New to saltwater...think I have a problem already...

Hey guys, Im new here and plan on reading a lot over the next few weeks. I love all the available info here! I come from the world of Cichlids so Im somewhat familiar with salt. I bought a new tank that came with live rock/fish/corals. I took a few pics of what concerns me...the greenish/brownish blobs on the side of the coral and rocks. What is it? I didnt notice it until today. Also, does anyone know what kind of corals these are? The closed one on top is the same as the open one on the right...he was next to the pink guy in the middle so I just moved him to get them some space and then saw the blobs. Help!

...and thanks! I look forward to getting to know everyone here!

 

looks like bubble algae. but thats the least of your worrys, you got a bad case of hair algae going on there.

what are your params?? specifically nitrate's, phosphate's

 

I just set it up 2 days ago. The guy I got it from said he said he kept the lights on all day, I think that was where it came from. I have them on a much shorter cycle so Im hoping it will die off. If not I guess Ill pull the rock and scrub it?

Nitrates are 0
Alkalinity: 300ish
PH: 8.4

Im not sure how to measure the phosphates. All I have right now is the quick dip strips...I kinda just fell into this tank. lol

Thanks for the response!

 

wow lights all day!! ya not a good idea.
a 8hr lighting cycle is what i do and works good.
that would be the main reason for that algae.

get your self some good liquid test kits. those dip strips are very inaccurate imo.

another thing is to read up in the algae boards here to get some info. alot of people are going through the same thing. dont get to discouraged.

welcome to 3reef btw.

got a full tank shot??

 

I'd take a sample of your water to your LFS and see what your parameters are first. I would imagine they are a little out of wack and the lights being on 24 hours? wow. What kind of lighting by the way?

You are gonna want to cut the lighting down and do water changes. YOu can remove as much of the algae by hand as possible. But first thing is to get the water checked

 

what kind of cuc do you have?? (clean up crew, snails, hermits, crabs)

 

Quick dip strips are practically worthless. You should invest in a quality test kit. (I had strips at one time and compare them to other kits...the strips aren't reliable and ranges are too broad.)

An emerald crab will eat the bubble algae, but I agree with DBO in that the GHA is more of a problem.

What kind of clean up crew do you have?

Jumping right to corals from never having a saltwater tank is a big move. We've had saltwater tanks for going on 4 years (closer to 7 yrs for my fiancee, 4 for me) and just recently started some reefing. Not that we're the definition of progression, but just as an example.

If you're new to the hobby, check out WetWebMedia for an ocean of information.

 

The coral you have there on the right is Green Star Polyps. The algae there is a bubble algae.

I think that your GHA issue is caused by the lights being on too long and should clear up if you have a clean up crew of some sort. However, I would get that bubble algae out of the tank as fast as possible without popping them. Popping them in the tank is a bad idea. They'll start springing up everywhere then.

good luck and welcome.

 

Thanks for all of the responses guys. So far this is my plan:

Ill take some water to the LFS and have them test it. Ill also be getting new test equip. Gonna be a few days as I like to shop online. While Im there I plan to buy a few Emerald Crabs. I currently have nothing other than a few small fish and the rocks/corals. Will those crabs also help with the hair algae? I currently have the lights on an 11 hour cycle. The are on a ballast, Im pretty sure that its 65w for each bulb and I have 4 bulbs - 2 white, 2 acintic) The acintic blue come in first at 1PM, the white come on at 4. The acintic blue go off at 9 and the white go off at 12. I can change this though and make it even shorter...I didnt know how much corals need. What other guys for cleanup is recommended?

Swimswithsheep - You're right, it is a pretty big jump but I figure go big or go home. Plus, for the price I got I couldnt say no. For the tank, stand, lights, a nice closed loop sump, rock, corals, fish sand and all was only $350...dude just wanted to get rid of it and get out of the hobby. I couldnt say no and there was no way Im just throwing all the corals away lol. I do agree, I have a lot to learn though...thats for sure.

Heres the full shot as it sits right now...sorry, cam sucks.

 

Emerald crabs won't eat GHA, but they will scavenge for what they can. Reef safe hermits (scarlet leg, etc) will eat leftover food and detritus too.

The GHA is sort of opportunistic and if there is fertilizer (uneaten food, detritus) for it, it will grow. Some macro algae in the tank or sump can help with nutrient export. A protein skimmer is of great help too.

Other than that, decreased feeding, decreased light time will dec the growth of GHA.

I agree man, with that price, who could pass it up? It is a nice looking tank.