woah just htoguth of this.. about algae

[fishman830]

exactly hwo does algae start to grow in your tank...? and how bout aipsastia?

 

[bdhough]

It comes in off of live rock. What you can't see are all the tiny holes and caves and crevesas in your rock. Any number of organisms and hide out in those caves and come out after some time. Especially algae. Its amazing how regenerative things in the ocean are. The tiniest fragment can spawn lots of things especially aptasia and algae.

 

[escape2thewater]

I have to agree with bdhough on this, I have all kinds of new things growing out of my LR 2 months after it been in my tank! Definately amazing what some things will ive through!
Kyle

 

[bdhough]

If the rock stays moist then the organisms can live. It just takes one for them to spread. Keep in mind water unless completely sealed can get in any crevice it wants thus im sure water gets trapped in the rock and keeps these things alive.

 

[sammystingray]

As far as I know, just about any tapwater contains hair algae spores, so if you EVER used tapwater....there you go......this is why if you fill a bucket with water and put it out in the sun....hair algae will grow......came from the tap. Snail shells, rocks, actually any crustacean shell....etc etc etc.....there is basically no way to not introduce atleast a few spores of hair algae...don't bother trying. Corals bought inflated will contain spores....actually even deflated probably they have many spores.....see what I mean? One spore, and there you go. Aiptasia is a different story....you can actually keep these out if you are lucky.....hair algae? forget it. I would feel fine betting money that just about 100% of tanks fresh or salt have some hair algae spores.

 

[fishman830]

no non o but what about when you dont have any LR its jsut the water in the tank, and with light it grows wheres that come from

 

[clarkiiboi]

quote from sammystingray:
As far as I know, just about any tapwater contains hair algae spores, so if you EVER used tapwater....there you go......this is why if you fill a bucket with water and put it out in the sun....hair algae will grow......came from the tap
Are you using tap water?

 

[sammystingray]

I have an RO unit, but sometimes I'll top off with tap....actually more often than I should. Even if you use 100% RO/DI...you will introduce some hair algae spores somehow anyway....that doesn't mean you'll have hair algae growth, but it is in there waiting for the right moment. We have really good tapwater here, but you can't escape the diatoms the silicates in tap cause no matter how good your tap water is.