Could someone explain if reef tanks have algae under the brighter lights. Why is it algae seams to be more of a problem in fresh water tanks?
What's the Difference?
- Thread starter Tug
- Start date
Protein skimmers and refugiums are their way of doing column nutrient limitation. Plenum substrates with hypoxic enough conditions to sustain denitrifying bacteria would be another.
The coraline algae is encouraged as beneficial; I don't know much about it.
I'm sure it's covered on GARF.org, though I've been getting errors there today. It seems sort of like thekrib.org of salt water, except it's updated. The site owner has thousands of gallons of coral farms out here in Idaho of all places.
The coraline algae is encouraged as beneficial; I don't know much about it.
I'm sure it's covered on GARF.org, though I've been getting errors there today. It seems sort of like thekrib.org of salt water, except it's updated. The site owner has thousands of gallons of coral farms out here in Idaho of all places.
Micro, Macro and Nasty
Hi Tug,
There really are two types of algae for the purposes of marine aquaria.
The micro-algae akin to what we have these are generally nuisance kinds, though can be used in scrubbers and so forth.
The other are the macro-algae, they are generally desirable.
Cyanobacteria, is nasty wherever it is found.
Personally, I think folks in the aquarium/planted aquarium worlds get a little nuts on the algae side, personally I think a little algae is natural and looks nice.
Biollante
Hi Tug,
There really are two types of algae for the purposes of marine aquaria.
The micro-algae akin to what we have these are generally nuisance kinds, though can be used in scrubbers and so forth.
The other are the macro-algae, they are generally desirable.
Cyanobacteria, is nasty wherever it is found.
Personally, I think folks in the aquarium/planted aquarium worlds get a little nuts on the algae side, personally I think a little algae is natural and looks nice.
Biollante
Thank you P. It was my kind of a nub question. They have algae, nice. GARF looks promising too, as soon as I stop getting the error message. I look forward to reading more. Thank you.
Bio, I was thinking the same thing.
A moss would be great. If not, I might get some more Anubias.
My tank, (picture asap) looks better.
Bio, I was thinking the same thing.
I still have CO2 changes to make. Fluctuating CO2 levels, BBA. EI keeps most other algae at lower, healthier levels. If BBA would stay green I wouldn't mind it as much. I have reduced the light with some shade screen. One day I will get the 5lb tank set up. I need to go pressurized, but I am fond of the yeast reactor. It stays at about 6 or 8 psi. Kicked out some problems. I have and idea for a DIY to replace the Duetto. That would help. The best way to fight algae is to grow a plant in it's place.Biollante said:Hi Tug,
There really are two types of algae for the purposes of marine aquaria.
The micro-algae akin to what we have these are generally nuisance kinds, though can be used in scrubbers and so forth.
The other are the macro-algae, they are generally desirable.
... natural and looks nice.
A moss would be great. If not, I might get some more Anubias.
My tank, (picture asap) looks better.
Marine systems tend to be far more stable than freshwater and much more limited.
Also, the coral have plenty of algae within them.
They also have clear shallow water, freshwaters are often pretty turbid except where the plants have modified and clarified the water.
The rates of growth are also very different.
FW plants are very weedy.
A better comparison is kelp forest and FW rivers with CO2 rich spring waters.
Both have rich nutrients and high production.
Reefs have no FW analog , as they are Algae + Critters
In general, if the needs are met for growth, reefs, plants, kelps etc, define the system, not the nutrients.
Reefs get plenty of nutrients from live organisms that the polyps catch, these in turn go to the zooxanthellae algae as a nutrient supply.
However, the waters often tend to be pretty low, but not absent in nutrients. This allows micro planktonic algae and detritus to form, be eaten by tiny zooplankton which the polyps catch and consume when good currents upwell along the reef.
While they do form significant amounts of CaCO3, the over biomass growth change is still rather low over all.
.4" per year to about 12" a year in vert growth in some species.
Most is CaCO3.
Aquatic weeds?
Biomass can double every 2 days in the lab, or 5 days in the field.
Kelp are some of the fastest of all growing weeds. Feet per day in biomass.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Also, the coral have plenty of algae within them.
They also have clear shallow water, freshwaters are often pretty turbid except where the plants have modified and clarified the water.
The rates of growth are also very different.
FW plants are very weedy.
A better comparison is kelp forest and FW rivers with CO2 rich spring waters.
Both have rich nutrients and high production.
Reefs have no FW analog , as they are Algae + Critters
In general, if the needs are met for growth, reefs, plants, kelps etc, define the system, not the nutrients.
Reefs get plenty of nutrients from live organisms that the polyps catch, these in turn go to the zooxanthellae algae as a nutrient supply.
However, the waters often tend to be pretty low, but not absent in nutrients. This allows micro planktonic algae and detritus to form, be eaten by tiny zooplankton which the polyps catch and consume when good currents upwell along the reef.
While they do form significant amounts of CaCO3, the over biomass growth change is still rather low over all.
.4" per year to about 12" a year in vert growth in some species.
Most is CaCO3.
Aquatic weeds?
Biomass can double every 2 days in the lab, or 5 days in the field.
Kelp are some of the fastest of all growing weeds. Feet per day in biomass.
Regards,
Tom Barr
I got Snail Dots
I could never recommend a camera, water proof, ect. You know, nice color rendering.
Not the stylus 1030.
I could never recommend a camera, water proof, ect. You know, nice color rendering.
Not the stylus 1030.
These shots were off some fujifilm, WP.
I've been moving things around in this tank for a year and a half.
Only now, shaped as Bio understands, to look unshaped.
I've been moving things around in this tank for a year and a half.
Only now, shaped as Bio understands, to look unshaped.
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