Help!!! I have coraline troubles!

[Whitten]

I have no clue as to what is going on in my tank right now. I am experienceing white patches that looks like dying Coraline algae all over the place. There seems to be what looks like flaky white powder all over allof my rocks, and my nice red stuff is starting to turn brown. I am really ####ed, since I bought the rock for the reason that it had tons of Coraline algae growth. So here are the parameters so that you guys might be able to figure it out.

My tank specs

[dickie52]

gotta know your cal.....

[seabass]

In the picture, I don’t see coralline on the rocks.

 

Have you just started this light cycle or has it been this way since you got your LR? Be sure to get calcium and alkalinity test kits.

[nanonewbies]

Sounds like bleaching? from the lighting? better coraline growth with lower lights...i thought? am I wrong?

[2manytanks]

seabass is right...

 

Ca and Alk are a must...

also, my experience is that coralline:

1. takes a while to grow...'specially on new tanks.

2. doesn't like alot of light...

 

if your Ca and Alk are right, it'll start to grow in the shaded areas of your tank first, then spread...

[Whitten]

Sorry that is an old pic. I have since gotten rid of the bad pieces...given them to a friend. I will post more pics of it soon...I just have to go take a final here in bit. My calcium should be in an acceptible range since I dose the tank everyday with Araga-milk shouldn't it. I feel as though that I was told to put too much in at times, but the LFS said that there was no way to over dose since it was all natural and basicly liquid aragonite.

[Ike]

Don't sweat it. It happens. Looks like the tank is pretty new right? Just remember that all the life on and in that rock has just been on an unbeliveable journey from wherever they pulled it from the stable ocean to your cycling tank. Alone the way everything has been VERY stressed. Coraline algae is a living organism. Some will die some will make it. Be patient, test your Ca/Alk levels. Try to maintain them at natural seawater levels and the coraline will start growing again. Also, you might want to bring the salinity up to a more natural level of @ 1.025-1.026 & keep your temp in the 80 degree range. I can't see any reason to keep water parameters at anything lower than natural seawater levels despite what anyone says.

 

Ike

[Whitten]

Thanks for the info. What you said about the water parameters makes perfect sense. I will rasie my salinity to 1.025 right now. AS for the Alk, and Cal Iwill have to see if the local store here carries that kind of stuff, or just wait till I get back to Atlanta.

[Whitten]

Here are some up date pictures.

[MrKrispy]

yah the coralline is much happier with the Calcium above 400. A calcium test IMO is crucial for a reef tank, gotta have it if you want to keep stonies and the coralline happy. It looks like you have a bunch already, it should grow back if you get your tank specs in line.

 

Look at my tank in the members section, I have an emerald crab that destroyed the only good section of coralline I have. I keep my Ca++ around 420-450ppm

[Whitten]

Haha, that is what I asked a bunch of people on some others forums. Before and after I got my crap, I asked if emerald crabs ate coraline algae, and everyone said that no they were fine. Now I have missing patches.

[Whitten]

I have one big question, would My Algae not be so prone to being bleached if I took out the lowest piece of rock on the right? It is already preatty much dead without any sign of Algae on it. it takes up so much room that it seems rediculous to have it in there if it has almost nil life on it.

[Vincerama]

The key to coralline growth IMHO

 

1) Alkalinity and Ca, BOTH have to be fairly high. Buy some B-Ionic, I don't think the aragamilk is cutting it. Get test kits and check, then get some B-Ionic OR start dripping kalkwasser

 

2) flow, flow, flow. After Alk/Ca this is THE KEY to coralline growth, I can say this almost definitively because of the following evidence;

a) I have a Prizm skimmer and the outflow "ramp" is coated with coralline while the plastic right next to the ramp is not, even though they sit in the same area

The intake of my skimmer is coated, it started at the strainer and moved up

c) The intake of my overflow is where coralline first started growing on the overflow box

d) My powerheads are all covered, starting at the inputs and outputs

e) The part of the tank wall where I point one of my powerheads was the starting point for coralline growth on the tank. Aso coralline grows first and fastest on the tank walls near my powerhead intakes

 

 

 

3) Different types of coralline like different lights.

 

Seriously, go buy a powerhead and stick it in the tank, aim it at a rock and wait.

 

V

[keljim's]

You guys are so full of it! (information that is!)

[MrKrispy]

Good points vince.

 

Whitten, I haven't seen my crab eat the coralline, I think his sharp claws scape it off. I could be wrong. Scraping might be good, spread it faster.

 

As for the lower right rock, it looks really good. Lots of small shelves to stick shrooms, zoos, rics, and frags to (lower light specimens). I would keep it. Give the life time, I used to complain that I wasn't getting any life. 3-6 months later, lots and lots.

[Whitten]

So I just did a PH test....and I think that I may have found my problem.....it is extremly dangerously low like 7.8 low. I wonder if the new lights did that since they are new and very much more intense. Do ya'll think by adding more Aragamilk to the water will help to buffer out that issue? It has Magnesium, potassium, strontium, carbonate, and Calcium all in it. Says that you can't over dose so i may try putting more in and running the lights less. As for the lower rock, it is taking up way to much room in that little 2.5 and I think that I am going to move it over to my 10 Gallon for the time. It will have much mroe flow in there as well as a good supply of nutrients. Only thing that I don't want to lose out of the tank is my little star but oh well hopefully it will be on a different rock, and it isn't like my rock is going away forever.

[Whitten]

Any suggestions as to how to remedy my above stated problem?

[Jeff D2]

Without having test kits to know your Alk and Calcium levels you only have a couple options.

 

Water changes, I would do 10% every other day for a few weeks. For a short term fix you might also get some PH buffer, this will also bring your alk levels back up, but is only a short term fix for a long term problem.

 

If you get test kits (which I really really believe you should have) then you can start dosing B-Ionic or dripping Kalk for replacement of Calcium and Alk. It is possible to drip the Kalk without test kits for your make-up water, but it would still be better if you have them. You may loose most of your coraline, but if you get your Calcium level and Alk levels back to where they belong it will come back of time.

 

The two most probable causes of your low PH are very low ALK values (almost no buffer), or there has been some die off in the tank that has created some acid that has used up your ALK(buffer).

 

With the info that you have provided in your posts this my best guess, if you can provide us with some more water readings we may be able to help you a bit more. The agra-milk won't fix this problem.

 

hth

 

Jeff

[Whitten]

Thankyou so much, I think that you are exactly right with what you just said. I did another test this mornning and the PH was 8.0 I am going to go to the store today if possible to try and get one down here at Auburn. I am leaveing right now to get it. Thankyou again, and I look forward to giving you back some results....positive.

[Reefer_Buddha]

tryin using a stabilizer like b ionic calcium/alk combo. Should keep your levels where they need to be.

[Whitten]

Well here is what I got. The store down here is very limited as to what products that they offer, but I felt like the Kent Marine Kalkwasser, and Liquid Calcium would do the trick. I asked for a Cal/Alk test and they looked at me funny and said don't you mean PH? I knew that I was introuble, but when the lady pulled out the two bottles of Kent stuff I felt like I could take it from there.

[Jeff D2]

I wouldn't use the liquid Calcium just yet. So I guess your gonna have to order the test kits? Make sure you drip the Kalk very slowly into the tank, or you can do more harm than good.

 

 

Jeff

[MrKrispy]

don't start adding calcium until you have test kits, simple as that. And if your tank is still cycling (I can't remember) your pH and everything else is going to fluctuate a lot. Kalk is easy but not the best thing for beginners. If they don't have calcium test kits at your LFS they shouldn't be selling marine supplies.

[Whitten]

That is what I said. I read a very long and intensive article over suppliments for reef tanks, and how they affect the chemistry. Also in the article was info about how Alk can affect the PH. I am fairly sure that my PH is low for the very reason that my levels of Cal/and alk are low. I am going to have to wait till I can run down to either Montgomery or wait till I go home to Atlanta to get the test kits. The tank has been set up for a little over a month now, and I have been doing water changes every week. I have a good feeling that the original pieces of LR were junk that the store had left over from a failed tank or rock that had been base rock in someone elses tank. The rock seems to be decaying as it has lots of chalky brown sediments coming off of it. It also falls apart when I take it out of water. Oh well, I guess that is what happens when you get to excited to set up your tank and don' wait for good stuff. I am getting an IV drip for my top off unless ya'll have a better cheap idea for top off.

[MrConclusion]

This sounds minor, but I think it's a dramatic effect...

 

In my experience, the bulbous purple/green coralline species from Fiji are MUCH harder to grow than the scaly pink/green strains from Florida or Gulf of Mexico. Try getting your hands on even a small piece of Florida or Gulf rock.