is my coralline algae dying/dead?

celbrise

Member
I bought a piece of what I think is live rock encrusted with coralline algae. got a horrible diatom problem and it's covering the rock. been dosing with calcium and mag and my mom keeps shutting off the light so it doesn;t get succficient lighting everyday -.-" . However I notice some parts look like the coralline is fading away it goes from a deep purple to a slightly light purple to where I can almost see the base rock. im not 100% if it was always like this but is this signs that it is dying? some parts are VERY deep purple still and the rock itself is mainly purple. I have had it for about idk 3 weeks now.

I say I think it's live rock because idk to me it looks like base rock that's been painted. theirs red spots on it but it doesn't look like coralline algae it looks like paint splatters. feels different then a regular rock though somewhat smooth. I got it from ***** can anyone vouch if this is a real live rock of some rip off painted base rock they sold me? I wouldn't be surprised if it is a painted rock.

also if my coralline algae is dying how can I save it? would more lighting kick it up again idk what my parameters are atm don't have test kits sadly but buying one today if I remember.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Hi,

YOU MUST TEST BEFORE YOU DOSE! Too much of something is as deadly as not enough. If you do regular water changes you shouldn't need to dose either calcium or magnesium, it doesn't sound like you have a butt load of corals depleting the calcium so you shouldn't have any need to dose such a young tank.

Do some tests and tell us the actual numbers of the readings you got. Live rock is called live rock because of the tiny critters that live on and inside of it. Coraline actually does look like paint spatters, even if it died off, as soon as the calcium is the right parameters, that deep purple on the rest of the rock is going to spread.
 
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