Coraline and Carbon media

[clownfish]

First Question:

Hey guys, I need some advice/info. I started my tank with only a couple of pieces of live rock and the rest dead lace rock. The live rock didn't have any algae on it, nothing, so it was basically very expensive dead rock lol...anyway, I want my tank to grow some coraline, but at the moment I'm running a skimmer and a canister filter with carbon inside. I have the canister 'cause I figured since I basically only have a bunch of dead rock, my skimmer needs help removing waste and all of that....Now, to my main question, I plan to start adding B-Ionic into my tank, 'cause my CA levels are below 400, they're about 350, BUT I was wondering if running carbon and also running a skimmer, both 24/7, will they remove the
B-Ionic??? Should I turn off the skimmer and filter for a while when I add the supplement? I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to waste my money adding supplements if the filter/carbon and skimmer will remove them as I add them.

Anybody here running carbon and adding supplements like B-Ionic with no problem?

Second Question:

BTW, before I ask this question....my tank is not new, it's been running for about 5 months now and so far I have a yellow tang, yellow tail damsel, two false clowns, one pink skunk clown, one coral beauty, one sand sifting goby, one six line wrasse, four blue leg hermits, 2 sally feet crabs, one emerald and nine nassarius snails.

As for algae, I'm not sure what kind of algae I have, it's brownish, it's not diatoms, it's brownish, it grows on the glass, pwheads and rock, the yellow tang and coral beauty love it and eat it all day long, ONE THING I've noticed about this algae, IT STINKS, when I wash my power head and such, I can smell the algae, very stinky. ANY IDEA what kind of algae this might be and could it be affecting the overall growth of coraline?

Anyway, any info/adive will be greatly appreciated. Thanks and peace!

Forgot to metion...I also use an in-line UV sterelizer 24/7.
Crap, one more thing...is it ok to add Calcium, like Seachem CA, to top off fresh water?

[coral reefer]

First of all just because your live rock doesn't have algae growing on it doesn't mean that it is not "live rock"!!! Live rock hosts many living organisms, from bacteria, pods, polychaete worms and other microscopic cryptic crustaceans just to name a few! So in fact your rock may in fact be live if that is what you specifically purchased!
Secondly, as far as your calcium level is concerned, you do not need to maintain a high calcium level as you do not house the stony corals and Tridacnas that require it to precipitate calcium for their carbonate skeleton. Where your calcium is now should suffice at the present time. Moreover, when you start playing around with other trace elements, other than those provided in the synthetic salt mix, you run the risk of messing up your tanks over all water parameters.
For now I would focus on reading and just performinging small weekly water changes and doing periodic maintenance and testing!
Skimmer and carbon supplementing is great to be doing, though remember that they will remove both bad and good things from your water!

[aquaboy]

Cyano algae stinks like Hell. but tangs dont like to eat it.....

[Tangster]

What type of sand did you use on the bottom ? where are your Levels of Ca. DKH and Magnesium setting at ? The skimmer is a bad idea as it will remove the free floating coralline spores and as for the Cyano ? Its not an algae its an anaerobic bacteria and what you see is the little covering it produces to protect its self from oxygen. if you increase water flows to the bottom of the tank and increase dissolved oxygen to the system that will help to brake it down. Or you can just use some type of antibiotic to kill it also tetracycline is the best I found to use.

Cyano's also does not like higher Carbonate and Ca levels. But corallines do .. And you may be adding to the problem with over feeding and that exhaust the Carbonates also .

If you used a good aragonite bottom cover did you rinse it well as the people will tell you to do ? If so that mistake number one.. All the dust that was washed out was just what is sold as Purple up and glycerin in a bottle , As for kick starting coralline growth.. And you really needed to add a shot of good coralline encrusted rubble rather then a rock with some it . .

Also new growth of coralline does not like light and then if you add light just use actinic not white .. that will retard its getting started also take that rock you have and cut the skimmer off get the levels of Ca Carbonates and Mag up and cut the main pump and stop the skimming for a few months and scrape that rock and let the scrapings to settle out for a hr or so then cut the main pump back on and not the skimmer it will come..

So at the end of the Day coralline algae needs the same water parameters as any of its higher evolved cousins that we call SPS , LPS and all corals . Thats what coralline algae is a old coral the first coral to appear and Thats why I never add corals until I see them as they are a great barometer of the proper water conditions for their cousins ..This is why so many have a problem getting the coralline's to start growing.

[clownfish]

I guess I need to get rid of Cyano then....the I wonder what my crabs, coral beauty and yellow tang and wrasse keep pickin' at on the rocks...I dont see anything....lol....maybe copepods.

Tangster, as for my LS, I didn't rinse it at all. I use both actinics and white like (10K).
About the Cyano, why does that occur?

Won't quitting the skimmer screw my tank up some how...what is the point of a skimmer if it will remove needed elements? Reefer??
What abour the carbon? is it a good or bad thing to have? What exactly is Carbonate levels? the Carbon? crap, I must really sound retarded now

Anyway, thanks all for the help.

BTW again, is it ok to add calcium to top off water? (Fress RO water)

[clownfish]

Here are some pictures of the algae I'm talking about...I've read about Cyano (red slime) and it does not look like what I have. Anyway, here are the pictures. Is it Diatoms? This late in my aquarium's life?

[wastemanagement]

calcium in top off is fine.
Cal Mag & Alk are key for your Q's

[sweetriden76]

that looks like the same brown algae that was just in my tank, which Im almost sure was brown diatom algae it just died this week, like 4 weeks in, now im getting hair algae...but I believe thats what you have, also if you want proper doeses of trace elements including the calcium, kent marine makes a 2 part buffer, with all those fish im geuss its a large tank, so you;ll want the regular buffer, they make a nano buffer too for smaller stuff

[amcarrig]

Originally Posted by sweetriden76

that looks like the same brown algae that was just in my tank, which Im almost sure was brown diatom algae

+1. Looks like diatoms to me as well

[clownfish]

Then these are some wild diatoms....I had diatoms when I cycled my tank 5 months ago, but they did not look like that....the one I have now, can get somewhat long...not long long, but about 2 cm long..and they stink....or at least do not have a pleasant smell to them.