Live Rock From Premium Aquatics Help!!

[ChitownRomeo]

Hi Everyone!! I purchased some live rock from Premium Aquatics. GREAT Rock & LOTS of life!! Almost too much. Can anyone tell me what is this brown leafy plant life? Its all over the live rock and grows slow. Should I prune it off? And now I have small Christmas tree like plants growing. Not hair algae at all. Also I'm starting to get bubble algae. I have a 50 gallon so would 2 Emerald crabs be ok? Only have 2 Percs, hermit crabs, and peppermint shrimp in the tank atm. Don't want the crabs killing my percs. Thanks!! Just joined so cant post a pic yet

[wscttwolfe]

need pics and some more info about ur tank. how long has it been up for? water parameters?

[Doogle]

Welcome to the wonderful world of " live " rock.
Yes a couple emeralds is about right or that size tank. Most people don't have issues with them hurting fish or anything, some do but it's usually vey large males or the emeralds that don't have red markings on the inside of the claws where the joint is.
If you want perfectly lean looking rock than I wouldn't buy live rock, if you accept it , it will bring lots of interesting life into your tank. Take the good with the bad, it's mostly good IME just watch for aiptasia and mojano anemones and kill them as soon as you see them.

[nanoreefing4fun]

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members 

Start a new tank thread & share your tank with us - we love pics - you will be able to post them soon... just welcome a few new members to RS in Meet & Greet

[ChitownRomeo]

Thanks for the welcome OK I got Premium aquatics to ID the blown plants. This is the message they sent....

Hi Romeo,

That's sargassum macro algae growing. It's very common to have this grow out of good liverock within the first 6 months of it being in your tank. Generally it dies off over time though due to the poor nutrient waters within our systems. It's actually pretty cool stuff if you do let it grow out. I had it in a tank years ago and it got to be about 15" tall, and was really wavey. It eventually died off as it usually does though over time.


So I'll keep it in the tank. Also is it ok to run a 50 gallon without a skimmer? I have a fluval 406 with just the sponges in which i clean every sunday after the Chicago Bears game lol. Also is packed with Chemi pur elite and seachem purigen. I'm in a apartment so no sump or fuge.

[ChitownRomeo]

Here is the pic with the Tiny greens "trees" I was talking about.

[may2024]

Get a HOB or internal skimmer I don’t care for either but there are some nice ones available. The internal has one major pro that is if it overflows it goes back into the tank and not onto the floor.

[ddelozier]

Brown stuff is Seaweed, But it wont last long in your tank. Make sure you have a really good skimmer. I would trim off what you can find, and let the skimmer get the rest as it breaks down. Some micro Algae do well in our home systems. This one, probably will not, especially if your tank volume is under 200g total valume. I got some on LR, and it didnt last longer than 5 mo in my 125g system. Its a free floating/shallow water oceanic plant, so small enclosed systems dont do well for it.

If it were in my tanks, i'd scrape off what you can without damaging any other critters on the rock. For the bubble algae, a couple Emeralds sounds perfect. After my first Horrible experience with hichikers causeing major issues with my system, I only start stuff up with Dry rock(small seeds of LR Rubble from my old sump), and only introduce the things I WANT in my system.

[ChitownRomeo]

Yea I got lucky with this live rock. No bad hitchhikers to complain about lol. No Mantis shrimp!! But yea should I prune that green plant life also. It looks real nice but not sure what it is.

[tektite]

There's no problem with leaving the brown algae, sargassum. Like Premium Aquatics said, its hard to keep alive, but it can live in some tanks. Had some for a long time in my tank. Its a nice macroalgae, often free floating in the ocean but also can grow on liverock from a 'holdfast' (attachment to rock) which is what you have. I prefer it that way, keeps it in place It does need high light to do well though. The green looks like it may be a kind of calcified algae like shaving brush. Is it stiff?

[whippetguy]

I've had sargassum in my tank for 14 months, not huge, the leaves come and go. I wouldn't see any reason to get rid of it. It's not invasive.

[ChitownRomeo]

OK I'll leave it. Was going to remove it for more coral placement. But i'll leave it as I'm sure its helping with soaking up nutrients in the water. And the green "trees" are soft not hard.

[chadwick]

My guess on your green trees would be maidens hair aka turtle grass. Great for pods.

[lbiminiblue]

yeah don't get rid of that i believe it's a species of caulerpa and does very well under really low lighting. I think tek's right when he says its the shaving brush- that's an actual variety name

[tektite]

Not quite, shaving brush is a type of partly calcified algae unrelated to caulerpa. It could also be maiden's hair though since its not stiff.