coral problem??

68ss396 · 01/07/2007, 10:48 AM

Hi, I had a littel problem about 8-9 months ago with water quality but it has been gone for several months now. all parameters are perfect and have been consistantly maintained for last 4-5 months. the odd thing is that I am still having to dose what seems to be a lot of calcium to keep levels above 380. The really odd thing is that my zoanthids, frogspawn and torch corals are flourishing but my toadstool and green star polyp are closed up tight.
The original problem had to do with too much nitrate and phosphate with a lack of calcium that led to a large infestation of green hair algea and my coraline algea dying off on the back of the tank. I scraped off all of the known dead coraline, pulled all of the live rock and scrubbed off. All of the fish are thriving along with the hard corals, but the soft corals are poor and coraline still just starting to re-develop. I am also getting a lot of green coraline instead of pink and purple.
could the remaining dead coraline be causing the need for excessive calcium additions?? what could be the cause of hard coral thriving while soft are closing up?? could the addition of purple up contribute?
salin 1.024, mag 1300-1350, ca 350-380, alk 10-12 dkh, phos 0-.1, trate 10ppm, temp 78'.
It also looks like I am starting to get some hair algea again??

kau_cinta_ku · 01/07/2007, 11:09 AM

your phosphates are your cause IMO. causeing the hair alage and such

68ss396 · 01/07/2007, 11:12 AM

there is no measurable phosphate in the tank, I am being generous in measuring at 0.1 ppm just because there is the slightest tinge of color on the bottom of vile when testing. I know phosphate started the problem, but measures gone now?? the thing that baffles is that the soft corals seem to be opening up a littel less every week.

kau_cinta_ku · 01/07/2007, 11:13 AM

your hair alage is what is taking all the phosphates before you can get a reading though

68ss396 · 01/07/2007, 11:18 AM

The new algea is microscopic and just about 1mm long on about a 2" patch of rock. I am using phoslock for control. should I increase amount?? the soft corals were still thriving when the big hair algea bloomed, they only started closing up a month ago well after the big problem was over.

68ss396 · 01/07/2007, 11:23 AM

Why would phosphate affect the soft corals, but not the hard ones?? could this cause the need of large calcium as well??

01/07/2007, 10:48 AM	#1
68ss396 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 89	coral problem?? Hi, I had a littel problem about 8-9 months ago with water quality but it has been gone for several months now. all parameters are perfect and have been consistantly maintained for last 4-5 months. the odd thing is that I am still having to dose what seems to be a lot of calcium to keep levels above 380. The really odd thing is that my zoanthids, frogspawn and torch corals are flourishing but my toadstool and green star polyp are closed up tight. The original problem had to do with too much nitrate and phosphate with a lack of calcium that led to a large infestation of green hair algea and my coraline algea dying off on the back of the tank. I scraped off all of the known dead coraline, pulled all of the live rock and scrubbed off. All of the fish are thriving along with the hard corals, but the soft corals are poor and coraline still just starting to re-develop. I am also getting a lot of green coraline instead of pink and purple. could the remaining dead coraline be causing the need for excessive calcium additions?? what could be the cause of hard coral thriving while soft are closing up?? could the addition of purple up contribute? salin 1.024, mag 1300-1350, ca 350-380, alk 10-12 dkh, phos 0-.1, trate 10ppm, temp 78'. It also looks like I am starting to get some hair algea again??

01/07/2007, 11:09 AM	#2
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	your phosphates are your cause IMO. causeing the hair alage and such

01/07/2007, 11:12 AM	#3
68ss396 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 89	there is no measurable phosphate in the tank, I am being generous in measuring at 0.1 ppm just because there is the slightest tinge of color on the bottom of vile when testing. I know phosphate started the problem, but measures gone now?? the thing that baffles is that the soft corals seem to be opening up a littel less every week.

01/07/2007, 11:13 AM	#4
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	your hair alage is what is taking all the phosphates before you can get a reading though

01/07/2007, 11:18 AM	#5
68ss396 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 89	The new algea is microscopic and just about 1mm long on about a 2" patch of rock. I am using phoslock for control. should I increase amount?? the soft corals were still thriving when the big hair algea bloomed, they only started closing up a month ago well after the big problem was over.

01/07/2007, 11:23 AM	#6
68ss396 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: minnesota Posts: 89	Why would phosphate affect the soft corals, but not the hard ones?? could this cause the need of large calcium as well??