Tiny bits of algae on SPS tips

[magnetic1]

Ive got some very small algae growth on a couple of tips of some SPS. Very small amount on SPS only near the very top of the tank.

 

Is this something I should be concerned about? Put super glue over the algae?

 

Picture here:

 

http://brakeswapracing.com/ericwong/tank/spsalgae.jpg

Edited February 28, 2008 by magnetic1

[jason the filter freak]

you sure thats algea and not dead tissue

?

[phisigs79]

Its a cobination of dead tissue and algae. i would break the tips off

[Tri Bui]

yes, break the tip off so it won't slowly kill the frag. Once the algae deposit it will slowly kill the frag tissue

[Rascal]

Its a combination of dead tissue and algae. i would break the tips off

 

Agreed.

Also consider doing something to reduce the amount of light hitting these corals, at least temporarily so they have a chance to acclimate.

Edited February 28, 2008 by Rascal

[DaveS]

This is interesting, I didn't know this. I have some Monti cap and Porcillipora that either touched another coral or got blasted with a power head and some of the tissue died, leaving a place for algae to grow. So that should get cut off?

 

I always thought that leaving things alone the dead area would bounce back sooner as a place for the coral to grow/spread. Maybe that was just for bleached coral?

Edited February 28, 2008 by DaveS

[treesprite]

I've also got this problem. So, I have never cut/broken/or otherwise made into pieces a hard coral..... what do I use just to nip a tip?

[lanman]

I've also got this problem. So, I have never cut/broken/or otherwise made into pieces a hard coral..... what do I use just to nip a tip?

 

Bone-cutting pliers, or wire snips work.

 

bob

[magnetic1]

Bone-cutting pliers, or wire snips work.

 

bob

 

Thanks, Ill have to make a HD run to get new snips since all the ones I have are quite dirty

[treesprite]

I'm gonna have to wait till tomorrow for me, as I am expecting to be at work till midnight tonight. Thanks for the tip-cutting tip.

 

Here's a thought - maybe nipping those off will help deter snails and hermits from going all over the corals picking at them.

Edited February 28, 2008 by treesprite

[Rascal]

This is interesting, I didn't know this. I have some Monti cap and Porcillipora that either touched another coral or got blasted with a power head and some of the tissue died, leaving a place for algae to grow. So that should get cut off?

 

I always thought that leaving things alone the dead area would bounce back sooner as a place for the coral to grow/spread. Maybe that was just for bleached coral?

 

Dave,

 

I should have looked at his picture before I posted but I was rushing, sorry. I was imagining something more like a tuft of hair algae coming off of a dead/burnt growth tip. I was also thinking the tips in question would be easier to cut off. What he has looks more like diatom growth, and I think it would be hard to break or cut off those areas without unnecessarily damaging the rest of the coral. The main thing is just to keep nuisance algae from gaining a foothold, which would make it more difficult for the coral to regain lost territory. I think in this case I would probably just blast those areas with a turkey-baster every day or so. If that didn't work you could try other methods of manual removal.

 

Of course, the tissue will only grow back if you can figure out and correct whatever problem caused the loss of tissue in the first place. A common cause for death of the axial coralites at the tips of branches is too much light (or at least, too much too soon), but again, after looking at the picture now I am not so sure.

 

Magnetic1, can you give us any more information about the coral to help figure out what is causing its problems?

[treesprite]

this is good coral care info to have - thanks

[magnetic1]

 

 

Magnetic1, can you give us any more information about the coral to help figure out what is causing its problems?

 

Thanks. Someone else had also suggested putting some super glue where the algae was. Ive tried blasting w/ a turkey baster to no avail.

 

The coral is fairly recent. I may have rushed the acclimation though. I got it as a frag without it being mounted to rubble/discs etc. The only place I could acclimate it was on the side of my tank where I put eggcrate. Since this area is further from the point source of the MH lights, I kept it higher. It was here for a few days and then I moved it to it's current location which is fairly high and under the MH lights. So it would seem my own acclimation procedure and rushing it into place has caused this.

 

Should I break it off from the spot it is mounted and move it lower? Or leave it in place?

 

At the moment I have put eggcrate above the tank so less light gets through. Not sure if this will help.

[Rascal]

Thanks. Someone else had also suggested putting some super glue where the algae was. Ive tried blasting w/ a turkey baster to no avail.

 

The coral is fairly recent. I may have rushed the acclimation though. I got it as a frag without it being mounted to rubble/discs etc. The only place I could acclimate it was on the side of my tank where I put eggcrate. Since this area is further from the point source of the MH lights, I kept it higher. It was here for a few days and then I moved it to it's current location which is fairly high and under the MH lights. So it would seem my own acclimation procedure and rushing it into place has caused this.

 

Should I break it off from the spot it is mounted and move it lower? Or leave it in place?

 

At the moment I have put eggcrate above the tank so less light gets through. Not sure if this will help.

 

Personally I would not put superglue on it.

 

That looks like an awful lot like an ORA tricolor valida to me. If so IME it does need a little longer than that to acclimate to new conditions. I wouldn't move it just yet though. I think you are on the right track with the eggcrate. For acclimating a single coral without affecting the amount of light in the rest of the tank too much, I like to put a 6-8" strip of eggcrate across the tank from front to back and then place 3 or 4 squares (6"x6") of gutter guard on top of each other directly between the coral and the light to provide some shade. You might need to put another small piece of eggcrate on top of the gutter guard to keep it from curling up due to the heat from the lights. Assuming the coral is doing OK, you can then just remove 1 square per week and then the eggcrate. It this doesn't work then I would consider moving the coral lower.