Reasons coraline disappears?

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

My coraline appears to be receding. Looks like pin pricks on back glass. Wondering what might be the cause.
Parameters:
• Sal 1.025
• Alk 7.4
• Ph 8.0
• Cal 460
• Mg 1350
• Temp 76. 9
• No3 5 ppm

SMSREEF · Dec 17, 2020

Do you have an urchin?

Biokabe · Dec 17, 2020

How much have your parameters been fluctuating? From a snapshot your chemistry looks fine, so my first guess would be something eating the coraline. If you've had wild swings in pH, alkalinity or calcium I could maybe see that impacting your coraline, but a grazer seems more likely to me.

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

No urchin, I did have an ammonia spike of .25 ppm on the 12th, did a water change and it lowered significantly. Had no idea why the spike, but believe it was bc I was 4 days late on the WC

Pistol Peet · Dec 17, 2020

Asteria star fish eat coralline algea. They do it pretty slow

SMSREEF · Dec 17, 2020

My guess is that ammonia level is test kit error, unless something died and rotted in the tank. Do you use API?

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

I dont have any of them. Vibrant wouldn't deplete coraline would it?

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

SMSREEF said:
My guess is that ammonia level is test kit error, unless something died and rotted in the tank. Do you use API?

Yes, the api master kit. I thought that also, dont have a clue what's going on.

Biokabe said:
How much have your parameters been fluctuating? From a snapshot your chemistry looks fine, so my first guess would be something eating the coraline. If you've had wild swings in pH, alkalinity or calcium I could maybe see that impacting your coraline, but a grazer seems more likely to me.

I have slowly been getting my levels up, just recently got them here. It's been a 2 month process

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

SMSREEF said:
My guess is that ammonia level is test kit error, unless something died and rotted in the tank. Do you use API?

Nothing dead, all fish and snails accounted for. I have had snails died in the past but my CUC is enough to get rid of it before there is an issue

Uncle99 · Dec 17, 2020

Rp8 said:
I dont have any of them. Vibrant wouldn't deplete coraline would it?

Yes, yes it does, Vibrant lowered mine by 75%
Twice, in two different tanks.
Takes a bit to come back after discontinued.
I am thinking whatever they use to battle bubble algae successfully, has the same effect on coralline “algae”.
Sure seems that way in my system.

TriggerFinger · Dec 17, 2020

I feel like I lost coraline after using vibrant but I don’t see many reports of it.

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

Uncle99 said:
Yes, yes it does, Vibrant lowered mine by 75%
Twice, in two different tanks.

Ok, nailed it. I had a bad cyano and turf issue and been using it. Gotten on top of the cyano, starting to beat the turf. Final stage of the uglies I guess. I dunno, good to know. This one is coming down soon before a move, upgrading soon.

Thanks for the quick responses, u guys are awesome!

Merry Christmas and best wishes!

SMSREEF · Dec 17, 2020

Rp8 said:
I dont have any of them. Vibrant wouldn't deplete coraline would it?

It may impact growth of coralline.

Also, API ready is notorious for showing a false ammonia level. You tank looks like there is no way that’s accurate unless something died.

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

Does chemiclean or any other additive destroy coraline?

Uncle99 · Dec 17, 2020

Sorry but yup, I have had similar reductions in my coralline, using red slime remover.
Coralline algae seems very sensitive to such “cleaning” products.
Took me a couple months to notice the change.

Rp8 · Dec 17, 2020

Yea, I was using vibrant did a cycle of chemiclean and back to vibrant. Guess I'll take a break from it for the rest of the time it's up.
I guess u have to decide what's important to u and ur tank.

HuduVudu · Dec 17, 2020

Vibrant is an algacide.

UWC · Dec 18, 2020

HuduVudu said:
Vibrant is an algacide.

Interesting. I can only guess you heard this from the false rumor jda keeps spreading around? I seem to see your reply come up more and more now and I've only seen one person claim this to be actual fact, which is @jda

As for coralline, it is actually algae. So heavy dosing, especially for longer periods of time can affect it. Most of the time it doesn't, but every tank is different

SMSREEF · Dec 18, 2020

UWC said:
Interesting. I can only guess you heard this from the false rumor jda keeps spreading around? I seem to see your reply come up more and more now and I've only seen one person claim this to be actual fact, which is @jda

As for coralline, it is actually algae. So heavy dosing, especially for longer periods of time can affect it. Most of the time it doesn't, but every tank is different

I would like to know what the other 3.5% is. I think that’s the part that starts those conspiracy theories. But who knows, maybe it would make them worse...

I used vibrant for Chrysophyte and it helped. I think dosing vibrant and then also adding live rock and sand with all the critters finished the chrysophyte off.

I did not have any coralline in the tank other than the snails and some scrapings I had put in. Nothing was growing before I dosed vibrant. After adding the live rock and sand, my coralline stared growing on the pumps, rock and glass. I was dosing vibrant once a week at that time.

UWC · Dec 18, 2020

SMSREEF said:
I would like to know what the other 3.5% is. I think that’s the part that starts those conspiracy theories. But who knows, maybe it would make them worse...

I used vibrant for Chrysophyte and it helped. I think dosing vibrant and then also adding live rock and sand with all the critters finished the chrysophyte off.

I did not have any coralline in the tank other than the snails and some scrapings I had put in. Nothing was growing before I dosed vibrant. After adding the live rock and sand, my coralline stared growing on the pumps, rock and glass. I was dosing vibrant once a week at that time.

I believe it says right at the beginning of our big Vibrant thread where the ingredients are listed. It's RO water