Little Red Spots

[Ted]

Hi Everyone,

My 55 gallon tank has been up and running for just over a month. It is a fish only tank right now with one Damsel (he likes it roomy) Over the past several days I've noticed that some of the crushed coral has developed small red dots. Also, the rock (not live rock, there is no live rock in the tank) has developed a few of these small red spots. It almost looks like someone took a deep (rusty) red pen and dotted the tank. If you were to look at my tank from 5 feet away you wouldn't notice it...but if you look closer you can see it. Does anyone know what this is? What I should do? Is it good? Is it bad? I'm not too worried because I only have a damsel in the tank...but I'm a beginner so I'm trying to learn as I go. Is this the beginning of coraline? (I'm doubting this because I've heard that Coraline Algae needs pristine conditions....and a 1 month old tank couldn't have the right conditions) I'd really appreciate your advice. Thanks in advance.

Ted

[Scodz]

probably just your tank getting ready for christmas
actually it makes me think that an essential part of a tank is a digital camera It could be many things but when dealing with nature if it is a pattern it is usually animal. meaning simply not the start of some algae. Do all the dots have the same shape? it could be something like planarians or flat worms try and get one under a magnifying glass and look for similarity in shapes between a couple of em.

[Alice]

Well, if it's rusty brownish red and you also are getting a light coating on the glass, then I'd hazard a guess at diatoms. This dusty looking brown algae feeds off silicates and is common in new systems. Usually it will pass in fairly short order if the water that is going in the tank is free of silicates. Are you using some type of water filtration?

If it's deep red and looks like maroon velvet then it's most likely cyanobacteria, another common nuisance in new (and not so new! ) tanks. Cyanobacteria is always present to a small degree in our systems and is an important part of the food web. When conditions get out of kilter, the cyano can become more dominant and florish. An overabundance of nutrients and lack of circulation seem to be the two main culprits in the overgrowth of cyano.

HTH,

~Alice

Good point on the flatworms, scodze. Although if there's nothing else in the tank and the rocks and substrate were all dry when Ted put them in the tank, it's not very likely. Although I suppose they could have come in with the water for the damsel.

[Alice]

Oh! And welcome to The Reef Tank, Ted :santa:

[FishDaddy]

Hi Ted,

Good to have you with us!
Certainly sounds like Diatoms, one of the usual and expected Algae blooms associated with new aquariums. With good water conditions, it should subside.
Please tell us more about your tank: lighting; circulation; source water; etc.
If you don't have it already, I highly recommend getting a copy of Robert Fenner's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. This is an excellent book for the new reefer and is a good resource for future reference.
Do you have any snails or other clean up critters? A variety of snails will help control any algae outbreaks. Trochus, Margaritas, and Ceriths are good choices; Nassarius are a favorite but like to submerge in the sand and might have trouble with the coarser Crushed Coral.
I would also commend reading these helpful articles and sites:
http://www.thereeftank.com/article/
http://saltyzoo.com:8081/
http://www.wyx.com/iheo/tank/new.htm

FWIW, the Damsel will assume the whole 55 is his and be aggressive towards any new fish. These guys may be small but can be terrors in the reef! This might be the best chance to catch and trade him in while the tank is relatively empty.
You might also want to give consideration to switching the Crushed Coral for a Deep Sand Bed. A DSB of 4~6" will give you addtional biofiltration capacity that Crushed Coral cannot. This would also provide a better home for some Nassarius!
Please see:
http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm
Again, welcome to TRT!
HTH,
Dick)

[Ted]

Thanks guys for your advice and know-how. I have to say that I was actually really excited to see some action in my tank (even if it was something bad) I think dealing with outbreaks and algae etc is what makes it so exciting (can you tell I'm new to the hobby and not a grizzled vet) Here are the specs on my tank: 55 gallon cube (it is not the normal long tank, but rather a square) There is no live rock or live sand. I have a wet/dry filter with Bio Balls and a Protein Skimmer. 1 Ebo Jager heater in the sump. The waterflow should be pretty good. I have a MaxiJet 1200 (Ibelieve) and the waterflow coming back from the sump. RIght now I only have the one damsel in the tank (which I heard can be very territorial) The lighting is just a 10k Strip. I plan on keeping the tank pretty much fish only (with the possible exception of a few REALLY hardy corals or leathers) in that case I will add some live rock. The reason I am not going full out reef is that I know I am going to have to move (for work) in about a year.....I want to learn how to maintain a marine tank (a first for me) before endulging in the trials and tribulations (and expense) of a reef tank only to take it back down. I have not added any snails or cleanup critters because I was afraid of starving them to death (because the tank was so new) Do you guys think that it is ready for some clean up critters? Any advice? Recommendations on going forward. Again I really appreciate the links, articles and advice.

PS The stupidist thing I've done so far is to let my wife name our Damsel (Kirby).....I don't know how to break her heart and get rid of it (eel ) The Damsel is a yellow tail (i think that is what it is called) which is supposed to be the least territorial of the damsels.

[DaveJ]

Anyone want to take bets on how long it will be before they start cursing the damsel and the amount of effort it takes to catch it

[Alice]

Dave,

You'll not get any takers here

Although Doug had a yellow tail in his tank for years; once the Royal Gramma showed it who was boss, the damsel behaved himself

[Doug1]

Yes the yellow tail was fairly mellow, compared to other damsels I have had, but thats like comparing a full shark to a hungry shark. Lionfish would make a stunning addition to that tank