Kyle's RSM 250

[kyley]

Hi All,
I said I'd post some pics when I had something in it - well, I have something in it! 69 pounds of rock from 3 different LFS (only 18 of that is dry rock - some Fiji, Florida, and Indonesia) and 29 pounds of live sand plus 40 pounds of Caribsea Aragonite Special Grade Reef Sand (I hope this sand is decent - since the sand didn't come with the aquarium like I expected, I decided on the sand without really researching)! Thanks to everyone here who has been so helpful already! I haven't arranged my rock yet - I'll do that shortly.

Wow, it's cloudy! The live sand did most of that. I wasn't sure if I should be running the pumps right away or let the sand settle first? At any rate, I am running them right now after waiting a half hour or so. Same with the protein skimmer, but I must confess, I have no idea if that's working right - I see no bubbles whatsoever (doh! I just realized the knob is closed! I'll check that after posting this)... Should the protein skimmer be running now?

Now I'm nervous - I'm really not sure what should be my next step!

For now, here are some pics. Overview:

My $9 / pound Indonesian rock (I only got this one big rock):

A few nice looking rocks (with yellow, gray sponge growing on it according to the LFS?):

The most alive rock I got - covered in stuff (including hair algae I'm afraid?) - perhaps too alive?

Here's the back side of that same rock:

We scrubbed a lot of the hair algae off that rock, but now I see there's still a lot there. Did I just get myself in trouble with this rock? Other than that, it looks very cool... Bye for now - going down to start aquascaping! Another late night ahead I'm afraid,
--Kyle

BTW, what is all the red, yellow, gray stuff on this rock?

 

[BigAl07]

Tank looks good!

I'd HIGHLY suggest spending a LOT more time scrubbing that rock to get rid of more of your green. It's so MUCH easier to take care of it now while it's new, young and not overly established.

 

[yycguy]

I have never really had any trouble with the growth on the live rock being removed by the cleanup crew ie turbo snails

 

[kyley]

Thanks BigAl07. I don't want to scrub off the yellow or the red, right? I'm hesitant because I don't know what's what... The hair algae is mixed in with that other red stuff (don't you love my scientific terms?). And if I scrub the hair algae off more, I'm sure I'd scrub off most of the red... Ugh, don't know what to do...
--Kyle

 

[BigAl07]

Kyle I can honestly say this... I'd remove whatever it takes to get rid of Hair Algae now while it's "Easy". If you'll read some people get out of the hobby because of this pest and many more of US spend a lot of time, money, and heart ache trying to clean the tank of it later on. Some people go so far as to remove the rock completely and replace it with new or to "COOK" the rock for weeks to try and kill the pest!

 

[dmyers557]

As long as you don't have phosphates, the hair algae will die off on its own fast. I would leave it be. Also, I have a yellow sponge that is starting to take over my rocks, not I good thing IMHO!!! Also, I was informed that if you move around your rocks in the future and tear off the sponge, it can cause your tank to crash rapidly as the sponge dies off.

 

[BigAl07]

As long as you don't have phosphates, the hair algae will die off on its own fast. I would leave it be. Also, I have a yellow sponge that is starting to take over my rocks, not I good thing IMHO!!! Also, I was informed that if you move around your rocks in the future and tear off the sponge, it can cause your tank to crash rapidly as the sponge dies off.

Man I don't know... with all due respect I have to disagree with all of that. To each their own.

 

[kyley]

OMG, now I'm scared... So much for the advice of my LFS (two different ones - one I got the little rock with the yellow sponge on it and one I got the one with the hair algae (and I guess that's yellow sponge on the other side)... Both I asked if the stuff on it was good and they said yes (one told me the yellow stuff was a sponge - is the gray stuff too?). I did know enough to ask about the hair algae (so that's definitely what this is?).

Any other opinions on what I should do with the rock with the hair algae (and apparently yellow, gray sponge)? That's a big rock with a lot of growth.

What about the little one with the yellow and gray sponges (assuming that's what they are)? I could toss this little rock...

What's the red stuff all over the rock with the hair algae? Is it a macroalgae or something? Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[hallie]

Gday Kyle,

The green algae on those rocks IMO is not hair algae. Ive had HA in my tanks and seen it in fellow reefers and it is usually VERY fine strands that grow in clumps/groups... Can you post a closeup of the suspected HA?

Cheers

Tim

 

[hallie]

And if you can get the sponge of go for it. Personally I would just leave it there, it will just die off and help with your cycle.

Cheers

Tim

 

[redsea reefer]

Kyle - I'm with BigAl. I would also clean the rocks now, it will be a PITA when you have your rocks set-up and tank full of coral and fish.

 

[kyley]

Hey guys. First, I did try scrubbing the rocks some with a brush - I don't think I can get it all off. Here are some extreme close-ups out of the water, mostly of that one large rock. Hopefully some of you can help me figure out what this is and set my mind at ease.

1. You can see some of the hairs and red stuff (is this a macroalgae?):

2. Here's an extreme close-up of the hairs (looks like two different types - or more likely the thicker base hairs and the thinner hairs)... You can also see a good pic of the red leaves:

3. On the other side of the same rock, here you can see the sponges (gray and yellow) - is that definitely what they are (the yellow just looks like slime)?

4. And this is that other, smaller rock that had some gray and yellow (sponges?) on it as well. The LFS owner told me these were "good":

What should I do with this rock? Get a metal brush and try to scrape everything off of it (red macroalgae if that's what it is, gray, yellow sponges, and the green hair algae)? Thanks in advance for your thoughts on these...
--Kyle

 

[hallie]

Mate again just my opinion but I would just wack that rock in the tank. I had simlar rock when I started. Most of the algaes die off during the cycle and that die-off gets the cycle going.

Sponges are nothing to worry about.

Make sure you have plenty of circulation, get a Koralia, tunze or vortech.

 

[Oakhouse]

IMO I would scrub them while you can, I can tell from experience that taking the rocks out to scrub once they been in a while is one hell of a job!

 

[hallie]

Is somebody going to confirm its hair algae or another undesirable rather than just saying scrub the rock?

The rock I put in my tank had alot more algae than that, all of which was gone within a week. A couple of weeks later the blooms kick in (normal part of new tank syndrome). Diatoms, Hair Algae, Cyano and others all of which were killed of in another week with manual removal, CUC and water changes.

Kyle I would wait until somebody gives you a definite confirmation that it is HA. Even if you do scrub the rock it impossible to remove all traces (spores/roots) of the algae. Why bother when the cycle will most likley kill it off?

Good luck

Tim

 

[Reefmack]

Just my 2 cents, but it looks more like a macroalgae than hair algae. I have a feeling that in a new nutrient free tank it may just die off, but just a guess. The dark red stuff is a darker red coralline - I've had it too, and just enjoy it as it often turns pink after a while. I had/have all kinds of similar sponges of different colors - they come and go. Lots of tube worm casings on the rock too - not a problem.

 

[mbdave]

Its Macro Algae you want to kill two birds with one stone lay the rock algae side down in the sand. The algae will die with no light the sponge will probably die with light. Don't sweat the small stuff and for christ sake save the panic for something to panic about.

 

[kyley]

Thanks mbdave... I was just worried about *starting off* with a big problem.

If the red stuff is a coralline algae, I don't want to try to kill it off do I? Or is it just a given that that will happen anyway?

OK, still trying to decide between these 3 paths:
1. Think I should scrub off as much as I can (the red, the possible hair algae, and the sponge)?
2. Do what mbdave suggested and turn it upside down to kill it all off?
3. Consider it beneficial and leave it as is?

Here's a closer look at the rock in the tank before I scrubbed a lot of the "hair algae" stuff off:

Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[Reefmack]

No - you don't want to try to remove any coralline algae, other than from the glass later. Where the coralline grows the other algae won't. The dark red may turn pink later. It doesn't look like red Cyano, which suctions off very easily.

The upside-down advice from Dave is good and will work. Algae is beneficial in that it removes nitrates, but when it covers your rock it'll be hard to remove, and you'll wish you had dealt with it early. Some of that algae may be a Caulerpa type, and it propagates itself with runners that spread across the rocks, and are a pain or near impossible to try to pull off once established.

 

[mbdave]

Looks like Calerpa Prolifera and Calerpa Florida or something not hair algae and also if turning the rock kills some coraline it will come back.