Question about Crushed Shell

[hawkinsrgk]

Last night I read an article in Aquarium Magazine where a question was posted about using Puka shell as substrate in his reef aquarium. The answer basically from the magazine was that eventually this will result in a never ending battle with algae.

I am thinking this may be related to the problems that I have been having with algae.

The substrate that I am using is crushed shell from the beach. It was washed in RO Water about 15-20 times before I put it in the display tank. Tank has been cycled for around 6 months and I have been fighting Diatom, Green Hair Algae and Red Slime algae from the very beginning.

Could this be the possible root cause to my algae problems and should I switch over to live sand?

 

[Triggerman77]

It could very well be your prob! What beach did get it from ??? Have u tested for Phosphates?? I would start there

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Gulf Shores. Basically the Florida Panhandle in the Gulf of Mexico (Pre Oil Spill). My water parameters look good except for Mag which is high. I'm assuming Phosphates could be a false reading because it is being consumed by Algae and Chaeto.

Phosphate - 0 - HannaChecker and API
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Calcium - 440
Alk - 10Dkh
Mag - 1400
Iron - 0

Thanks
Randy

 

[EVReef3]

that may be your problem. Unnecessary minerals can get trapped in the shells and can cause problems.
I started off with crushed coral and battled with algae for 3 months. then i got some live sand from lfs and put a 1 /12- 2'' of sand bed on it. Everything started clearing up after a month.

Many people do have sucess with crushed coral as well. Your perims seems fine.
how strong of filtration do you have?

 

[hawkinsrgk]

The filtration is ok but not great.

Tank is 180G with 65G Sump/Refugium. The Refugium section is around 30G. Mag 18 return pump, Sicce 1600GPH, MaxJet with Mod and Seico 1600. Overall flow rate is around 32x.
Coralife Superskimmer 220, 200 Pounds of live rock and about a mini-basketball size of Chaeto.

 

[beaslbob]

Regardless of where the nutirents are coming from, consuming those nutirents with desirable algae will prevent undeisrable algae.

the key IMHO is to get the tank balanced out with the desirable algae (like macros in a refugium of algae in an algae turf scrubber) then adjusting lighting to prevent the undesirable algae. Well cleanup crews helps also but you get the point.

That is true regardless of what is going on with substrate, bioload, water changes, filtration or whatever.


my .02