Why does coralline algae die in my tank?

[fallnhorse]

I have 0 amonia, nitrite0, 0 nitrates. 420 calcuim, ph 8.4, 2.8 Alk. ml per liter. I have 10 watt per gallon of 10,000k MH. My zoo are just growing crazy I can't be any happier with it. But all my starting coralline is dying after a month of the changing lighting. I always had purple dying on me but a red coralline started. I bought a pound of purple living rock last week and it now turning white brownish. Phosphates are Zero. I do weekly 10% water changes weekly. Any thoughts. I've tried purple up it just sky rocketed my calcuim. Any thought?

 

[majakarot]

I don't know if there is anything to this, but when i changed my bulbs all the coraline at the top of the tank turned white, can it get burned like a coral?

 

[thomas712]

Just a hunch, but your alk is too low for one, and the hunch is to check your phospahtes. Coralline uses calcium and carbonates, and when one has phosphates higher than normal the PO4 interferes with calciuam and carbonate coralline growth. Of course MH lighting tends to grow lighter colored coralline. Anyway check the phosphates, double check them with LFS and get an accurate reading.
Thomas

 

[thomas712]

One other thought is to check your salt mix, what brand are you using.
Get accurate readings for calcium, alkalinty and Magnesium.

 

[fallnhorse]

i use Red Sea Ph and alk test kit and phos. I use a salifert kit for calcuim testing. Rest are generic test strips. But fairly accurate to know if i have any ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites there. My calcuim is on the high side. I have done two water changes 10%. BUt i have never be able to grow purple coralline always dies on me. Only some red. now that has stopped.

 

[thomas712]

your using instant ocean aren't you?

 

[adam2817]

I had the same problem. I started using Tropic Marin Pro-Reef salt and doing water changes every week. 5 gals. I have Coraline growing so fast now I have to scrape the glass every week to get it off. Took about a month b4 it shaterd showing up.

 

[teen]

Originally Posted by Thomas712
your using instant ocean aren't you?

whats wrong with instant ocean?

 

[jasondean]

I use instant ocean forever and coraline algea is groing out of control. 150fowlr

 

[fallnhorse]

yes i'm using instant ocean.....I've only got enough salt for 4 gallons. Then i got a tub of Red Sea salt enough for 200. I know IO sometime has nitrates in it and not enough calcuim i heard. Is red salt good? I thought i heard it was supposed to be better.

I'm listening :thinking:

 

[beth]

Bottom line, as a tank ages, it will "usually" lose coraline as other animals eat up its food source as well as its space. IMO, that is not a bad thing, either.

 

[fallnhorse]

this tank will not grow coralline period. i only have snails in my tank and they are busy controlling hairy algae. I have never had even close to a foot hold coralline in my tank. My snails a couple have a little red coraline growing on them but nothing serious the purple coralline on the snails has faded. I put one big piece of 2 plbs live rock in my tank. 90% purple. One week later it's maroon to brownish color. THis system kill coralline algae. :help: :hilarious
This tank is 2 and 1/2 years old

 

[40 galons]

now i dont no anything about this but iv heard good stories about a product called purple-up maybe you can try some of that to see if it helps

 

[fallnhorse]

been there done that. Like the first post says. JUst sky rocketed my calcuim with no affect on my coralline.

 

[fallnhorse]

what about instant ocean? what about that does coralline not like?

 

[thomas712]

IO salt usually has poor magnesium, this causes low alk and low calcium or prevents them from being in balance for very long. That in turn causes poor coralline algae. From my experience with IO I suffered from poor coralline algae for years till I switched to a different brand of salt. IO in my opinion is not good for reef tanks.
Thomas

 

[teen]

i just started my reef using instant ocean, if i start using another brand for water changes, will i have problems? which brand do you recomend?

 

[thomas712]

It's all a matter of testing the first batch of any brand you purchase. I might suggest that you try a bucket of Oceanic. Thing with Oceanic is that they can run high on calcium and magnesium, but not so high it harms your tank, least hasn't hurt mine at all. Do a search here on Oceanic so you are informed before you buy.
Thomas
I imagine that if you use one bucket of the oceanic your going to see coralline in a short while. :thinking:

 

[fallnhorse]

ok good info. I'll do some homework on oceanic. I really appreciate you replying back. I know this thread was a page back or two. Any thoughts on red sea salt products. I have there sythentic ocean mix.....good,bad, indifferent? I started nano for my mother with that being that mix. See what happens.