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Unread 06/05/2006, 03:54 AM   #1
Joulko
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Plants problem

Hi everyone,
I've been having problems with my plants lately: they die.

After 2 week in the tank the plants on the 2 first photos just suddenly turn from beautifull green to a very pale (nearly transparent) and die within 2 days.

Current conditions:
salinity: 1.028
ammonia and nitrite: 0
ph: 8.4
nitrate: 15-25ppm
temp: 80ºF

I have also put a few pieces of the same plants into a kind of small refugium which is at the top of the aquarium.
And they have been growing quite well for about a month.
The 'mini refugium' is a transparent green tupperware so the light the plant receive is much less powerfull than in the aquarium.

I'm quite new to aquariums but it seems that my lights could be the problem then; the metal halides (2X175w) are on for about 8 hours every day the the blue actinics (2X40w) stay on for another hour.
I'm quite puzzled because all of you have much stronger metal halides than me, so maybe some a UV problem then ? do I need UV filters on the lights ?
I'm saying this because I had put a few pieces of dead rock in the beginning, the white coral rocks they use in fish only tanks, and the halides just grilled the rocks until they were brown like burgers.

On the other hand my corals seem fine, I tried some acropora but it died after a month, and the other ones in the photos have been in for about 5-6 months, my coraline and anemone are growing well also.

So why would my plants die ?!

J_

















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Unread 06/05/2006, 05:23 AM   #2
smcnally
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Everything I've read says you really shouldn't put the macro algae in your main tank because it can really take over your tank. I don't think that is what is causing it to white out though. Usually when calurpa goes white it means it is going sexual (if I recall correctly). This is not a good thing for your tank, and is another reason you should keep it in the sump/refugium. Supposedly the lower amount of light in the sump/refugium causes it to not go sexual.


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Unread 06/05/2006, 05:42 AM   #3
graveyardworm
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Looks like you have plenty of nitrates, it is possible that your tank is phosphate limited. Can you test for PO4? Although it does seem as though you shouldnt be having problems with those macros in stocked and regulary fed tank.


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Current Tank Info: 100 gal lagoon/seagrass, 100 gal sump, Lifereef 72" skimmer, 180 inwall, 125 inwall seagrass/lagoon in progress
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Unread 06/05/2006, 06:09 PM   #4
Samala
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Interesting. I would always use a UV shield with MH lights, not sure if you have them on or not.

Looking at the water quality values you posted and the lighting and such, I cant really help explain why you're losing the plants. Are you sure you dont have any hitchhiker nudibranch that might be eating them? There are two or three species of Elysia that will consume Caulerpa, which is what you have, two species in fact from the genus.

As David said, it could be phosphate, though its hard to believe you dont have enough in a tank of this size and with the fish that I see. Even a very small amount of PO4 should be enough to keep Caulerpa going. Usually its nitrate that bottoms out and starves these algaes.

I wonder if a little iron dosing would help.

>Sarah


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Unread 06/05/2006, 06:17 PM   #5
graveyardworm
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Hmmm I missed the UV thing, if the MH bulbs are SE bulbs then the UV filter is built in, if they are DE/HQI then your fixture needs to incorporate a UV filter.


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Current Tank Info: 100 gal lagoon/seagrass, 100 gal sump, Lifereef 72" skimmer, 180 inwall, 125 inwall seagrass/lagoon in progress
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Unread 06/05/2006, 06:22 PM   #6
Mr.Nudibranch
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maybe


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Unread 06/05/2006, 06:30 PM   #7
dalbrecht
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I think UV is likely the case as well.


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Unread 06/05/2006, 06:32 PM   #8
graveyardworm
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I would think that if it is UV then the corals and anemone would also be affected.


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President - New Hampshire Reef Club

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Current Tank Info: 100 gal lagoon/seagrass, 100 gal sump, Lifereef 72" skimmer, 180 inwall, 125 inwall seagrass/lagoon in progress
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Unread 06/05/2006, 07:10 PM   #9
Samala
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Right, I'm not sold its UV poisoning (per se) since everything else looks great but just as a side safety note, I'd always use a shield. Your eyes and skin are too valuable to constantly bombard with those little rays.

I still vote potential Caulerpa predator in the tank. Those nudi's can come in with the Caulerpa originaly, or perhaps one of the fish we dont see in the pic is a potential herbivore (rabbit fish and some tangs will eat it).

>Sarah


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Unread 06/05/2006, 10:52 PM   #10
Joulko
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Thanks for the replies.
Ok I'll check the bulbs when I get home from work. They are both double ended and I remember they had some kind of 'UV safe' notice on their box when I installed them - that's why I didn't bother with an extra filter, but I'll check it out later.

As for a Caulerpa predator, I do have many critters, small crabs and hermits, a few ghost shrimp and one cleaner shrimp (stenopus) but haven't noticed them on the algue at all. Same for the 3 star fish and 2 earchins.
I have no tang and my rabbit fish were eaten by a volitans lion that I put back in the sea 3 month ago.

I dont know which species the algue are, but I've already seen them on tank photos here on RC...
I checked the algue in my micro refugium yesterday night and it still is doing fine...so hmmm indeed !

J_



Last edited by Joulko; 06/05/2006 at 11:29 PM.
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Unread 06/06/2006, 05:15 AM   #11
graveyardworm
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Quote:
a volitans lion that I put back in the sea
Once something has been in your tank its not good to release it back to the sea.

Quote:
2 earchins.
The urchins could definately be your problem.


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-David-
President - New Hampshire Reef Club

There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave

Current Tank Info: 100 gal lagoon/seagrass, 100 gal sump, Lifereef 72" skimmer, 180 inwall, 125 inwall seagrass/lagoon in progress
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Unread 06/06/2006, 10:50 PM   #12
Joulko
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So the bulbs have a UV shield protection but the lamp structure has only a plain glass protection. I'll try replacing the glass with a UV shield then


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