Help with Live Rock?

[tagemw0505]

I have had my tank for a couple of weeks i keep try to clean the green off of the live rock (i have used a toothbrush). i heard from a couple of people that green is not good but the green will not come off can anyone help what should i do?

 

[robdog696]

That is green coraline algae. Coraline is beneficial, in both it's purple and green colorations. It has a calcerous cell structure, and grows by encrusting. Your rock looks very healthy.

 

[aztec reef]

Theres is very low amount of green coraline( as much as theres purple).... Most of it is green/brown nuisance algea, which is normal in new tanks..
If u post your levels, we might be able to confirm it....do u use Tap??

 

[robdog696]

I don't see any nuisance algae... in fact I don't see any brown algae at all. Look at the sandbed. There's no signs of diatoms, and that's where it would be obvious. There appears to be no outward growth of the green algae, which is why I am pretty certain it's coraline. It is encrusting on the rock, which nuisance algae does not do.

 

[aztec reef]

Actually i see plenty with my bionic vision.. Yeah i looked at the sanbed and i can tell u that top layers of sandbeds are poor indicators of excess nutrients/impurities accumulation.
1. sanbeds get turned over by infauna,scavangers,inverts,grazers.ect.
2. If anyone has nuisance algeas on sanbeds they either lack in water movement (this is were dead spots dominate) or lack in CUC efficiency.
Algeas adhear to surfaces, mostly in lr/glass/filters ect. the bigger the surface the more colonies you'll have.
In reefs usually the pink encrustin algeas dominates due to the nutrient-poor environment and the abundance of calcium in NSW, thus calcium is the most vital and dominant fundamental element in reefs , reefs are mainly composed of calcium carbonate, calcium carbonate is the main ingredient in Aragonite(sand). calcium carbonate sustains a reef and aids in cementation and also works as an antacid thus it helps stabilize ph, calcium carbonate is the structual component of any shells/rocks/ or any marine organisms. Such as crutose algea such as pink/green coraline.
FyI: the pink coraline derives from red algea(red-pink pigments phycoerythrin) which is the most diversified encrusting algea ranging from pale pink-burgandy.
The ecology of crustose corallines is complex often interrelated with the presence of macro and turf algae, grazing intensity by herbivores, and productivity as well as water chemistry composition..
Are u starting to see a pattern? If u ask me, i'd say theres excess nutrients cal/alk inbalance..Or u really think a 2 week old tank would have that much coraline???

 

[aztec reef]

Actually i see plenty with my bionic vision.. Yeah i looked at the sanbed and i can tell that sandbeds aren't a legit indicators of excess nutrients/impurities.
1. sanbeds get turned over by infauna,scavangers,inverts,grazers.ect.
2. If anyone has nuisance algeas on sanbeds they either lack in water movement (this is were dead spots dominate) or lack in CUC efficiency.
Algeas adhear to surfaces, mostly in lr/glass/filters ect. the bigger the surface the more colonies you'll have.
In reefs usually the pink dominates due to the nutrient-poor environment and the abundance of calcium in NSW, thus calcium is the most vital and dominant fundamental element in reefs , reefs are mainly composed of calcium carbonate, calcium carbonate is the main ingredient in Aragonite(sand). calcium carbonate sustains a reef and aids in cementation and also works as an antacid thus it helps stabilize ph which is the structual component of any shells/rocks/ or any marine organisms. aswel as crutose algeas such as pink/green coraline.
FyI: the pink coraline derives from red algea(red-pink pigments phycoerythrin) which is the most diversified encrusting algea ranging from pale pink-burgandy.
The ecology of crustose corallines is complex often interrelated with the presence of macro and turf algae, grazing intensity by herbivores, and productivity as well as water chemistry composition..Are u starting to see a pattern? If u ask me, i'd say theres excess nutrients and/or cal/alk inbalance..