New salt water tank

Question
QUESTION: HEllo,
I just purchased my first salt water tank and although Ive done lots of research, I still have a few questions. This tank is established and has a brain coral, frog spawn coral, green zoos, a cleaner shrimp, 2 snails, a coral beauty, a black serpent star fish andone or two kinds more of coral. Its a beautiful and healthy tank but it has alot of purple /green/other coloured growth on the sides and back of the tank. Im wondering if I should remove this or leave it. some say its beneficial and I really cant find a straight answer. Also I was wondering if reef builder(seachem) is the same as reef carbonate(sea chem)and will do the same job. Thanks

ANSWER: Hello Ryan.

Is it possible the purple/green/other colored growth is 'Coraline Algae'??

If so, then it is good.  It is a great indicator that things are going well for you and your tank.  Many folks try to artifically produce or promote this 'growth' as it vocers up 'unnatural looking features, rock, glass, pumps, etc...

as for the reef builder questions, I am sorry, but I am not aware of or know of if those products are the same.

good luck and please keep me updated.


also, you can check out my new forum at www.thelittleocean.com

It is a new forum and I am trying to get folks to contirubute and participate there and hopefully create a full time presence in the live CHAT ROOM

Your support would be appreciated

thanks

bill


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Bill,
The tank came with Reef Carbonate to raise the alkilinity. But the store only has this product called reef builder, which says on the bottle to the word the exact same thing as follows "raises carbonate alklinity" on both packages. It is made by the same company but I figure there must be a different application or extra benefit from using the reef builder, (Im assuming). If you are not familiar with this exact product that is fine and thanks for the help....anyways, Coraline algea would be a hard flaky growth that covers anything it can stick to???? Some of it is really thick in places and although it looks good to an extent, it seems to be too much. I find that the coral beauty is always picking at it so im assuming he is eating something off it. If it is beneficial and I should leave it then done just the girl said it needed a good cleaning and I really dotn know where to start with cleaning a salt water tank, especially with corals. anyways any info is appreciated and thanks again fo rthe quick response. Hope to hear from you soon.
Regards Ryan Davies

Answer
Hey Ryan,

I believe that if you do regular water changes and have minimal corals, hard skeleton type/sps/lps, then dosing those things and trying to 'raise' ALK and CALC is really not necessary.

Keep your salinity at 1.025-1.026  and measure your CALC and ALK.

Shoot for 425-450ppm calcium

and depending on the test type for ALK  shoot for 11 or 1100



If yo ureally need to boost those elements, then i strongly suggest reading a reefkeeping article by Randy Holmes Farley on 'TWO - PART Solution

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php


But, with the corals you listed in your tank, you really shouldnt have a problem.

Good luck, and please keep me posted as to how things progress with your tank


Please check out my new forum and post informaiton about your tank and get some feedback and commetns fromother readers and members there.

www.thelittleocean.com

It is a new forum and I am noping to get more members and to be able to have poeple be online in the 'live' chat room', it is still new and there maybe time when no one is online.  Be patient and try again at a different time or leave a mesage on the forum and say hey that way..

see you there.


bill