Purple coraline turning white

Kimmy · 01/19/2006, 01:37 AM

Why do I listen to people? I have had a thriving tank full of purple coraline algae until today. I have never had a calcium reactor on my tank before. I guess I never saw the reason. I had tons of purple algae everywhere as well as healthy thriving clams. A fellow reefer finally convinced me that I should have a calcium reactor to stabilize my ph. It ranges from 7.8 at a low to 8.2. I finally gave in and put one on my tank a week ago and tonight I look in my tank and its all white. The glass, the rocks everything. I thought I was going to throw up. I have been out of the loop for awhile as I have become a workaholic.

Thats a whole nuther story. Anyways, what happened? What can I do to fix it. Was it the calcium reactor or coincidence? My parameters are ph 8.3 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 ammonia 0 I need to go get a new calcium card because I 'm not sure what my calcium is reading right now. Help!! Kimmy

Anemonebuff · 01/19/2006, 01:50 AM

I drip Kalkwasser. Do not need a reactor IMO.

Elite · 01/19/2006, 02:09 AM

Test your cal level. It might be too high..

TippyToeX · 01/19/2006, 02:27 AM

Test your alk too. They (ca and alk) may be way out of balance.

mikedsokc · 01/27/2006, 02:56 PM

My ph was running 8.2 during the day and 7.8 during the night. I had two much CO2 in tank because there was too much in the room. I heat with gas. Now that is it a little warmer outside at night, I have been raising the window by the tank all day and night. My ph stay at 8.2 day and night when I do this. Here is how you test to see if you CO2 levels are too high. Take a glass of water from your tank and measure the ph. Put an air stone in the glass and let it set outside for an hour and measure the ph again. Did the ph go up? Do the something with a fresh glass of water from you tank, but leave it in the same room as the tank. Did the ph stay the same? If the ph of the water outside went up and the ph of the water inside stayed the same, you have too much CO2 in your house. Opening a window will stabilize your ph in the tank.

Tammy3770 · 01/27/2006, 03:07 PM

check your ca, alk, and magnesium.then get back to us

corals b 4 bills · 01/27/2006, 05:13 PM

A reactor is a funny thing, some people have the plug N play luck. I was not that fortunate, I messed with it for weeks until it was dialed in. after that no problems. Don't stress, Less co2 at first is better than two much at once. take it slow and do tests every day and you will be fine. Nice thing about coraline is it always grows back.

Angel*Fish · 01/31/2006, 05:12 PM

Hi Kimmy,

It's Mantisagogo, I just changed my name to Angel*Fish - got sick of being known for getting a couple of mantis's out of my tank ...

How've you been?

Hmm... Ca reactor - I still haven't bought one myself - I feel so inferior

Heck it hasn't been all that long since I started running a big skimmer, but I was out of the hobby for 2 years

Gobie · 01/31/2006, 05:16 PM

What is your KH?
This is probably low.

I only drip kalkwasser
I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t have a calcium reactor.

Kimmy · 03/08/2006, 09:44 PM

Angel*fish!! Hi!! How are you. I sosooo remember you! You were one of the very first reefers to chat and help with me when I first started the hobby. Nice to know you are still around.

As for my coraline algae problem.. I panicked..unhooked the reacor..did a 60 gallon water change and all is back to normal. I don't know that I'll get brave enough to hook it back up again. Oh well, my p.h is at 8.0 right now. I know its not perfect but its normal ...

01/19/2006, 01:37 AM	#1
Kimmy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Oregon Posts: 340	Purple coraline turning white Why do I listen to people? I have had a thriving tank full of purple coraline algae until today. I have never had a calcium reactor on my tank before. I guess I never saw the reason. I had tons of purple algae everywhere as well as healthy thriving clams. A fellow reefer finally convinced me that I should have a calcium reactor to stabilize my ph. It ranges from 7.8 at a low to 8.2. I finally gave in and put one on my tank a week ago and tonight I look in my tank and its all white. The glass, the rocks everything. I thought I was going to throw up. I have been out of the loop for awhile as I have become a workaholic. Thats a whole nuther story. Anyways, what happened? What can I do to fix it. Was it the calcium reactor or coincidence? My parameters are ph 8.3 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0 ammonia 0 I need to go get a new calcium card because I 'm not sure what my calcium is reading right now. Help!! Kimmy __________________ Kimmy Sue Current Tank Info: 180 reeftank

01/19/2006, 02:27 AM	#4
TippyToeX Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 10,711	Test your alk too. They (ca and alk) may be way out of balance. __________________ -Amy-

01/27/2006, 03:07 PM	#6
Tammy3770 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: San Diego Posts: 315	check your ca, alk, and magnesium.then get back to us __________________ I can only do so much before I decide I've done enough Current Tank Info: 100 us gallon (60"x18"x24") yeay!!

01/27/2006, 05:13 PM	#7
corals b 4 bills Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Francisco Bay Area (Belmont). Posts: 2,381	A reactor is a funny thing, some people have the plug N play luck. I was not that fortunate, I messed with it for weeks until it was dialed in. after that no problems. Don't stress, Less co2 at first is better than two much at once. take it slow and do tests every day and you will be fine. Nice thing about coraline is it always grows back. __________________ Reefkeeper - (ref-ke-per) n: Individual obsessed with placing disturbing amounts of electricity and seawater in close proximity for the purpose of maintaining live coral reef organisms. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon Bio Cube, HQI 150 watt Nanotuner~Vortech MP10W ES~Arctica Chiller~AC II~Tunze Osmolator ATO~ Tunze 9002 skimmer W/In Tank Cup~ Korallin Reactor W/PH Monitor~ Korallin Denitrator~APC Back-up~Phosban/Carbon Reactor.

01/31/2006, 05:12 PM	#8
Angel*Fish cats and large squashes Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Houston Posts: 5,951 Blog Entries: 1	Hi Kimmy, It's Mantisagogo, I just changed my name to Angel*Fish - got sick of being known for getting a couple of mantis's out of my tank ... How've you been? Hmm... Ca reactor - I still haven't bought one myself - I feel so inferior Heck it hasn't been all that long since I started running a big skimmer, but I was out of the hobby for 2 years __________________ Marie So long, & thanks for all the fish! __________________________ Current Tank Info: Pairs: flame angels, cherub angels, Red Sea mimic blennies, yellow fin fairy wrasses, clowns, mandarins, blackcap basslets, shrimp gobies, damsels, dispar anthias, yellow clown gobies, threadfin cardinals --- Tanks: 100g reef, 2 x 30g refugiums

01/19/2006, 01:50 AM	#2
Anemonebuff Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: LI,NY Posts: 3,877	I drip Kalkwasser. Do not need a reactor IMO.

01/19/2006, 02:09 AM	#3
Elite Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: SJ Posts: 5,979	Test your cal level. It might be too high..

01/27/2006, 02:56 PM	#5
mikedsokc Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 48	My ph was running 8.2 during the day and 7.8 during the night. I had two much CO2 in tank because there was too much in the room. I heat with gas. Now that is it a little warmer outside at night, I have been raising the window by the tank all day and night. My ph stay at 8.2 day and night when I do this. Here is how you test to see if you CO2 levels are too high. Take a glass of water from your tank and measure the ph. Put an air stone in the glass and let it set outside for an hour and measure the ph again. Did the ph go up? Do the something with a fresh glass of water from you tank, but leave it in the same room as the tank. Did the ph stay the same? If the ph of the water outside went up and the ph of the water inside stayed the same, you have too much CO2 in your house. Opening a window will stabilize your ph in the tank.

01/31/2006, 05:16 PM	#9
Gobie Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 668	What is your KH? This is probably low. I only drip kalkwasser I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t have a calcium reactor.

03/08/2006, 09:44 PM	#10
Kimmy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Oregon Posts: 340	Angel*fish!! Hi!! How are you. I sosooo remember you! You were one of the very first reefers to chat and help with me when I first started the hobby. Nice to know you are still around. As for my coraline algae problem.. I panicked..unhooked the reacor..did a 60 gallon water change and all is back to normal. I don't know that I'll get brave enough to hook it back up again. Oh well, my p.h is at 8.0 right now. I know its not perfect but its normal ... __________________ Kimmy Sue Current Tank Info: 180 reeftank