bleached corals/rocks & algae

[Anonymous]

Is there any reason why algae tends to form more readily on bleached out coral fragments & rocks?

I ask this because I have a bucket o rocks & frags that is completely dry in on my patio collecting sun and when I get new frags and stuff I like to grab a piece out of there of approriate size/shape and glue the frags to that then use that to attach to the main rock structure in my tank. However I just can't get over to how fast algae will colonize these pieces.

Is it because the LR probably has coraline algae on it and that surpressed other algae growth? Is there something additional I should do to the pieces before using them as frag mounts? Soak them in a strong acid solution to bindup any phosphates? I am aware my tank isn't the cleanest thing on the planet and that doesn't help, but I can't get over how fast algae will just pop up.

 

[Anonymous]

Is it because the LR probably has coraline algae on it and that surpressed other algae growth?

I think that is why.

I find the same thing. That's the only thing that sucks about using old dead rock to mount frags on. I do it too, because I like small rocks over plugs and what not. But it takes time for coraline to take over.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm, too bad coralline algae requires light to grow, otherwise I'd say stick a bunch of the dead rock pieces in the sump and grab as needed. As it is the rock in my refugium (sunlit) is covered in algae, but there I don't mind because it's a nutrient exporter, not to mention it captures the particulate matter quite well.