I currently have a 55 gallon with about 50 lbs of live rock completely evcrusted with coralline algae. My back and side glass are now covered in corraline as well. I am running a Marineland Emperor 400 (should I use the bio-wheels with the live rock ??) and a Prizm Skimmer. Live stock: 2 clowns, 6 green cormis, 1 yellow tang, coral beauty, firegoby and a dragonette and a few select corals. Can't seem to shake a nitrate problem. Any suggestions on equipement or additional filtration. Tank is about 7 months old. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated !!

If the only water movement is from the Emperor and the skimmer pump, I might suggest more water motion within the aquarium. Your live rock performs as a biological filter assuming water movement through and around the rock is sufficient. If you install two or three small powerheads (either on or off a wavemaker), you might see your nitrates go down eventually. Once this is accomplished, you can indeed remove the biowheel, as it could actually become a source for nitrate accumulation in a reef aquarium. Also, regular water changes (10% a week or more) is still a must in even the best reef tanks. Use deionized and/or reverse osmosis water for all water changes and topping off, as tap water can be heavily loaded with undesirables, not least of which would include nitrates and phosphates.

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Recently my 125 gallon reef tank has these little, white, round, hard deposits on the glass and the back of the tank. I can scrape them off and they seem to dissolve, but they always appear again. All of the inhabitants of my tank seem to be doing fine. Is this something I should worry about?

Chances are that these are a form of tube worm that are very common in aquariums containing live rock. Look carefully at these "deposits" (a magnifying glass might help), and look for a spiral pattern in them to positively identify them. They are harmless, and there is little reason to do anything other than scrape them off the glass when the grow there.

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My new live rock has turned to white within a week sitting in my 50 gallon reef tank. I have 2 65W 50/50 bulbs & 1 175W HQI light system. My is pH is 8.2, Temperature is 80. Phosphate, nitrite, and Ammonia are always at a safe level. I use Kent Marine Liquid Calcium & Strontium - Molybdenum following the instruction. What is causing my live rock to lose its color?

The color on your live rock comes from the coralline algae that grows on it. This algae gets its color from iodine in the water, which is exactly what your tank is missing. Start dosing your tank with iodine, and you should start seeing the white replaced with purple again.

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I currently have 30 gallon reef tank, and want to upgrade to a 46 gallon bowfront. A store near me sells pre-mixed and conditioned saltwater. Could I use some of this water, add some new sand and live rock, and then just move my existing reef right over? Or will I need to break in my new tank first?

If you plan on transfering your existing filtration system on to the new aquarium, you could swap the livestock without too much trouble, provided that your current filtration is large enough to handle the volume of the new tank. If you plan to use all new filtration, then you will need to cycle your new system before moving your livestock.

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I just started to buy corals for my reef tank and they are all scrunched up smaller than they should be. My water tests for ammonia, nitrate, pH and nitrate are all perfect. What is wrong?

Either not enough light or alkalinity and/or calcium levels are not high enough. You need 3 to 5 watts per gallon (rough rule) of light for a reef tank. You didn't mention calcium or alkalinity tests. Get them, test the water and PLEASE buy a book and do some reading.

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I bought a Copperband Butterflyfish 3 days ago to help rid my tank of a few aptasia. It will not touch them. Is there another fish that will help or should I just be patient and give him time?

Copperband Butterflies will sometimes eat Aptasia but it's not always a sure thing. However, give it some time and don't starve it to get it to eat the Aptasia. If it doesn't eat the pesky anemones, kill them using Kalkwasser paste and a piece of thin stiff airline (available at your aquarium store) which you cut at an angle to form a sharp point. Add Kalkwasser to a few drops of water to make a paste. Stick the airline in the paste, then stick the Aptasia with the airline.

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Should I run a UV sterilizer on my reef tank? If so, should it run continuously, or for shorter lenghts of time?

This topic is often the source of heated debate among reef hobbyists. Many believe a UV should be run full-time on a reef to eradicate diseases and algae from the tank. Others feel that this piece of equipment will do more harm than good, as it will destroy many of the beneficial organisms that help to stabilize your reef aquarium as well as planktonic algae and invertebrates that corals and other filter-feeding animals feed upon. Still others prefer to run one only during an outbreak of disease in order to reduce the spread of bacteria and parasites during that time. It is up to the individual hobbyists to determine which route works best for them.

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What sand maintenance fish would you recommend for a reef tank? It can't grow too big.

You can try some Diamond or Yellow Head Sleeper Gobies.

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I just started a new 15 gallon saltwater aquarium. I've noticed small green plants that look like broccoli growing on the live rock. Are they plants or some sort of invertebrate that tagged along on the live rock?

It appears that you have some type of encrusting coral. It is harmless.

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I have a bunch of jellyfish-like organisms floating all over the tank. Do you know what they could be?

If your description is accurate, you might have a simple Cnidarian population. They should be harmless, but monitor for problems.

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Frequent Aquarium Questions