Coralline algae dying

[KING KONG]

So I hv started noticing small coralline algae patches few months ago. Now algae has started to dissapear and rocks are turning into ugly white colour(can be coz of algae death which leave calcium). Should I reduce my white light? Should i place a rock on it so that it get some shadow? Also if algae died,how can I remove that white colour?

 

[Dan_P]

So I hv started noticing small coralline algae patches few months ago. Now algae has started to dissapear and rocks are turning into ugly white colour(can be coz of algae death which leave calcium). Should I reduce my white light? Should i place a rock on it so that it get some shadow? Also if algae died,how can I remove that white colour?

Why did it die?

 

[KING KONG]

Why did it die?

Don't know. My parameter is fine just a rock placed on that rock fall and then it started dying. Should I reduce white light or place a rock on that rock as I think my one needs some shade. It is grown only in that area which has low lightning

 

[Dan_P]

Don't know. My parameter is fine just a rock placed on that rock fall and then it started dying. Should I reduce white light or place a rock on that rock as I think my one needs some shade. It is grown only in that area which has low lightning

Do you dose trace elements?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Coraline algae cannot get "to much" light, it doesn't grow in the shadows as easily.

I have had this when nutrients are to low, strontium is to low or magnesium is low, by chance are any of these low ?

 

[WallyTime7]

PIcs please

 

[Style185]

Needs trace elements maybe more calcium... try a water change. Light would not be the issue imo...

 

[KING KONG]

Needs trace elements maybe more calcium... try a water change. Light would not be the issue imo...

Ohk. I run both white and blue lights say 50-50. So is it fine? I hv turned blue light but now algae is going. I am thinking of placing a rock as this happens when rock which is on top of it falls

 

[KING KONG]

I got coralline from a crab shell

 

[KING KONG]

PIcs please

This is how it is looking now. It was healthy till 3 days ago. R my lights r fine? Or is it very whitish

 

[bakbay]

Way back when I first started my reef tank — the marketing hype was to get “Purple Up” (or something similar) to get coralline algae to grow. I’ve learned later on that I don’t really need anything — just keeping alk steady and TIME, which I need to do anyway.

Curious - how old is your tank? It looks relative young, under 1yr mark. If you want to fast track the proliferation of coralline algae, you could get existing rocks and scrape those coralline algae to seed the tank. Otherwise, my suggestion is not to worry about them — they will come with TIME.

 

[Tim'sReef]

Way back when I first started my reef tank — the marketing hype was to get “Purple Up” (or something similar) to get coralline algae to grow. I’ve learned later on that I don’t really need anything — just keeping alk steady and TIME, which I need to do anyway.

Curious - how old is your tank? It looks relative young, under 1yr mark. If you want to fast track the proliferation of coralline algae, you could get existing rocks and scrape those coralline algae to seed the tank. Otherwise, my suggestion is not to worry about them — they will come with TIME.

Agree with @bakbay don't worry about it. With time comes stability and with that Coralline should start to grow everywhere.

When I started out my first reef I thought that I saw Coralline algae showing up a couple of times waiting for a tiny little spec to grow. But it always turned out to die or not be Coralline after all. Now a little time further I can see 2 types of Coralline taking over the rocks. The standard purple one but also a more reddish one that came from some snail/crab shells.

 

[KING KONG]

Way back when I first started my reef tank — the marketing hype was to get “Purple Up” (or something similar) to get coralline algae to grow. I’ve learned later on that I don’t really need anything — just keeping alk steady and TIME, which I need to do anyway.

Curious - how old is your tank? It looks relative young, under 1yr mark. If you want to fast track the proliferation of coralline algae, you could get existing rocks and scrape those coralline algae to seed the tank. Otherwise, my suggestion is not to worry about them — they will come with TIME.

12 yrs old that's why I am having detritus problem too. I don't use live rock but got some from my relative

 

[KING KONG]

Agree with @bakbay don't worry about it. With time comes stability and with that Coralline should start to grow everywhere.

When I started out my first reef I thought that I saw Coralline algae showing up a couple of times waiting for a tiny little spec to grow. But it always turned out to die or not be Coralline after all. Now a little time further I can see 2 types of Coralline taking over the rocks. The standard purple one but also a more reddish one that came from some snail/crab shells.

I hv some more patches but one of them has started to die. My tank is 12 yrs old but I don't use live rocks. I am thinking to dose some calcium Tommorow from lfs. All parameters r fine just coz of detritus problem ammonia is little high

 

[Tim'sReef]

I hv some more patches but one of them has started to die. My tank is 12 yrs old but I don't use live rocks. I am thinking to dose some calcium Tommorow from lfs. All parameters r fine just coz of detritus problem ammonia is little high

For 12 years old I would suspect to see more life on those rocks. in mine there are sponges, spirorbid worms and all sorts of stuff, then again I'm only a beginner in this hobby.

If all corals and inhabitants are happy i would say don't change a thing. I hate scraping the Coralline of the back glass to keep it black so I guess you won't have to do that.

 

[bakbay]

12 yrs old that's why I am having detritus problem too. I don't use live rock but got some from my relative

Can you share your tank parameters? I suspect your Alk/Ca is very low. Most tanks turned purple after a year without doing anything.

My tank at 16 months, started with all dry rocks.

 

[Tanglover1]

So I hv started noticing small coralline algae patches few months ago. Now algae has started to dissapear and rocks are turning into ugly white colour(can be coz of algae death which leave calcium). Should I reduce my white light? Should i place a rock on it so that it get some shadow? Also if algae died,how can I remove that white colour?

I want to add something. Some strains of coralline r light sensitive! This can be like u hv changed the lights or exposed it to air. It will first get light pink then to white. I don't think this is a 'tank's age factor'. I will say u need to do experiments to 'know' your coralline i.e, what it likes.

 

[KING KONG]

For 12 years old I would suspect to see more life on those rocks. in mine there are sponges, spirorbid worms and all sorts of stuff, then again I'm only a beginner in this hobby.

If all corals and inhabitants are happy i would say don't change a thing. I hate scraping the Coralline of the back glass to keep it black so I guess you won't have to do that.

Yes I hv sphogetti worms,bristle worms,sponges and vermetid snails(bad) and i think there r more under the sand. I didn't got coralline on glass just got some cyano or detritus on sand and an ugly green algae. I don't use live rocks.

 

[KING KONG]

Can you share your tank parameters? I suspect your Alk/Ca is very low. Most tanks turned purple after a year without doing anything.

My tank at 16 months, started with all dry rocks.

I think calcium may be low. I don't hv test kit for calcium. Alk. Is little high. I'll dose some calcium Tommorow and bring a test kit. My concern is will it be good in white lights. Coralline in Other places r fine just this one is dying

 

[Dbichler]

Are we sure this is 12 years looks more like 12 weeks. Unless you scrubbed off all of the rocks with a brush can’t see how this is possible.