well - I think!!!! water quality is good. I am lucky as I am able to collect fresh saltwater and do 10% water changes every week. Now that I am progressing I have some questions.....

1. Can anyone tell me what algae this is and what will eat it as it is starting to run a little rampid.



Also I have received some pieces of frag, which to me do not look to healthy pics attached. My question is will they come good with TLC or is there no hope?





I did get one piece of frag a piece of elegance coral that I think is health - would appreciate an expert opinion....



And another question does anyone know what type of eel this is?



and my new additions to tank from snorkeling





Look forward to your help and thank you in advance for your advice.

Tania

 

[yote]

The 2 bottom frags look like their trying to bleach.The candycane could just be closed up.
The elegance looks fine.
No idea on the eel.The butterfly will probably nip your corals.The dottyback will be ok.

 

[ccCapt]

The algae is probably a type of lobophora.sp. I don't think anything really eats it.

Even tho you get water right out of the ocean, what are the parameters in your tank? Salinity, nitrate, alk, calcium, magnesium. What temp do you keep it at?

What kind of lights do you have? Did you harvest the coral yourself?

As Yote said, that butterfly will nip at your corals...and it may have contributed to the bleaching. Don't know about the eel and what's the yellow/blue fish? Some kind of damsel?

 

[tboyd]

I can only currently test for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, ph and salinity all of which are perfect. I am yet to purchase tests for alk, calcium and magnesium. going to LFS tomorrow which is a 6hr round drive, will get some then. My salanity is 1.022, ph 8.2 and nitrates under 5 ppm. Everything else in tank is thriving. the coral I have only just received from a LFS and they were sent by plan and I don't think I will be getting anymore that way will just drive the 6hrs and be done with it and pay twice as much!!

My lilghting is HO 54 watts x 8 - 2 x blue lights, 2 x 20000 and I thing 4 x 10000 and after reading a little about bleaching I probably have not helped things by putting them into a well lit tank after them being in the dark for approx. 20hrs.

I do not havest my own corals or liverock I am only able to pickup some tropicals when they come down in the summers warm currents only to die when currents change.I really like the butterfly and do realise that I am going to have to find him a new home in the very near future.... local aquarium will propably take him. The damsel is call a White-ear http://flickr.com/photos/82825649@N00/2110341990 quite pretty as a juvenile, but quite plan when they mature.

Does anyone have any idea how I can control the brown algae it was on liverock when I purchased it and lately it has started to spread to other peices of liverock and not quite sure what to do. It looks good on the peice of liverock that it is on, but I do not want it to takeover my tank. Is it a bad or good algae?

 

[Bifferwine]

I've seen that type of algae before, but I don't remember its name. You can remove it by hand.

 

[yote]

You need to bring your salinity up some. 1.024 to 1.026 will be better for your corals and inverts.