Yet another Coralline question

[mikeandjenn99]

I've had my tank up and running for about 5 months now, and I am wondering abot my corraline growth. I have about 35 pounds of LR right now, and it all has good coralline growth on it. For about 2 weeks now, I have a lot of green covering the lr, and haven't noticed a lot of new coralline. I have nothing on the glass either. Not sure if the there is something I'm doing wrong, or if I just have slow coralline. Here are some basics about my setup:
55g tank, 35 lbs lr, 20 lbs base rock, canister filter, odyssea ps-75 protein skimmer, 260W PC light fixture (2x65W actinic, 2x65W 10k) 1 damsel, 1 occ clown, lots of hermits (blue and red), snails, fire red shrimp, green star polyps, green button polyps, brown button polyps, Xenia.
PH 8.4
Cal 440
Nitrites 0
Amon 0
Nitrates <5 ppm
Phos 0

I run my lights for a total of 12 hours per day, no other outside light hits the tank.

Thanks!

 

[Randall_James]

Depends on what the "green" is. There is a green coraline (sort of lime green) I have seen.

Can you describe the growth or nature of the growth a bit?

 

[doesheya]

Having same problem, can't wait to hear the answer.

 

[mikeandjenn99]

Hopefully these show up right. If you notice on the shell, there are typical coralline spots that grew pretty quick, but then the green took over. Same thing on the rocks. You can see the coralline, but then there is green everywhere else.

 

[rcollick]

Do you test for alk? If so what are your readings. It looks like your calc is ok but if your alk is to low or to high you might not get good coraline growth. Also make sure you have good water movement.

 

[Phyto]

I noticed an explosion of coralline growth after using Purple up as my calcium doser. It's nothing fancy (buffer Ca, Mg, I) check those levels if possible.

 

[mikeandjenn99]

I do test for alk, and the reading is right around 2.5 I don't know the exact reading because the test kit uses a gradient color scale, with the readings being a range. So from the color and where that falls on the scale, right around 2.5. I don't have a kit to test Mg or I, but I add trace elements pretty regularly, as well as 10% water changes every week, so those levels should be just fine.

Does anyone know if the green is just nuisence algae?

 

[Randall_James]

Does that green come off if you hit it with a toothbrush?

 

[mikeandjenn99]

Nope...not a bit. That makes me almost suspect it may be coralline?

 

[Randall_James]

may very well be... I have had this happen after lighting changes or moving rocks around. Green coraline starts and is soon taken over by purple again

 

[mikeandjenn99]

Well, I did change the lighting to what I have now a couple of weeks before the green started showing up

 

[mikeandjenn99]

If it were coralline, would it grow on the substrate as well? I have special grade reef sand, so it is a little larger than the sugar sized type, and in the areas at the front of the tank, the green is on the sand in places...

 

[mikeandjenn99]

bump