New setup... Questions

zincoxide

zincoxide

Member
Just got back today from a 4hrs (round trip) drive to see a tank that was listed in a local penny saver.
90g Tank
Trickle Filter
Submersible pump for the trickle filter
Lights
$300 CAD...
Is this a good deal? I think so but just wanted a second opinion.
Tank looks like it is in good physical condition, with no evidence of leaks.
However,
Inside was another story... The guy has said that he will include a NICE big chuck of the live rock for me which is HEAVILY covered in nice purple coraline algae.
90% of the tank (crushed coral on the bottom and most of the live rock) was covered in a dark green - what he called bubble algae.
My concern: I told him that I would take the tank. I plan on completely draining it and completely cleaning it. Now... If I take this piece of live rock from him to introduce the coraline algae... Will I get a problem with this bubble algae?? Should I scrap it off the live rock with a brush??
I had a tank 10+ years ago but never had live rock.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.
 
X

xoxox

Guest
I've managed to grow just about every type of algae known to man. I even have one of those nice algae identifer books. Some of the algae is beautiful. Bubble algae is ....interesting.
Not like nasty slime red algae.

I'd drain the tank, ditch the crushed coral, keep the liverock in a bucket with a heater and powerhead (so you can rebuild the tank and keep the rock going in the mean time) and read as much as you can about setups in these threads...goodluck.
 
sign guy

sign guy

Active Member
sounds like a good deal but if you brush that bubble algae it will spread. I would try to pic it off by hand
 
zincoxide

zincoxide

Member
Thanks for the help... I'm not going to keep the crushed coral as I still have mine from 10 years ago that I just plan on boiling to clean it.
As for the bubble algae there is a TON of it. It is absolutely covering everything. The one piece of live rock that the guy said he would include for me has the least amount of it on there but there is some. I'll pick it off instead of brushing it off though.
If I take this ONE piece of live rock and I setup all the other rocks that I had 10 years ago (I think they were lava rock and argonite - red/brown & white). Will that rock become live rock?? Or, at least will the coraline algae grown on those rocks?
As for the other live rock... Do you think it is asking him for the rest of the rock with all that bubble algae or should I just buy new stuff??
Zincoxide.
 
sign guy

sign guy

Active Member
Originally Posted by zincoxide
Thanks for the help... I'm not going to keep the crushed coral as I still have mine from 10 years ago that I just plan on boiling to clean it.Are you going to use cc as well?
As for the bubble algae there is a TON of it. It is absolutely covering everything. The one piece of live rock that the guy said he would include for me has the least amount of it on there but there is some. I'll pick it off instead of brushing it off though.
If I take this ONE piece of live rock and I setup all the other rocks that I had 10 years ago (I think they were lava rock and argonite - red/brown & white). Will that rock become live rock?? Or, at least will the coraline algae grown on those rocks? It will become lr but will take a LONGGG time
As for the other live rock... Do you think it is asking him for the rest of the rock with all that bubble algae or should I just buy new stuff?? I would buy new lr it will help with all that lava rockZincoxide.
Im not a big fan of cc cuz if you dont clean it enough it will trap nitraits in the pocets
 
zincoxide

zincoxide

Member
Hey Sign Guy,
What do you suggest using for the the substrate?? Just sand??
Zinc.
PS - thanks for the welcome!
 
zincoxide

zincoxide

Member
But more importantly - Should I tell the guy that I want ALL the live rock even though it is infested with the bubble algae??
Or, would I be better off not taking any of the live rock??
Does live rock grow bubble algae no matter what?? I was under the impression that if the water quality is good enough, then algae doesn't grow well (except coraline algae).
Zinc.
 
threed240

threed240

Member
I would swap to aragonite sand. However you can use live sand, but you cannot rinse the live sand. If you did, you would just be wasting your money. I started with aragonite sand, and my sand is now Live. It has only been a couple of months. As far as bubble algea goes, the green emerald crabs work wonders on this stuff. I had 2 crabs that eat every last bit off it out of my tank in about a week. One word of caution is that the green emeralds will try and catch smaller fish once they grow larger. I had a emerald try and eat my mandarin this weekend, so I traded him in at my local fish store.
 
nigerbang

nigerbang

Active Member
Originally Posted by Threed240
I would swap to aragonite sand. However you can use live sand, but you cannot rinse the live sand. If you did, you would just be wasting your money. I started with aragonite sand, and my sand is now Live. It has only been a couple of months. As far as bubble algea goes, the green emerald crabs work wonders on this stuff. I had 2 crabs that eat every last bit off it out of my tank in about a week. One word of caution is that the green emeralds will try and catch smaller fish once they grow larger. I had a emerald try and eat my mandarin this weekend, so I traded him in at my local fish store.
I posted a few weeks back about an emerald trying to eat my CCS...I have never had luck with them eating bubble algae..just take it off with tweezers...gently..infamous town huh??? Ray Brent Marsh perhaps?
 
zincoxide

zincoxide

Member
Just so I'm clear... When I said that I would scrub it off with a brush, I was referring to brushing it off into a bucket NOT the tank.
As mentioned, I just bought the tank from the guy and as a result this will be a completely new setup for me...
If I buy the live rock from him - how should I get him to ship it. In buckets of water, or just in a box/bag with wet newspaper on it???
 
woolfe

woolfe

Member
My emeralds ate it two days after I noticed it. If you want a few I'll sell them cheap! I went a little nuts when clean up crew was all I could have. I need to get rid of some soon.
 
sign guy

sign guy

Active Member
Originally Posted by zincoxide
Just so I'm clear... When I said that I would scrub it off with a brush, I was referring to brushing it off into a bucket NOT the tank.
As mentioned, I just bought the tank from the guy and as a result this will be a completely new setup for me...
If I buy the live rock from him - how should I get him to ship it. In buckets of water, or just in a box/bag with wet newspaper on it???
In bags with a little water and newspaper. But that sounds like alot of bubble algea I would skip on the lr and buy my own it will turn out a nightmare
 
canoelover37

canoelover37

New Member
Originally Posted by zincoxide
Just got back today from a 4hrs (round trip) drive to see a tank that was listed in a local penny saver.
90g Tank
Trickle Filter
Submersible pump for the trickle filter
Lights
$300 CAD...
Is this a good deal? I think so but just wanted a second opinion.
Tank looks like it is in good physical condition, with no evidence of leaks.
However,
Inside was another story... The guy has said that he will include a NICE big chuck of the live rock for me which is HEAVILY covered in nice purple coraline algae.
90% of the tank (crushed coral on the bottom and most of the live rock) was covered in a dark green - what he called bubble algae.
My concern: I told him that I would take the tank. I plan on completely draining it and completely cleaning it. Now... If I take this piece of live rock from him to introduce the coraline algae... Will I get a problem with this bubble algae?? Should I scrap it off the live rock with a brush??
I had a tank 10+ years ago but never had live rock.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.
we are having trouble keeping our nitraits down the ammonia is perfect the nitrtes are perfect but the nitrait are
 
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