Coralline Algae?

[mickeyfish]

Hi guys. The base rock in my tank has turned a lime green color. Is this coralline? What is the typical roadmap for the rocks turning to purple, pink,etc...?

The tank has been up about a month and a half. Full lights run about 8 hours a day and actnics (blue) another 6.

Parameters:
Temp: 78.1
SG: 1.026
PH: 8.0
Alk: 9
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: .25
Calcium: 460

I am doing weekly 4 gallon changes with Reef Crystals and dosing Purple Up once a week.

Thanks.


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[mickeyfish]

Picture

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[totoro]

It's hard to tell, but it could be the start of coralline algae starting to grow on the rocks. It could also be diatoms. How long has the tank been running?

 

[nereefpat]

The green could be coralline, or maybe not.

There does have to be some in the system. Does that rock in the middle have coralline?

I wouldn't mess with the purple up. Just keep your alk and Ca in check. Coralline will appear eventually. You may even curse the stuff someday.

 

[alcimedes]

So this is a stupid question, but if you take something like a turkey baster and blast the rock, I presume it doesn't come off?

 

[Sstanley223]

Keep an eye on the glass for tiny spots of pink or lavender. That's where I always notice first. Usually a few weeks after the hard green stuff if alk and ca are in line ��

 

[mickeyfish]

So this is a stupid question, but if you take something like a turkey baster and blast the rock, I presume it doesn't come off?

Tank has been up for a month and a half. The rock in the middle was cultured live rock from Petco with Coralline on it. The green does not come off at all with turkey baster or even if you try and rub it off. CUC eats any hair algae but snails slide right over this stuff.

 

[totoro]

I would just continue the water changes, and wait to see if it gets worse or better. It's just on rock and not on the sand?

 

[nanojg]

What is your alk and calc? Is it being depleted? If that is coralline (looks like it to me), it would have sucked up a bunch in that short of a time frame.

 

[nanojg]

Nice looking new tank BTW. I would slow down on adding stuff for a while though.

 

[ReefkeeperZ]

it's some form of micro algae, your tank's new it'll run its course, depending on what spores have been introduced to your tank via introduction or importation your new tank will go through bursts of "lots of this, then lots of that" as it all reaches an equilibrium.

 

[alcimedes]

If it doesn't come off the rock with a water blast, and snails are leaving it alone I'd guess it's coraline algae. I have so many asterina stars in my tank, i never get any coraline growth that sticks around.

 

[MrsReefK]

My vote is with the newness of the tank, some type of algae, not a coraline algae. As others have suggested, take it slow adding new things.


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[ReeferNoob4ever]

I think it's highlighter. But seriously if I had to guess I'd say coralline. But that's just a guess at this point. my rocks did do that early on but then turned purple. Now my urchins eat all the coralline. Don't let your CA++ get above that 460 mark though. You could start to get unbalanced and find your system whacked out in no time flat.

Cool scape.

 

[mickeyfish]

I think it's highlighter.

Seriously, it looks like it. The picture is an accurate representation, it really is this neon like color.

Thanks for the compliment also.

 

[jlmawp]

Coralline doesn't usually cover every surface like that all at once on an even coat. The fact that you also don't have any pink or purple coralline kind of tips me off that this is just a microalgae that's starting the coating process for your rock. Did you start with dry rock besides the purple one you bought? If you didn't have any green coralline to start, I'd be surprised you have green coming up and not the purple/pink that was on the rock you bought. Those things combined with the fact that your tank is so new, makes me think it's another form of algae.

I'm very skeptical that it's coralline. Give it time, though, it will happen.

If you want coralline (the purple) to spread faster, you can scrape some off the rock with a knife, and put the shavings in front of your powerhead to be spread around the tank. It will spread like wildfire and you'll be cursing yourself whilst scraping it off the glass every other week with a razor.

 

[sde1500]

I would say that isn't coraline. Just a random algae growth than all new tanks go through.

 

[top shelf]

Gotta agree with the ones that said it's not coralline, as stated just some type of microalgae. I have very similar rock if not same type of rock and they all did they same thing within a month to a month and a half. Fast forward 3 months most of it has disappeared and pink/purple coralline can be seen polkadotted all over the rock work now. Give it time and you'll be scraping it off your glass and wishing you didn't have any.

 

[SRQreef3r]

I also would agree that it’s likely not Coraline and it’s some sort of algae, keep your calc and magnesium up and be patient, Coraline will show up in no time

 

[ReeferNoob4ever]

Interestingly enough I also have a 10g tank with an urchin and I moved the urchin to my 20g because it was getting huge and moving everything. Now the rocks in my 10g are looking like the ones in your pic. It might not be coraline but I would say it's some sort of predecessor.