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Coralline Problems....


40gal

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I have posted a thread on RC and didn't really get any solutions there. Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley(extremely smart guy for those that don't know him) scratched his brain for answers, but couldn't come up with anything. Just wanted to get as many possible perspectives on this, and I would appreciate it if someone here had a different one...

 

The thread is here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...84&goto=newpost

 

Thanks for your time, and happy 4th of July NR!!!

 

Travis

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i always defer to pro's (like rhf) but lemme give a shot since i luuvv coralline! :happy:

 

the magnesium suggestion would be my 1st thought. it helps the chlorphyll and magnesite form (or not, if absent).

 

2nd i'd attack the CO3 levels with buffers. i tend to try and get this up (ha ha) and then switch to a 2-part Ca/Alk. i've tried C-Bal and Kent but B-Ionic performed much better for me. ymmv

 

there was a comment in the rc thread about surface algae/scum or something. the coralline does prefer a bare surface versus one covered with heavy bacterial or algal growth (e.g. dino, hair, etc). altho it will grow on bubble algae as it provides a anchorable surface (surface tension or some similar physical property???, go ask a materials engineer :P).

 

i'd also look to raise the ca just a little more but it is ok where it is now, i just prefer it higher (400+).

 

last thing is livestock. can you list your livestock? if you have a couple of stonys or clams or even some mollusk hitchhikers, they will suck away all the opportune Ca, CO3, or even Mg for themselves and bio-lock it into their biomass. (this last one is usually what i suspect if chem parameters are all registering in line) hth

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What kind of salt are you using?

I am using Coralife, which doesn't help coralline. I began to dose seachem magnesium, and the coralline on my rocks has begun to take off. Even my girlfriend noticed the difference. I'm still waiting for it to show up on my glass, and there are tiny spots on my PH.

I think the slow growth is due mostly to crappy salt and high PO4. Try adding seachem. They have a product that can dose Mg, Sr (strontium), and something else. That may be a good choice.

Good luck.

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I used to use IO and then switched to Kent, but am considering switching back to IO after I run out of Kent. It seems to be the most widely used salt, and you can get a bucket for under $40 shipped from petsmart.com. I am hoping that adding Mg will bump it up.... I guess we will see.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'll take some of it off your hands if your just gonna scrape it off!! I love the stuff and could use it to seed some tanks. Let me know

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My coralline was growing slowly in my tank, but I started dosing kalkwasser and it seems to have picked up the pace! Now it could just be the stage at which the tank is at (4-5 weeks setup) or it might be the kalk, or it might just be that my tank had depressed calc before (The kalk moved it from 320 to 420).

 

I can't give you any advice, but I can tell you what seems to be working for me...adding kalk. What is actually happening (the calc, the alk, the less phosphates) due to the kalk addition is beyond me.

 

V

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MrConclusion

Anyone who is not having good luck with magnesium suppliments, amke sure you try something other than Kent or Red Sea. They're very diluted.

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what would you suggest as an alternate supplement? All I have been using is Kent's, maybe that's my problem. What about seachem - anyone have luck with those?

 

Travis

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I've finally given up on my coralline. I started dosing coralvital about a month ago. I had great coralline growth and color for about two weeks then it all bleached out and now appears orange-brown. All my parameters look great and I have great growth in my lps, sps, and softies. As long as my corals are happy and growing, I won't worry too much about it.

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