Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpfcso!daq
From: daq@hpfcso.HP.COM (Doug Quarnstrom)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: new marine tank question
Message-ID: <8210024@hpfcso.HP.COM>
Date: 18 Jan 90 16:05:52 GMT
References: <34603@mips.mips.COM>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Lines: 57

>/ hpfcso:alt.aquaria / kck@mips.COM (Ken Klingman) / 10:51 am  Jan 17, 1990 /
>I have two questions:

>In the past few days the tank has developed multiple blooms of
>what I suppose to be brown algae on the front glass (actually
>plexi).  There's about a dozen spots, each the size of a nickel.
>Is this to be expected?  Should I clean the glass?  There seems
>to be a fair growth of the same stuff on the crushed coral as
>well.  Should I worry?  Incidentally, until I can finish a fancy
>hood with lots of light I'm temporarily running 2 24" random
>flourescent fixtures just sitting atop the tank.

I would not be too worried about this brown algae.  It showed up
in my tank too.  Actually this stuff is probably bacterial.
In the long run, it will probably turn into blue green encrusting
algae when your cycle is farther along if you have the correct 
light quality.  Don't ask me what that is.

Now, people tend to dislike both brown and blue green encrusting
algae, especially people who are trying to grow macro algaes.
Sometimes you get these encrusting types, and I think that phosphates
are part of the problem.  This problem can be exacerbated by the
calcerous media such as crushed coral.  Many aquarists are moving
away from crushed coral as a media, but I don't know what to
reccommend.

>The water is not crystal clear.  The only filtration I'm running
>is some pre-filter material at the top of trickle filter.  I
>think I eventually want to put in a foam fractionator since
>from what I've heard it's a "good thing", but there's too much
>variety available and I think maybe I should build one because
>they cost a bunch and I've already sunk a fortune into this
>thing.  I've been thinking that a simple cannister filter with
>activated charcoal filtering the sump in the trickle filter would
>do the job of clearing the water in the meantime.  Comments?

I think that if your trickle filter is working properly, you 
should not need a cannister to keep your water clear.  My wate
is real clear, and I only have a trickle.  Ok, to be honest, I
recently added a foam fractioner and ozone generator, but it was
clear before that.  You may want to give it awhile.  Is the water
colored, or is there crap floating around in it?

Foam fractioners are a great deal as far as I can tell.  I HIGHLY
suggest that you get Martin Moe's new book.  It deals with reef
tanks, but the information it has on new aquarium gadgets is
very valuable.

>Thanks in advance for any help.

>Ken Klingman				MIPS Computer Systems, Inc.
>kck@mips.com				928 Arques Avenue
{uunet,decwrl,pyramid,ames}!mips!kck	Sunnyvale, California  94086
					(408)991-7826
----------

Doug Quarnstrom