trying to start reef tank

kk

kk

New Member
I have a 55 gal.tank,about 20 lbs. of live rock, a smart light-135 watts,blue & white bulbs,berlin skimmer,air pump operated and an eheim power filter. water quality is fine
one small damsel.
just added polyps the other day,looked great first day but not since.do polyps need food?
since I got the bigger light, I've got algea growing like crazy.I don't know if it is too much algea,it covers the crushed coral on the bottom, two artificial plants,and seems to be taking over the live rock.
I am new to this message board,and don't know how long this message should be, but any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You
 
jacksonpt

jacksonpt

Active Member
First off, welcome to the board!
Second: 3 suggestions that apply to everyone all the time: 1) when asking a question about your tank, always provide tank specs and water conditions -- it will help us better answer your question. 2) use the search feature -- chances are your question has already been answered. 3) post pics whenever possible... we love pics :D
OK, now, to your question. When I first started my tank, I had a terrible problem with algae too... it ended up killing (suffocating) some of my LR... I was cleaning my tank twice a week. It eventually stopped, though I'm not sure why. I think it has to do with the balance of things in your water (bacteria, nutrients, etc.). I'm sure someone can comment more on this one. As for the polyps, if you just got them, it will probably take them a couple of days to adjust to the new environment. Give them some time, and be sure the algae doesn't suffocate them too (had that happen once as well). Polyps do eat, but don't really require feeding as they don't eat meaty foods. The extract the nutrition they need from the water. If you water is in good shape, then you're probably fine. If you have many corals/filter feeders, you may want to consider adding some kind of a suppliment for them... but generally speaking polyps are pretty hardy and don't need to be fed.
Someone jump in here if I'm wrong.
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
1st, welcome,
and lengthis not an issue here, just so long as the question gets asked, and the more thoroughyou are,t eh better, it can help to give answers
now, as for your question, i need to answer by asking you another question, what are your water parameters?, all of them,
and polyps should be feed, plankton and or brine shrimp
i like to see more lr, and a deepsand bed, but, this set up (yours)can and does work for some people
 
kk

kk

New Member
thanks for the reply.
tank was set up for fish in august. the tank has cycled.
water quality ph 8,ammonia 0,nitrites 0,nitrates about 25
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
ewwwwwwwww,
ph should be a bit higher, and nitrates are above the reccommended level for corals
how about phosphates, calcium, alkilinity and slinity
teh algae, more than likely is part of the algae cycl(for lack of a better comparison), which most tanks under go
and do you use powerheads, how many?, they can help with cerain types of algae, too, by eliminating stagnant areas in your tank
 
kk

kk

New Member
salinity is about1.021
don't know about calcium,phosphates and alkalinity
currently i'm not using a power head but do own one. where should I place it in the tank?and what is a dsb anyway?
 
biggdriver

biggdriver

Member
I personally would get the sp grav up to about 2.3 or so and If you aren't using Ro/di water I suggest highly on purchasing one..I had nothing but alge problems until i bought one and started topping off with ro water.You can also test your phosphates before and after you add your salt, Phosphates are a common algae problem..althoug you didn';t state what kind of algae you have..Also a deeper dsb would help along with a refugium to keep the nitrates down. Run a good quality skimmer and cut back on feedings that too can also add to water quality problems. Idon't want to start this as I see this is a big issue here but GENERALLY u need 5 watts of lighting per gallon..There is a lot of variables there like tank height,kind of corals etc..but you can kind of get an idea..for a 55 you should be somewhere around 300watts..
 
biggdriver

biggdriver

Member
also you forgot to mention what kind of polyps you have,,That can make a difference in the kind of care that they need.
 
cyn

cyn

Member
That SG recomendation of 2.3 caught my eye... I think 1.023 is more the range, I keep mine right where yours is and my corals are fine. I agree with giving them some time to get accustomed to the new environment.
Question? How did you acclimate the polyps? Telling the type would probally also help. Alge comes in many types and has many causes, the diatom bloom occurs early in a tanks existance. Other alge causes are phosphates, lighting and overfeeding the tank. You could try turning the lights off a couple hours earlier for a while? More specs would help you to get better advice, I am sure.
Welcome and keep asking questions! We all learn from eachother.
cyn
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top