Pale white coraline ?

henryjd · 01/09/2007, 10:07 PM

My tank has been running 7 months. I am doing ok with water quality I think - ph 8.2, Calc - 430, Alk 3.2meq, Phosphates 0, Nitrites 0, Nitriates 0, Magnesium 1140, Temp 82.3, Salinity 1.024. The back of my tank is covered with small dots of white that I believe is coraline, some is pale pink but only in low light areas.
Can coraline algea be getting too much light?
I am not testing for iodine (yet).
I was dripping Kalwasser, in recently started to use Randy's 2 Part Calc/Alk solution.
I have an AquaMedic light 3 250W MH and 4 39W PC Atinics.
My light period has been 12 hours, recently reduced to 10 hours.

I have 35 lbs of liverock that is approximately 35% covered in Dark Purple and Purple coraline, that I got from another aquarist who was downsizing. the rest of my live rock is grey, or brown.

I am running a protien skimmer ETSS and a canister filter with ROWA-Phos to reduce phosphates to 0.

Suggestings?

dwculp · 01/09/2007, 10:14 PM

My coraline seems to go through cycles of being nice and purple, then fading, then coming back.

Funny thing is, it seems to fade when my tank is at its best.

bertoni · 01/09/2007, 10:18 PM

There are lots of possibilities. Changes in lighting can affect coralline, and it does seem to do better with more subdued lighting, in my experience. If the phosphate reactor or other export mechanisms are effective enough, they might be starving the coralline. There's no evidence that iodine supplementation will help coralline.

The parameters posted seem reasonable, although I'd boost Mg to 1285 or so. This article covers all the water parameters:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

ChunksInClemson · 01/09/2007, 10:57 PM

The alk is a little low too @ 3.2

bertoni · 01/10/2007, 12:08 AM

3.2 meq/L should be fine for alkalinity.

henryjd · 01/10/2007, 07:27 AM

Jonathan,
I am actually a bit surprised my phosphates are so low and bought a second salifert kit to test it, and it shows 0. I have some green mat algea on a few rocks, have halmedia growing on 2 rocks and have been scrubbing brown hair algea off some rocks. I am hoping to stave the green and brown algea with the ROWA-Phosban but had not thought that the coraline would need it since.

ChunksInClemson · 01/10/2007, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bertoni
3.2 meq/L should be fine for alkalinity.

I thought it was supposed to be around 8-10?

kelrn98 · 01/10/2007, 09:05 AM

8-10 dKH or 2.5-3.5meq/L

chip721 · 01/10/2007, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ChunksInClemson
I thought it was supposed to be around 8-10?

"Chunks" I think it depends on the unit of measure being used. 3.2 meq/L = 9.0 dKH.

01/09/2007, 10:07 PM	#1
henryjd Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 106	Pale white coraline ? My tank has been running 7 months. I am doing ok with water quality I think - ph 8.2, Calc - 430, Alk 3.2meq, Phosphates 0, Nitrites 0, Nitriates 0, Magnesium 1140, Temp 82.3, Salinity 1.024. The back of my tank is covered with small dots of white that I believe is coraline, some is pale pink but only in low light areas. Can coraline algea be getting too much light? I am not testing for iodine (yet). I was dripping Kalwasser, in recently started to use Randy's 2 Part Calc/Alk solution. I have an AquaMedic light 3 250W MH and 4 39W PC Atinics. My light period has been 12 hours, recently reduced to 10 hours. I have 35 lbs of liverock that is approximately 35% covered in Dark Purple and Purple coraline, that I got from another aquarist who was downsizing. the rest of my live rock is grey, or brown. I am running a protien skimmer ETSS and a canister filter with ROWA-Phos to reduce phosphates to 0. Suggestings?

01/09/2007, 10:14 PM	#2
dwculp Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Carrollton, TX Posts: 2,338	My coraline seems to go through cycles of being nice and purple, then fading, then coming back. Funny thing is, it seems to fade when my tank is at its best. __________________ Remember, it will only get worse before it gets worse. Current Tank Info: 10 years - Currently have a 100 FOWLR

01/09/2007, 10:18 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	There are lots of possibilities. Changes in lighting can affect coralline, and it does seem to do better with more subdued lighting, in my experience. If the phosphate reactor or other export mechanisms are effective enough, they might be starving the coralline. There's no evidence that iodine supplementation will help coralline. The parameters posted seem reasonable, although I'd boost Mg to 1285 or so. This article covers all the water parameters: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/09/2007, 10:57 PM	#4
ChunksInClemson Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Anderson, SC Posts: 824	The alk is a little low too @ 3.2 __________________ Me to my brother-"Dude, you don't need to spend 75 dollars on a shirt! My brother to me-"Man, you just spent 100 dollars on some rocks" Me and him- "Laughs" Current Tank Info: 29g, a pair of true percs so far. Tank is newer!

01/10/2007, 12:08 AM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	3.2 meq/L should be fine for alkalinity. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/10/2007, 07:27 AM	#6
henryjd Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 106	Jonathan, I am actually a bit surprised my phosphates are so low and bought a second salifert kit to test it, and it shows 0. I have some green mat algea on a few rocks, have halmedia growing on 2 rocks and have been scrubbing brown hair algea off some rocks. I am hoping to stave the green and brown algea with the ROWA-Phosban but had not thought that the coraline would need it since.

01/10/2007, 09:05 AM	#8
kelrn98 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Biloxi, MS Posts: 856	8-10 dKH or 2.5-3.5meq/L __________________ ~Kelly~ Current Tank Info: 96x24x30 -300g mixed reef: 75g sump, 35g fuge, 2x MP60, 4x Radion Pros, reef octopus X5000 skimmer, way too much LR and a few fish