White spots on coralline algae

[CaptainCoral]

I was hoping to see some sort of resolution following this thread.

Assuming there aren't any coralline preditors and the spots are directly related to CA and ALK additions, what is the cause?

I myself had it happen when using kalwasser with a peristaltic pump on a timer at night. Trying to bring up my ALK, I added a minute more to the nightly drips every couple of days. I personally felt I was raising the CA and buffer slowly, but spots did appear.

I've since switched the timer so that it doses 14 times (at two min each) spread out evenly over 24 hrs. and the spots are gone. I still want to raise my ALK some more and am curious about these "pimples".

 

[CaptainCoral]

I was certain I had forgotten something crucial I've read somewhere when I started this hobby.

Is there no one can pinpoint this?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Without a picture it is hard to tell, but many species of coralline grow with little white dots or lines all over it it. The new growth is without pigment, at least that is my understanding. So the new supplements may have spurred growth.

 

[CaptainCoral]

I am getting prominent growth rings at the edges of the growth as well in some spots.

It has all prompted me to re-read many of your articles for beginners. heheh

I'm wondering if my ph and ALK being on the lower end of the acceptable scale is counter productive to carbonate growth.

I've just re-mixed my kalk can (like yours, but only one) to full saturation (was previously using only one teaspoon per gallon).

If I needed to dose more to keep up, would 3 minute intervals be going to far? A timer with more intervals could be employed if needed. I've been using fresh outside air for the protein skimmer uptake.
It is a soft coral only tank.

 

[Compguy]

Do yours look anything like mine, I posted a thread but didn't get to many responses






Here is the actual thread just in case those pictures don't work

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1358439

 

[Compguy]

You can click the pictures to view them larger for more detail

 

[CaptainCoral]

Thanks for the pics.
They look much smaller, about a 1/32" to 1/16". Some look like little "o's". Others just tiny white dots.

 

[Compguy]

Wish I knew what mine were because they have been multiplying by the week, sorry I can't help, just thought my pics might help out you and me.

 

[CaptainCoral]

You're spots are strange to me, no doubt. I've never seen anything like that.

 

[Compguy]

Thats what worries me, hopefully nothing bad, just gonna have to wait and see I guess, i just hope they are not some kind of eggs and are going to hatch a million things that take over my tank, oh well, only time will tell I guess

 

[fisho 125]

I've got a trocus snail that goes all over the tank eath all sorts of algae and it it apears that it will also eat coraline algae. what happerns is that it will move on to an area and just sit there munching away for a couple of days then move on leaving a small white patch about the size of your thumb nail. its very interessting the interactions even the smallest animals have.

 

[Compguy]

You know what, I wonder if those dots on my rock are caused by my 2 part additive system for Cal/Alk, probably because I have been adding it straight into the tank instead of adding it into the sump or something like that. I wonder if thats a possibility

 

[JoeyTheReefer]

flat worms!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[surfjeepzx]

I have white spots on my coralline and it's solely the result of Asterina Starfish. You may want to take a closer look. I never saw them until I found out what I was looking for. Now I can spot them in the dark.

I cant see your pics here at work but from what it sounds like you have the same problem.

 

[Otogi]

Compguy I have those same exact white dots that are in your picture spreading all over my LR as well. My tank is a FOWLR and I don''t add any additives. I was leanning to flat worms or something like that. But they never move.. at all. If anyone has any clue as to what they are. I would appreicate it.

 

[JoeyTheReefer]

dude im telling you they r flat worms they will over run everything

 

[Compguy]

those are not flat worms, actually if you look at this thread we figured out they are Nerite Snail Eggs, flatworms have color to them and are almost squarish, these are perfectly round, there are some good pictures in this thread about them, I think I also googled Nerite eggs under pictures and it brought some up that looked just like mine

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1365367

 

[CaptainCoral]

Flatworms also give themselves away by their movement.

 

[CaptainCoral]

I have strombus snails I bought from IPSF a few years back that make those sacks, but they are translucent and you can watch the snails develop. I didn't buy snails for years with an original purchase of only 10. I now also use astrea and nessarius along with the strombus.

My tiny spots are definitely not from any organisms, but from when I was trying to dose kalk with a peristaltic pump and timer with 14 intervals all set at night time. The spots came when I tried to dose 3 minutes each interval and was adding another min to each interval once a week. I thought I was raising it slowly enough, but the dosing duration must have been too long or my ph and alk too low. It's taking two min spread out 14 times over 24 hrs just fine now. I just wanted to know was I dosing too much too fast, or was I a victim of the effects of dosing when the alk and ph were on the lowest end of the acceptable range, or a combination of the two.

 

[Otogi]

The Nerite Snail thing would make some sense in my Tank as I have about 20 Nerite Snails and these egg sacks seem to be in abundance on a rock that the majority of my Nerite Snails stay on or near. I have never seen a flatworm, but I am sure that after a few days they would move in some degree. These never move and I have noticed that some of the ones I have been watching closely have seemed to burst open with a small hole but I never seen what comes out. But I have noticed a lot of very tiny snails on my SB and glass that I know I didn't put in the tank, So the snail egg thing seems to be correct. Thanks for the help.