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Old video but worth watching
- Thread starter dz6t
- Start date
"Why am I pretending this is even an issue"
I came to the same conclusion with PO4.
I came to the same conclusion with PO4.
OP
OP
Watch 13:40 in the video if you want to jump into the juicy part.
To sum it up, algae produce carbon sources such as sugar which promotes bacteria on the coral to over populated, which in turn kills the coral.
Recently, several studies found that algae will even promote virus and harmful bacteria to grow on coral and lead to the decline of coral reef.
Like human, if the immune system is strong and coral is healthy, they can resist the harmful bacteria and virus infested on them, that can be think of as why many prople with refugiums and still have seemingly healthy reef tank. But think of it as coral in these systems are spending tons of energy to fight off the harmful bacteria and virus.
To sum it up, algae produce carbon sources such as sugar which promotes bacteria on the coral to over populated, which in turn kills the coral.
Recently, several studies found that algae will even promote virus and harmful bacteria to grow on coral and lead to the decline of coral reef.
Like human, if the immune system is strong and coral is healthy, they can resist the harmful bacteria and virus infested on them, that can be think of as why many prople with refugiums and still have seemingly healthy reef tank. But think of it as coral in these systems are spending tons of energy to fight off the harmful bacteria and virus.
OP
OP
Another message from these studies are the importance of algae glazing fish to remove algae which protects coral.
In our small reef pieces of ocean, other algae eaters such as snails play an critical role when large tang or rabbit fish are not suitable.
For over a decade of coral farming, I found it is important to keep a large group of tangs in my systems. I mainly use groups of yellow tangs and now it is very costly to do so.
In our small reef pieces of ocean, other algae eaters such as snails play an critical role when large tang or rabbit fish are not suitable.
For over a decade of coral farming, I found it is important to keep a large group of tangs in my systems. I mainly use groups of yellow tangs and now it is very costly to do so.
OP
OP
That is a good point, but it seems vinegar and vodka dosing are controllable easily and has less impact like biopellets.
A guy I know killed all his sps by simply filling his biopellet reactor too full.
Very interesting video Dong, learned something new. Great post!
Well, it's a great, eye-opening video, but I still feel the need to control phosphate, despite all the amazing high-phosphate tanks. If let it get high, pest algae grows like crazy. Then, when I lower the phosphate, the algae goes away. There is something mysterious happening in those amazing high phosphate tanks - how do they avoid algae outbreaks?
Chlorinated
Non-member
So Dong, are you saying running a refugium for nutrient control could actually be a bad thing for the corals?
Firereptile
Non-member
Hi Dong, super interesting video! I found it to be a very convincing case that algae touching corals has a super negative impact on them through bacteria spreading. However, I'd say I was less convinced by the idea that the increased bacteria in the water column due to algae is a big factor in coral mortality (which is the relevant quesiton RE refugiums). Does any of the other more recent literature expand on this idea? If so could you let me know what the name of the papers I'd like to take a look.
Thanks (This is Eli Martin btw)
Thanks (This is Eli Martin btw)
OP
OP
At 15:31 in the video, there was a screen that separated the algae and the coral, so that they were not physically touching. This screen allowed the compounds produced by algae to travel through the divider screen but not the bacteria on the algae.
The result showed that the algae produced chemicals that passed the screen and stimulated the bacteria on the coral which in turn killed the coral.
Yes there are recently literatures that support this and I need to find time to dig them out.
The result showed that the algae produced chemicals that passed the screen and stimulated the bacteria on the coral which in turn killed the coral.
Yes there are recently literatures that support this and I need to find time to dig them out.
OP
OP
I happened to have this paper abstract saved on my phone,
“Microbial to reef scale interactions between the reef-building coral Montastraea annularis and benthic algae”
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279 (1733), 1655-1664, 2012
Quote:
“propose a model in which fleshy algae (i.e. some species of turf and fleshy macroalgae) alter benthic competition dynamics by stimulating bacterial respiration and promoting invasion of virulent bacteria on corals. This gives fleshy algae a competitive advantages...”
“Microbial to reef scale interactions between the reef-building coral Montastraea annularis and benthic algae”
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279 (1733), 1655-1664, 2012
Quote:
“propose a model in which fleshy algae (i.e. some species of turf and fleshy macroalgae) alter benthic competition dynamics by stimulating bacterial respiration and promoting invasion of virulent bacteria on corals. This gives fleshy algae a competitive advantages...”
OP
OP
Also one can speculate that if algae on the reef that is in vast amount of ocean water can produce enough concentration of harmful chemicals to reef building coral, what they can do in a closed system such as in a reef tank.
But algae is just one factor, other things that we dump into our tanks can potentially do more damage, such as certain frozen food, additives and trace elements.
But algae is just one factor, other things that we dump into our tanks can potentially do more damage, such as certain frozen food, additives and trace elements.
