struggling with corraline

[texag04]

I bought my live rock 5 weeks ago. The die off is all gone, the diatom bloom came and went, and the old coralline is bleaching. I've been adding calcium everyday, strontium and iodine weekly, and the new corraline is slowly coming in patches here and there. Is corraline growth usually this slow? My lights werent that good as it is only a standard hood canopy, but I just bought a 130 watt 10,000 K. Will the extra light speed up the growth? For some reason I cant keep the calcium level between 400-450. I add supplement everyday and it remains in the 300's. Is there anymore I can do to help coralline growth?

 

[beaslbob]

I hope you have also tested ph.

 

[texag04]

My pH is always around 8.2-8.3. I dont add too much of Sr and I, and dont those chemicals deplet pretty fast. My LR had coralline on it to begin with, but much of it bleached. What my problem was, I think, not a good source of light. You say about 2-4 watts a gallon, my light was no where near that high. Hopefully my new light will make a big difference. My salinity runs around 1.022-1.024

 

[texag04]

When you mean toxic, is that toxic to all living things or just some in particular?

 

[broomer5]

Calcium is certainly part of the solution - but carbonates are equally important.
Calcium and carbonate/bicarbonate ( alkalinity ) always should be looked at together.
Dosing one without the other can lead to some serious tankwater chemistry problems.
What is your alkalinity ?
Coralline algae uses calcium carbonate - you need to address both calcium and carbonate levels to encourage it's growth - under any lighting.
I would cease the other additives at this point - and concentrate your efforts on calcium/alkalinity/pH and possibly magnesium - possibly.

 

[texag04]

Would a water change using kalkwasser help out with calcium carbonate or is that for calcium only?

 

[broomer5]

Newly mixed saltwater does contain bicarbonate/carbonate for alkalinity.
If the water change is done properly - it could help - both calcium and alk.
The best thing to do is test for both - then report your results.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by TexAg04
Would a water change using kalkwasser help out with calcium carbonate or is that for calcium only?
Absolutely not. Kalkwasser is lime water and has extremely high ph. That is the reason it is dripped slowly and only to replace evaporation.
You might try the combination kits which test for calcium and alk and dose for both accordingly.

 

[ctm474]

Kind of off topic, but still in the neighborhood...I actually have found that coralline covers almost twice as fast on acrylic then it does on glass. We even went as far as putting two 6 inch squares of each in the reef system here at work and it was the same result - twice as fast on the acrylic. Not sure if this is common knowledge but we found it interesting.

 

[jerseysaltwater]

My LR had some patches of coloration when i first put it in the tank in July. I've finally got some great green coralline spreading on the rocks, and, very quickly, over the sand by the rock which appears to be the source of it. I use a 15 W 50/50 actinic/daylight that is on for 12 hours a day. This is certainly a hobby of patience.