Coralline algae dying.

[John A!10]

My tank is around 15 months old. And still have no coralline other than green coralline on rock and purple on snail shells. I get small purple spots every so often but after a week they just turn white and seem to die do you now why this is the case.

Parameters;
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:0
Phosphate:0.3
Calcium:400
Alk: 11,5(to high) how should I lower?
Magnesium:1450
Salinity:1.025
PH:8

 

[KrisReef]

How many fish do you have in the tank?

With zero nitrate there isn't much food for corals or plants to grow. The tank is too clean, slightly perhaps? My coralline didn't take off until I added more fish and let my wife feed them.

The other time my coralline turns white is when I drop the tank water level (water change) and if the algae is exposed too long it bleaches and dies.

 

[Biocube32]

What are you dosing?

 

[John A!10]

It’s only a 29g I have a pair of blood orange clowns and a blue spotted watchman goby.

 

[John A!10]

What are you dosing?

I dose fritz mag and calcium only when needed.

 

[Rick.45cal]

No nitrate is likely the reason.

 

[John A!10]

No nitrate is likely the reason.

Ok should I feed more often. I feeed frozen food every other day. And pellets when I don’t feed frozen.

 

[John A!10]

It’s odd because I have no nitrates but some Cyanobacteria.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Cyano starts utilizing “other” survival strategies when nitrate become undetectable, because it has the ability to fix nitrogen from other sources. Other organisms struggle but cyano thrives. By having no nitrate you’ve made the environment favorable for cyano and also dinos. Feeding more is kind of a round about way to get more nitrates in the water. More fish fed more will help in the long term. You can always dose a source of nitrates to correct the problem, I do it routinely on my system, in the form of KNO3 (potassium nitrate) or NaNO3 (sodium nitrate).

 

[Rick.45cal]

What do you do for nutrient export on this system?

 

[John A!10]

What do you do for nutrient export on this system?

Small protein skimmer and a fry box with some macroalgae. Im looking for a firefish I’m also thinking of a last fish after or be fore the firefish being a royal gramma or a scooter Blenny. I want to get the Royale gramma last as it can be the most aggressive. I will feed more until I see a healthy firefish at my lfs. Can overfeeding cause an ammonia spike.

 

[lapin]

Alk is too high and nitrate too low. You have excess phosphates compared to nitrates.
If you are using a salt that has high alk I recommend you switch.
Is the the same tank you were cycling in Nov 2018?
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nitrogen-cycle.510482/

Nitrite of the chart nitrates around 100+

 

[John A!10]

Alk is too high and nitrate too low. You have excess phosphates compared to nitrates.
If you are using a salt that has high alk I recommend you switch.
Is the the same tank you were cycling in Nov 2018?
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nitrogen-cycle.510482/

My salt just ran out so I will be switching I was using reef crystals I think I’ll switch to Red Sea. I am running a bag of GFO in my canister. No that was not it that was my quarantine system I was setting up for my watchman goby.

 

[Belgian Anthias]

It’s odd because I have no nitrates but some Cyanobacteria.

How do you know there is enough nitrogen produced in this system? Or any other building material availability ( there is phosphorus)
Why should this be odd? The microbial comunity needs nitrogen! Organisms which may grow without syfficient supply of nitrogencompounds are cyano and they have no competition for the building materials present. Logic.
There is probably not much nitrification taking place in this system, not consuming some alk.
What is your daily protein addition?

 

[John A!10]

How do you know there is enough nitrogen produced in this system? Or any other building material availability ( there is phosphorus)
Why should this be odd? The microbial comunity needs nitrogen! Organisms which may grow without syfficient supply of nitrogencompounds are cyano and they have no competition for the building materials present. Logic.
There is probably not much nitrification taking place in this system, not consuming some alk.
What is your daily protein addition?

Pellets one day a cup of frozen cubes the next.

 

[Dom]

My salt just ran out so I will be switching I was using reef crystals I think I’ll switch to Red Sea. I am running a bag of GFO in my canister. No that was not it that was my quarantine system I was setting up for my watchman goby.

I used Reef Crystals. I switched over to Red Sea Pro for a few months but ended up switching back.

 

[John A!10]

I used Reef Crystals. I switched over to Red Sea Pro for a few months but ended up switching back.

Did you have any alk issues? Any differences between reef crystals and Red Sea.

 

[amazongb]

Use Red Sea blue bucket, the Coral Pro is a high alk mix..

 

[John A!10]

Use Red Sea blue bucket, the Coral Pro is a high alk mix..

I’m not sure about the blue bucket all though might be trying the pro. I am questioning the blue because only has 2.5 star on amazon.

 

[Dom]

Did you have any alk issues? Any differences between reef crystals and Red Sea.

My decision was subjective. The overall appearance of the tank seemed unhealthy after switching, so I switched back.