Hi guys. i have a reef tank that is about 3-4 years old, i have corals growing and my levels are near perfect. but i have had a problem getting my coralline algae to grow back in my tank.. all my levels are right where they should be, my montiporas, euphelias, mushrooms and favias (among others) are growing just fine, but for the life of me the coralline will not grow. My tank went from having purple everywhere to having it all die off over the past year and no sign of it coming back. my tank is a 150 with a 55g sump. If anyone has any questions or ideas about what it could be, im open to ideas. thanks!
Corralline algae dead and gone.. and wont come back.
- Thread starter GILLbert
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juggalogentry
Active Member
first we need to help you find out why it died in the first place (some people just have a hard time growing it, but if youve had it and now its gone this isnt the case in your situation) How are your params looking? how often do you check these params? Do you keep up on your wc? have you tried to re import some into your tank via scrapings (from other rocks, even some snail shells) and my last question, have you had an algae outbreak potentially suffocating the corralline
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Yes, it's important to know specifically what your Alk and Calcium levels are, preferably over time to try and pinpoint when and why the problem started.
It's also important to know what they are in the event you decide to use a purple algae product to be sure you are dosing correctly.
It's also important to know what they are in the event you decide to use a purple algae product to be sure you are dosing correctly.
Parameters
Alright my parameters are
calcium 420
Alk 10
Salinity 1.025
Temp 79
pH 8.3
Mag 1600
phos 0
ammonia 0
nitrate 10
nitrite 0
i test twice a week, 20-30 gallon water change every other week. i do have bubble algae pop up in small (1inch or smaller) patches pretty consistantly
Alright my parameters are
calcium 420
Alk 10
Salinity 1.025
Temp 79
pH 8.3
Mag 1600
phos 0
ammonia 0
nitrate 10
nitrite 0
i test twice a week, 20-30 gallon water change every other week. i do have bubble algae pop up in small (1inch or smaller) patches pretty consistantly
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
I had the same thing happen to me with no explanation. I always had thick, scrolling coraline growth on my rocks and one day it started flaking off. It only grows on my back glass now.
Damon
Well-Known Member
Just curious, two things for others assisting you.. Do you keep a log, and if so, what, if anything has changed or was changed prior to the algea flaking off?
I went through this also, but was able to pinpoint what it was from my log. As strange as it sounds, fir me, when I began adding kalk with a stirrer, mine began to receed. Lol, everything else room off like mad, but the corraline only on the glass of the DT and sump when packing, never to return. I didn't mind much because of the trade off..
But a log of some sort (I keep mine in my phone calendar now, under a specific color code) is critical.
I went through this also, but was able to pinpoint what it was from my log. As strange as it sounds, fir me, when I began adding kalk with a stirrer, mine began to receed. Lol, everything else room off like mad, but the corraline only on the glass of the DT and sump when packing, never to return. I didn't mind much because of the trade off..
But a log of some sort (I keep mine in my phone calendar now, under a specific color code) is critical.
I know you said you had zero phosphate already but usually phosphate clinging to rocks can and will kill your algae and mysterious bubble algae does appear.
the only thing that has been inconsistant with my tank is my alk like to drop to 3-5 over night at times. other than that everything is pretty rock solid.
for phosphates clinging to rocks, are there sign or results of that happening? how would you fix it?
for phosphates clinging to rocks, are there sign or results of that happening? how would you fix it?
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
Drop to 3-5 what? DKH? If you're having alk swings and low alk issues then that is likely why your coraline is dying. Coraline needs stable alk and calcium just like stony corals do.
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the alk swings that drop that low only happen every once and a great while, but my alk does get eaten up very fast. my calcium levels and my mag levels are good consistantly, but my alk will drop below 8 (dkh) over night weekly.
ive tried for 2 years at a few lrs to get it fixed but no one has answers lol
ive tried for 2 years at a few lrs to get it fixed but no one has answers lol
TruRacr314x
Well-Known Member
You don't have any urchins do you? I couldn't get it to grow consistently until I moved my urchin to the sump...
