(Simple Algae)

This is normally from green to brown in colour. All algae are accentually a plant and should be treated as such. As we know, plants need ultraviolet light to photosynthesis its intake. This can be taken in by its roots, but mostly through the rest of the plant. When ultraviolet light is not available or stress is present, the algae become pale as it is depleted of chlorophyll. It is important to note that when algae dies, except for a little co2, it gives off no pollution, all its intake is converted to amino acids and harmless carbons, though it can lower ph without good dry sections in your bio filter. Some examples of simple algae are, culerpas, turtle grass, sea grass, red algae, sea lettuce, valonia and many weed varieties. A system suitable for these algae is a large calcium based dry and wet bio system to maintain high calcium and water hardness levels. The lighting should be no less than 10 hours and no greater than 17 hours per day of broad-spectrum high output fluorescent lighting, not metal haloi. Try to have as many variations of tubes over your tank as possible. An important part of the algae cycle, is when light is not present. This is the time when it gives off co2. Now this can soften your water and lower ph, unless there is a lot of protein skimming or better still a long single or multiple dry sections. This should be open to the air and based on calcium, (coral, shells etc). This action of water cascading thru the coral rubble balances the ph and the nighttime co2 breaks down micro amounts of the coral, releasing calcium, strontium, magnesium etc into the water. This is a complete cycle. If done right and the correct algae species are used in the right way, the alga purifies the water of protein, phosfate, nitrate, co2 and releases valuable nutrients. You can now boast pure ocean water, pristine tank conditions and no water changes, (if done right).

(Coralline Algae)

This calcium sucker is the backbone of the reef. It coexists with polyp corals as the base that attaches it to the reef. This species is mainly an algae creature that takes in calcium and makes some important chemicals needed for its skeleton and bonding to the rocks and dead coral. The most commonly noticed coralline is the pink variety that covers areas in your tank, including the glass. It is found wherever there is good flow. There are two main pink coralline varieties, one likes the shade the other likes the light. Both of these are the most prolific calcium suckers in your tank, and are far more efficient than anything else at calcium extraction. There are also other forms of coralline that looks like plants and they are the Halimeda varieties. There are also some red algae in the coralline family.

(Coral Algae) or (Symbiodinium Microadriaticum)

These forms of algae, which can be several types in one coral creature, are called clades and are in the true symbiotic existence. Research has found that certain clades are resistant to stress unlike some other forms of clades, giving some corals and anemones resistance to severe environmental changes. The coral creature has evolved away from its past within the jellyfish and anemone family. It has learned to take on algae to enable it to make a calcium skeleton by the use of chemicals that the alga produces. The coral creature can take on its algae in larvae form and if need be, in adult form. Without algae the coral has no colour, no sunscreen, no calcium skeleton and no glucose. Basically you are left with a white anemone unable to properly feed or multiply or live.

(Phytoplankton)

The bases of all life in the ocean and to some degree on land as well. This beginning of the food chain is not just important to the ocean but to us as well. This creatures shell is silica, which we make into silicon, glass etc. The list would be enormous, but more important functions of this algae creature is absorbing carbon dioxide and making its shell from it. Also it eats most waste and pollutants excreting valuable substances. This creature that can look like a shrimp and attains other strange shapes but more importantly makes a great deal of the earths oxygen and is the food for the food for all ocean creatures.

(Aquarium lighting)

There are many forms of lighting around these days for our hobbies and all can be classed in the same way as filtration, (they all do something). This is only generalizing, so what you really need to do is look into each and every form of lighting to see what it achieves and is that going to suite your needs. The easiest way to simplify what each type of lighting does is to briefly explain each form of lighting and what and how certain creatures benefit by it. Also some myths need to be dismissed in order for you to make a reasonable choice for your hobby. From the worst to the best, from the weakest to the strongest, who benefits and who doesn’t, these follow in some order.(Standard aquarium lighting)These t8s are suited to most aquariums and the word standard doesn’t give them enough credit. Over the last 30 years they have evolved enormously in colour frequency and a little extra intensity. Since the days of the growlux, the Phillips 03 and the introduction of the triphosfa tube, lighting has had no need to look back. The powder coatings in the modern tubes that create colour spectrum are amazing these days, they do so much to assist photosynthesis and vitamin production for your creatures, that it has become even harder to fail with your hobby. The pick of the tubes cheaply available in Brisbane Australia would have to be the coralstar and the aquastar. These combined with other tubes, if you wish and as many as possible over your tank, for there price, they do a great job. There is one drawback to this T8 lighting; it doesn’t have a lot of intensity for depth penetration in your tank. Now this is not a big issue, for some of the colour and uv does make it to the floor of a 2ft deep tank, if your water is clear and hard. What you need to do is position your inverts to suite there needs. Always remember inverts, corals, anemones, etc, pull in the light; so give them a little space. There are other not so easily accessible T8 lights such as the triton tube, this tube has an amazing spectrum and with a good blue actinic will easily grow corals. These days electronic ballasts are much cheaper, (so use them), they are great! They make your lights last longer and emit very little heat. The best ways to justify the lighting you purchase is to make sure of its colour spectrum and uv content. The term (full spectrum) should be, though hard, your goal when looking for a light. Now saying this and achieving it is hard in his country, because the cromaline and vitalite varieties are not easily available, especially in Queensland.Do the best you can, your creatures will benefit. T8 tubes, if used for around 16 hours a day (no more) should last around 4 to 5 months,(they still light up, but have no intensity),you then replace with new ones. To give your inverts enough time to use this weak lighting to feed, they need to be on as long as possible.(Important) your tank inhabitants have to rest. 6 to 8 hours a day is good, no less! (Moonlight lighting) This lighting over your tank at night, though not necessary, can give good results. The blue part of the colour spectrum is the strongest and penetrates the water the furtherest. That’s why the ocean is blue. Corals and anemones have many different species of algae that they use in their cells and each requires a different colour frequency to utilize photosynthesis affectively. Hence, broad spectrum or full spectrum. *Always have your light fittings 20 to 50 ml above your tank. * If your lids are not sparkling clean, your lighting will be reduced. Even clear glass reduces lighting. Even air reduces light strength. * Lights coming on suddenly has virtually no adverse affects, at the most it may startle newcomer to your tank. (T5 Fluro Tubes) These are great, they can boast standard fluro features, but are more compact, more depth penetration and they help light up your house, as your tank becomes a huge light bulb. There are 2 main fittings available here in Brisbane, the aqualina and the fittings. The aqualina tubes are okay, but not a good actinic range. But I have changed the fitting a little and put in a T5 aquastar and a coral star and get a very good result with a couple of aqualina tubes as well. I have tried to find a vitalite in a T5 format, but duro don’t make them yet. One draw back with T5 tubes intensity is more heat. Just keep clean glass between the tubes and your water and keep the fitting up an inch or three, it all helps. (Power Compact) These have more output than the T5 and more electricity, if you have good ones. At this stage, the spectrum in these could be improved, but from results in friend’s tanks, they are the most powerful tube going for depth penetration. They use a lot of electricity, as a powerful light should. The fitting in the aqualina range is very neat. They don’t have a long life, around 3 months for these tubes. (Mercury Vapour) Old news. I wouldn’t use them again in these modern times. (Metal Holoei) The sunlight appearance bulb. These lights put out heaps of heat, use the most electricity, don’t last long at all, in fact far shorter than tubes. They also light up a small area. From experience with these and specs that I have read on them, plus expert opinions on them,though they have improved a great deal over the last 4 years, they are good for one thing, creating a sunlit look to your tank. Only 10 percent of the light output is useful to your inverts. All that power, all that space, all that heat, all that expense, some would say, don’t bother. If you can afford it and combine some good tubes with it, sure. Your tank looks sunlit and does well, but if you can’t easily afford the problems that go with these, leave them for what they were designed for, street lights. *Always write down the date of tubes or bulbs, preferably on the tube, as to when they were put in so you allow the correct amount of time between changes.