coralline algae is bleaching out

[scarletknight06]

the coralline in my tank is bleaching out and chipping off of surfaces. is it time to start dripping kalk? I only have a zoo rock with about 50-60 polyps on it, other inhabitants are 2 clowns, cleaner shrimp, emerald crab, and some snails and hermits.

I have an ac300 fuge and a cpr bak pak 2R also.

thanks in advance

[AReeferIsExpensive]

Impossible to tell w/ out knowing your Ca reading

[scarletknight06]

so i should get a Ca test kit? should i get an alkalinity test kit too?

[Toine]

difficult to say what is the cause for this "bleaching".

 

- do you do frequent water changes?.

- what kind of lighting do you have (coraline does not like a too violent lighting).

- you may have raised your alkalinity to fast and your Ca and Mg may have precipitated.

- possible PO4 in your tank (coraline does not like PO4)

 

 

one thing is for sure your Ca consumption should be very low with such a bio-load. it's not like you have a SPS dominated tank were the Ca levels are sometime hard to maintain.

 

i would do a "major" water change to re-balance your water parameters and see from there. what is your alk level? should be between 6 and 8.

any higher and yu have a chance that your Ca will precipitate causing coraline to "bleach" after a while.

 

what ever you do, be patient

[cornstar]

I would get both test kits for sure!! You should get in the habit of test all your params on a regular basis. You cant start dosing Ca with out knowing your levels.

[scarletknight06]

to answer your questions: I do about a 2 gallon water change once a week, and i have 72watts of PC light.

 

I will go ahead and get those test kits then. i thought i could i avoid it, i try to go ghetto style usually.