Help needed

SajmonPL · Nov 4, 2022

Dear All

At the beginning I would like to mentione that my salt aquarium is only 3 weeks old. I have actually two questions, namely:

1) As you can see on the picture of the live rock there is a purple coating. I was trying to find some new on the internet and the only reasonable explanation I found is that this might be calcareous algae. Please let me know if any of you has such case. From the source I found it is not anything I should be worried about. Just want to confirm this with more experienced collogues. The live rock is in the tank from the very beginning. Aquarium was started with the use of salt water from other mature aquarium a nd the rock had such coating from the very beginning, maybe less surface was covered but it was already on the rock when I put it in the tank .

2) Second questione I have is about my anemone. I have bought it from the same guy which I got the rock and salt water. Anemone in the very first moment I put it the tank on th rock moved closer to the outlet of the water form the filter and it is connected to the wall of the aquarium till today. After few days I have notice that the anemone started to excrete some king of slime. I have also noticed that on the side of the anemone there was some kind of crack/split. I have asked the person from I bought the anemone but he tild me that nothing bad is happening. I have also read that the anemone might split into two but usually people commented that this happened very fast. In ma case anemone is behaving like that since 3 weeks. Is there anything I need to worry about?

I would like to add that my NO3 level is still high probably due to immature tank it is on the level of circa. 100 mg/l ( ppm )

Thank you for all of the comments

thomas_neil · Nov 4, 2022

SajmonPL said:
Dear All

At the beginning I would like to mentione that my salt aquarium is only 3 weeks old. I have actually two questions, namely:

1) As you can see on the picture of the live rock there is a purple coating. I was trying to find some new on the internet and the only reasonable explanation I found is that this might be calcareous algae. Please let me know if any of you has such case. From the source I found it is not anything I should be worried about. Just want to confirm this with more experienced collogues. The live rock is in the tank from the very beginning. Aquarium was started with the use of salt water from other mature aquarium a nd the rock had such coating from the very beginning, maybe less surface was covered but it was already on the rock when I put it in the tank .

2) Second questione I have is about my anemone. I have bought it from the same guy which I got the rock and salt water. Anemone in the very first moment I put it the tank on th rock moved closer to the outlet of the water form the filter and it is connected to the wall of the aquarium till today. After few days I have notice that the anemone started to excrete some king of slime. I have also noticed that on the side of the anemone there was some kind of crack/split. I have asked the person from I bought the anemone but he tild me that nothing bad is happening. I have also read that the anemone might split into two but usually people commented that this happened very fast. In ma case anemone is behaving like that since 3 weeks. Is there anything I need to worry about?

I would like to add that my NO3 level is still high probably due to immature tank it is on the level of circa. 100 mg/l ( ppm )

Thank you for all of the comments

The purple could either be cyano or coraline. If it easly comes off its cyano, if not its coralline and coralline is good for a tank. As for the anemone how much flow you have in the tank, and what kind of lighting? He's either by the return to get more flow or to get closer to the light. The split is probably it splitting I wouldn't worry about it, in the pictures it looks healthy.

dstockwell · Nov 4, 2022

Welcome to the Reef

Well an anemone for the most going to go where it wants to go. If it's that high up you may not have enough light to drive it down to the bottom. As for splitting, sorry I don't know enough on that.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Nov 4, 2022

Was the rock dry or it came wet from some other tank? Its impossible to have coraline growing on your rocks in only 3 weeks, it was either already there from another tank, or they are painted red.

The anemone should not be in a 3 week old tank, they do well in established tanks but struggle in new tanks. An important rule in this hobby is to go very slowly.

SajmonPL · Nov 4, 2022

Thank you for your comments. Today I will try to clean this purple coating with a toothbrush and see. Regarding water flow I have a standard cascade filter which was in the aquarium kit so I think it is dedicated for that kind of aquarium. I have also added extra flow pump New Jet Wave Nano 900l/h and it is dedicated for 36-60 L marine aquariums, my is 49 L. Regarding the light it is a mystery to me as it is custom made. There are two levels of light possible to chose. I use the more powerful option but I can also connect second plug and it give extra light. Rock I got wet from the other tank and it already had purple coating but not so much. It seem to grow from that time.

SilvermistInc · Nov 4, 2022

Yikes. A nem in a 3 week old tank? Good luck.

PatW · Nov 4, 2022

SajmonPL said:
Thank you for your comments. Today I will try to clean this purple coating with a toothbrush and see. Regarding water flow I have a standard cascade filter which was in the aquarium kit so I think it is dedicated for that kind of aquarium. I have also added extra flow pump New Jet Wave Nano 900l/h and it is dedicated for 36-60 L marine aquariums, my is 49 L. Regarding the light it is a mystery to me as it is custom made. There are two levels of light possible to chose. I use the more powerful option but I can also connect second plug and it give extra light. Rock I got wet from the other tank and it already had purple coating but not so much. It seem to grow from that time.

If it is cyanobacteria, all it takes is a blast from a turkey baster to blow most of it off. That will tell you really quick. With your system 3 weeks old, I would wager that it is cyano. Coralline algae is not horribly fast growing so it would most likely not cover your rock that quickly.

bnord · Nov 4, 2022

first, welcome and glad you reached out

as others have said, Coraline will not blow off with a Turkey baster, and if you dont have one yet, you will prosper by having one (or 2). and based on the other mushroom corals on the rock, I will bet that it is Coraline. And that will support the notion that your tank is like seeded will for a light bio-load.

As to the nem, and said as kindly and gently as one can, you should know what may or may not survive. A tank this new may support an anemone for a period, but chances for long term are questionable - in my personal experience. Might make it and it might not. You already have sky-high nitrates, (are you testing ammonium?) and if you start to feed it as you should it will compound the problem. It may hang in there and last a good long time, but if it does not, one of the probable causes will be "lack of maturity of the tank leading to failure to thrive". No there isn't a definitive answer to how do I know my tank is mature, its like the definition of pornography, you will know it when you see it.

To the chemistry, I would plan for early, consistently timed "aggressive" water changes for the next 6-8 weeks. 10 to 20% per week on schedule

best of luck, you sound like a caring and open reefer

davidcalgary29 · Nov 4, 2022

I agree that it might be a good idea to rehome the 'nem. If you want an anemone, you could possibly try rock flower anemones, which can be gorgeous; they're also easy to keep and quite hardy.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 4, 2022

The red stuff you see is known as either foraminiferan or coralline
Generally, when anemones move, its not a good sign as it signifies inadequate light or too much flow due to stress. Additionally, the anemone needs a very mature tank and does not do well in a newer tank subject to spikes and changes in chemistry and rather needs a stable environment. Most are not even fond of water changes

SilvermistInc · Nov 4, 2022

vetteguy53081 said:
The red stuff you see is known as either foraminiferan or coralline
Generally, when anemones move, its not a good sign as it signifies inadequate light or too much flow due to stress. Additionally, the anemone needs a very mature tank and does not do well in a newer tank subject to spikes and changes in chemistry and rather needs a stable environment. Most are not even fond of water changes

BTAs moving is also a thing they do for the hell of it.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 4, 2022

SilvermistInc said:
BTAs moving is also a thing they do for the hell of it.

Not really. I have 4 and same spot close to two years. They will shift in most cases

SilvermistInc · Nov 5, 2022

vetteguy53081 said:
Not really. I have 4 and same spot close to two years. They will shift in most cases

No, they absolutely will move. BTAs staying still isn't exactly the norm.

SajmonPL · Nov 5, 2022

Again thank you for your comments. I am currently checking NO3 on daily basis but unfortunately it stays on the same level. I have also checked NO2 but it was 0. I have also bought special bacterias that should help stabilize my tank. Anyway the person who sold me the fish and bacterias told me that what I am doing now is an experiment and he wouldn't sell me the fish is I wouldn't be traveling 4 hours one way to buy them. I am only disappointed about the person who at the beginning sold me live rock and anemone. Actually he told me that if I have salt water from him and live rock I can almost put the fish in the same day or day after. As a "rookie" I believed him looking on his big and beautiful aquarium tank that he know what he is saying. I am only feeling bad for the living creature I have in the tank due to my inexperience. Anyway clown fish are already inside the anemone and they do not want to go out. It seems that they are happy there. Anemone is starting to look better. I hope they will survive.

SajmonPL · Nov 5, 2022

SajmonPL said:
Again thank you for your comments. I am currently checking NO3 on daily basis but unfortunately it stays on the same level. I have also checked NO2 but it was 0. I have also bought special bacterias that should help stabilize my tank. Anyway the person who sold me the fish and bacterias told me that what I am doing now is an experiment and he wouldn't sell me the fish is I wouldn't be traveling 4 hours one way to buy them. I am only disappointed about the person who at the beginning sold me live rock and anemone. Actually he told me that if I have salt water from him and live rock I can almost put the fish in the same day or day after. As a "rookie" I believed him looking on his big and beautiful aquarium tank that he know what he is saying. I am only feeling bad for the living creature I have in the tank due to my inexperience. Anyway clown fish are already inside the anemone and they do not want to go out. It seems that they are happy there. Anemone is starting to look better. I hope they will survive.

Additional info. I am changing water on weekly basis 10%.

SajmonPL · Nov 5, 2022

bnord said:
first, welcome and glad you reached out

as others have said, Coraline will not blow off with a Turkey baster, and if you dont have one yet, you will prosper by having one (or 2). and based on the other mushroom corals on the rock, I will bet that it is Coraline. And that will support the notion that your tank is like seeded will for a light bio-load.

As to the nem, and said as kindly and gently as one can, you should know what may or may not survive. A tank this new may support an anemone for a period, but chances for long term are questionable - in my personal experience. Might make it and it might not. You already have sky-high nitrates, (are you testing ammonium?) and if you start to feed it as you should it will compound the problem. It may hang in there and last a good long time, but if it does not, one of the probable causes will be "lack of maturity of the tank leading to failure to thrive". No there isn't a definitive answer to how do I know my tank is mature, its like the definition of pornography, you will know it when you see it.

To the chemistry, I would plan for early, consistently timed "aggressive" water changes for the next 6-8 weeks. 10 to 20% per week on schedule

best of luck, you sound like a caring and open reefer

I have tried to brush the purple surface with a new toothbrush. Nothing came off. It is solid like rock.