Where did the Coraline go?

fluidimagery · 11-01-2007, 11:44 PM

About 2 months ago my tank parameters got a little out of whack due to my 2 part dosing pump delivering different amounts. During that time I was getting quite a bit of coraline... I would need to clean spots of it off the front and sides of the tank about once a week.

Since then, I've gotten my parameters back in check but not much, if any coraline growth. I've been doing weekly water changes and still drip the tank but at a lesser rate then before. I dose about 30ml of each per day in a 130g system.

My parameters are consistently 440ppm calc and 8.0 alk

Am I just not being patient enough or should I be dosing more calc and alk?

Reefer4life · 11-02-2007, 08:29 AM

My doser was also a little of, and like you I was getting tons of coraline. I adjusted it to dose a little more alk then cal for a few days just to make up the difference. In a couple of days I noticed the coraline started to turn gryish/white. I adjusted the doser to dose equal amounts 1.00, 2.25,.25 on both pumps now the coraline is coming back to what it was. I use the "Aquamedic Duo Doser", and I've been dosing B-Ionic. Which I am switching to Randy's 2 part once all the B-Ionic is gone.
Did that help you?

mynd · 11-02-2007, 11:28 AM

When coralline turns greyish white it is usually but not always an indication of very high light in that area and it is getting bleached out. I read of this

My coralline grows pretty well and at the top of the tank where the rocks are closest to the lights my coralline is whitish as well. Not the entire rock mind you but the area that is highest. My rocks are also about 6 inches from the actual bulbs so chances are this is not the problem in your case. I responded here so that other people that read it ( small tank owners ) don't feel like something is wrong in their tanks when there is actually not.

Djay · 11-02-2007, 11:55 AM

seed your tank with more coraline. ask someone to shave some out there tank and give it to you and just break it up and throw it in the tank. that will help you with it to grow back quicker

Charlesr1958 · 11-02-2007, 12:04 PM

While probably not related to what caused your coralline to slow in its growth, I just wanted to point out what seems a little known fact. Even small amounts of phosphates has a very limiting effect on coralline growth (as well as corals). Even just 1ppm can reduce coralline growth by up to 75%. Then toss in the numerous species that all seem to have different lighting requirements, and just the simple act of changing a bulb or swithing light systems can see mass bleaching of corallines.
You calcium levels are right at about NSW levels (420) but your alkalinity is just a tad low, should be between 9 & 11. Also of note, jacking up calcium levels does not in itself cause faster coral or coralline growth. If something uses 1ppm of calcium per day, it does not care what pool of calcium it gets that 1ppm from. If it takes 1ppm from a 340ppm tank, it can take that same 1ppm from a 480ppm tank just as easy and could care less just as long as its 1ppm is there.

Chuck

rbtwo4 · 11-02-2007, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mynd

When coralline turns greyish white it is usually but not always an indication of very high light in that area and it is getting bleached out. I read of this

My coralline grows pretty well and at the top of the tank where the rocks are closest to the lights my coralline is whitish as well. Not the entire rock mind you but the area that is highest. My rocks are also about 6 inches from the actual bulbs so chances are this is not the problem in your case. I responded here so that other people that read it ( small tank owners ) don't feel like something is wrong in their tanks when there is actually not.

Good point I'm a newbie and I have a thread on here about one of my rocks having a flourescent pink coraline growth to it and didn't know what it was. I also have a pic of it on the thread. As for dosing do u really need to for say a 30 gallon tank???

fluidimagery · 11-02-2007, 12:23 PM

I'll try scraping some coraline off my sump where there seems to be tons... this is also where it drips into.

Phosphate I haven't tested in a few weeks but it was .04 last time I did it (hanna meter)

I've never had much luck trying to raise my ALK while keeping my CA in check. MG levels are a bit high (1500) due to over dosing a month ago (could also be a contributing factor) Not for nothing, but Dr Foster's aquaculture facility run alk between 8 and 9. About our Aquaculture Coral & Marine Life Facility

I've also switched salts from TM to Red Sea Coral Pro recently.

One thing I'm going to do this weekend is re-grease my AquaMedic duo doser since the one pump doses twice as much as the other (Alk drips for 3 seconds per hour and Calc drips for 6 to deliver equal parts) in the same given time and instead of having it drip in my slow current fuge I'm going to run the lines up and drip into my overflow.

mynd · 11-02-2007, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbtwo4

As for dosing do u really need to for say a 30 gallon tank???

Water change should take care of your tank without dosing anything.. However, there are people that do dose in their nano's.. Not sure why unless it is magnesium or your tank is so full of sps that you need to add calcium. Not really sure what you mean by that above..

As for the red blotches on your rock.. That is new coralline growth and what happens is that the during the night it grows and then for some reason when the actinics come on it floureses. It might be from moonlights or it just gets a kick when it finally sees light.

I used to think it was urine from the crab. heh..

rbtwo4 · 11-02-2007, 01:02 PM

Lol crab urine hehehehe

tsouth · 11-02-2007, 02:02 PM

What about your inverts? I have read that inverts can also decline the population of coraline algae.