Algae Salad PICS INCLUDED

What kind or corals do you have in there so far?  What are your water parameters?  Have you checked nitrates, nitrites, ammonia?  Fish don't do well if any of those exist. 

You are close to me!  I'm in Woods Cross.  Stop by sometime.

Edited by smatney

All of those macros growing nicely are a good sign as most of them will take up excess nutrients, but like SMatney said, check the other parameters before adding fish.

I can't remember how long it has been since you've had fish in your tank, but from personal experience I can say you will be much happier with your fish's health if you first make sure your tank is healthy.  When I first got into saltwater I was not very patient.  I lost a fair number of fish because of this.  I am now a firm believer that waiting until you have a healthy mature tank is the best thing you can do for your fish, (and for your wallet as well.)

I'm not saying wait at least a year or anything like that, but make sure your parameters are all in line and that they can be kept stable.

I would also suggest that if you are considering fish that are a little more difficult to keep that you wait for your tank to really become mature.  For whatever reason I could not keep a "difficult" fish, Powder Blue Tang for example, alive until my tank was set up for over 8 months.  After that time all my fish losses have been due to either disasters like the temperature dropping too far or a lack of knowledge on my part rather than a fish just dying or disappearing for no apparent reason as was happening before that time.

Thanks guys! I am still a newbie at heart, but I've been around for a while. The comment about adding fish was a little tongue in cheek as I already do have some chromis, an ocellaris and a Yellow Tang. It's just been so long since I added the last one, that the next one will feel like the first one. My tank will have been set up for 1 year on January 10th. The cycle is well past, but I've had some problems with high nutrients which lead to a terrible hair algae disaster. My parameters are all peachy. I have Zoanthids, GSP, Xenia, Sarco, Green Nephthia, brown digi, purple digi, shrooms etc. They all look great, as do my fish and inverts. My last test was to add 10 ceriths and 10 mexican turbos to see how they'd fare. Turbos haven't faired well in the past. So far, so good. If I can keep them all alive till January, I'm adding something pretty that swims.

Susan! I drive by your house twice a day. Well, not right by your house (don't mean to creep you out), but I-15 goes by your house. I've been dying to see your tank. I hope one day to adopt my first Ricordea from you.

Josh! Glad to hear the Sargassum worked out for you. Sounds like your tank is coming along too.

You're welcome Renee! I'm glad it's surviving for everyone. And you're right about Damsels. My Green Chromis are great!

I'll have more to harvest by next meeting. I've got Whitereef (Richard) on my list so far. Trades are welcome, but not necessary if you need some. Once those Turbos do thier job and clean up the rest of the hair algae, I (by "I", I mean Coreyk) will have to take some pics. I've been too embarassed to show it off yet. You've gotta see this little plating Coralline. It's one of my favorite tank features.

Edited by Jamison

I've also heard of the fuzzy tipped algae called mermaids fingers before.

How about a full tank shot, sans stand, of course, cause I don't care about anything but what's in the water

BananaTropics wrote: Im getting a little T.O.ed because he hasn't even posted a full tank shot yet.

Quite possibly my favorite post ever on this site.

Ding*, Ding*, Ding*

Adam

Jamison's aquarium is Adam's kind of aquarium. Algae of different sorts all over. The kelp is absolutely beautiful. It would be a shame to see it change.

Jamison just added a new light to the teeny refugium. I cannot understand why Doug Young built such a small Refugium in Jamison's sump. Anyway, with more light and better harvesting from the Refugium, Jamison should see the algae continue to decrease in the main tank.

I recommended that he get a LMB ASAP.

Other thoughts are to continue using phosphate remover but be careful not to cut the kelp back too far, because by reducing or eliminating one nutrient user, other nutrient users may flourish. Nobody would want the hair algae to be the thing that grabbed those extra nutrients.

Reducing the feeding will also help a great deal. The new Purple and Regal Blue Tangs are very fat which tells me that overfeeding may be a problem. Try to stop feeding Nori and only feed some garlic soaked meaty food every other day. Sometimes this change causes the Tangs to nibble on nusiance algae. If, after a week, they don't start nibbling algae and are getting thinner, resume feeding a little Nori.

I'll post other ideas as they come to me.

Allright - allright...I give. Here are your full tank shots. I hope you're happy now.

With stand and canopy (in the event that there are any maple fans out there)

Enough algae and GSP to make even Adam drool.

Left Side

Right side (plastic cup is current playground for the mini serpents I'm giving to Coreyk tonight)

I'll add additional tank/coral shots in the "General" forum. See you tonight!!!

Oh BTW, I like your tank the way it is too.  That long sweeping sargassum is kinda cool!