My coraline is receeding.... Help!!!

[jbrunken]

It's bad enough having a receeding hairline, but now I have to deal with receeding coraline!

Seriously though, I've noticed over the last month or so that they coraline on the back of my tank (and sadly on a lot of my live rock) is starting to lose most of its color (it's turning from a nice purple to a very light green/white). Nothing has really changed that I'm aware of and all of my levels seem ok (at least the ones I can test for). The only thing that might be suspect is my salinity (I have a hydrometer rather than a refractometer).

All of the livestock in my tank (fish and inverts) seem to be doing great. The only thing that I've noticed is that my little anthelia colony hasn't grown much lately.

Here is my basic tank info (I can provide more detail if needed)

6' 125G All Glass Tank
6x96 PC lighting (4xDual Daylight, 2xDual Actinic)
20G refugium
ProClear Wet/Dry with Skimmer (which I'm slowly removing the bioballs from and converting to a basic sump)

Does anyone have any thoughts on where I should be looking for a problem?

Also would one of you saltwater gurus in the Cedar Rapids area be interested in coming over and just give my setup the once over and maybe help me identify problem areas? I'm still a newb at this, so I'm sure there are obvious things that I'm missing.

Thanks!

Jason

 

[Tank Razed]

What are the parameters you test for?
Specifically, do you test your Calcium and Alk?

 

[jbrunken]

Here's what I test for, the brand of test kit and the current values

Temp - 79
Ammonia (AP) - 0
Nitrite (AP) - 0
Nitrate (AP) - 0
Phosphate (AP) - 0
Calcium - (AP) - 520 <- I know this is high
PH (Red Sea) - 8.3
ALK (Red Sea) - 2.0 Meq/L
Salinity (DeepSix Hydrometer) - 1.023

Another curious thing that might shed some light on this: The coraline does seem to be growing in areas with very high flow like my overflow box and my main return.

 

[jvonthun]

I'm no expert but...

Your tank is still pretty young, Your coraline growth will probably balance out over time if you keep up the maintenence on the tank. When I first started out it took me 4 months or so to even see coraline growth on my glass, so if you set this tank up from scratch I would say you are ahead of the curve.

Avoid the temptation to start throwing extra chemicals into your water, especially those you don't test for.

On a side note if you need someone to trade / get frags from I could proabably set you up. I seem to have more green star polyps than I really want at the moment as well as some other easy to keep stuff like Kenya Trees, and a Branching Leather.

I also have a couple SPS frags if you get to that point.

 

[Tank Razed]

Your calcium is a little high and your alk is a little low.
This could very well be part of your problem. Usually when coraline receeds or loses color it is either due to a lighting upgrade, or a Ca/Alk imbalance. Since you haven't recently upgraded lighting (and you don't have super intense lighting to begin with), I suspect it is a Ca/Alk issue.

Are you dosing anything for calcium?
A single part calcium additive can cause your alk to stay low (and it is hard to raise your alk with elevated Ca levels).

I would recommend using a 2-part ca/alk additive to maintain your Ca (if you aren't already).

Anyway... here is a GREAT article explaining various Ca/Alk imbalances and what the best way to correct them are:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

hth

I suspect that this will help your problem, if it doesn't.... it is still good reading!

 

[jbrunken]

Tank Razed:

You're probably right. I've been using KENT calcium additive. I'll read through that article tonight and see if I can get things back inline...

jvonthun:

Sounds great! I already have a colony of green star polyps and some small kenya trees, but I'm always looking for new stuff that's easy enough for a beginner like me. I don't know if I want to try and tackle SPS just yet, but I might be interested in the branching leather...

Thanks all!

-Jason

 

[jvonthun]

I'll get a picture for you.

 

[einsteins]

Yep...Calcium alk inbalance...when mine had drifted off my coraline stopped growing and started turning pale...once I got it back in balance growth took off.

I would suggest adding only the alk part of a 2 part alk/calcium product like B-ionic. until you get alk to about 4meq/l then let calcium and alk drift down together by not adding any calcium or alk. as they drift down continue to add alk but no calcium until you get alk to 3 to 3.5meq/l and calcium at abour 420-430ppm.

That will get you in balance at excellent levels and the coraline will go crazy....Good luck and GO SLOW...sudden big changes are not good!

einsteins

 

[jbrunken]

I just read that article and it definitely sounds like you guys are right about the imbalance. I'm going to SLOWLY bring the ALK up using baking soda (I'll probably also do a water change this weekend so that should help some).

Once I get things in balance, I'll buy a good 2 part additive. Can you generally find B-ionic at the LFS's or will I have to go online?

I did go out and try and find a better ALK test kit tonight... You think that there is one for sale ANYWHERE in C.R.? Nope...

 

[rc1214b]

I have an extra Salifert if you want something soon.

 

[phishcrazee]

Yep, low alk and high calcium I use Kent Superbuffer with my RO water topoff 1-2 times a week. If mt calcium is getting low, I do some kalkwasser dripped overnight. Not high tech, but it works and it's cheap You may want to change your bulbs as well, if you've been running them more than 6 mo., that may be why you are getting more coralline growth up towards the top, where you ahve better lighting. Good luck!!!

 

[overanalyzer]

also when you change water turn off the lights as it will causing bleaching (bright lights directly on the Coralline Algea). Without water there to provide some light filtering it gets a bit bleached....

potentially not your problem - but just a good fyi

 

[jbrunken]

Ok, in the grand spirit of "don't listen to you're LFS" I had picked up the dKH test tonight and I said to the guy at the store "This is the same as an ALK test right?" He said "oh no, that's something totally different". He walked be back to the area where they keep them, but he said they were sold out.

Luckily, I bought it anyway and as I had originally thought, it is the same thing. So I guess I do have a better ALK (dKH) test now.

Anyway, after adding a little bit of baking soda, my dKH is at 9. Here's the strange part. I tested my Calcium tonight (twice) and now it's coming in at about 380.

Would bringing the ALK up bring the Calc down that quickly? It seems kinda odd.

-JB

 

[rc1214b]

If you dose your baking soda too quickly it can drop calcium fast, also you need to watch your ph when adding baking soda, it lowers it.

 

[Atticus]

If you are getting a Ca/ALk imbalance look to your Magnesium levels. Mg is a buffer for the other two.

 

[leeweber85]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8141933#post8141933 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Atticus
If you are getting a Ca/ALk imbalance look to your Magnesium levels. Mg is a buffer for the other two.

I can't believe how many people skimp on that parameter. To me it is just as important as calcium and alkalinity. I had LOW LOW magnesium from overdosing kalk once and I never could keep Ca and ALk up. It took me months till I figured out why the kalk wasn't keeping up with the demand.

 

[jbrunken]

Just wanted to follow up on this and confirm that you guys were right on the money... Now that my alk and calc are back in balance and in range, the coraline on the back of my tank is starting to turn purple again (very quickly).

Thank all! This board makes this hobby so much more enjoyable!

-JB

 

[einsteins]

Thats great...

We all come FOR help and TO help....now make sure you keep an eye on those parameters....

ein