# Coraline algea starting



## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

does the coraline algea start off white then change colors, ive got some rocks (see pics)
that are starting to change to white since ive started using purple up 4 doses so far every-
other day

WHERES NISMO.............:laugh: 
any thoughts?
Dennis

BTW.........the saltwater forums need to grow big time, not too many of us around
spread the word so we can have more members around....!!!!!

View attachment 156366

View attachment 156367


lighting is 2 - 36" actinic floresent lights for 10 hours a day


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

coraline is red, not brown. Looks like brown diatom.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

not the brown, the white


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

The coraline is dying when changing from red to white, but not the live rock (bacteria).

Check your Calcium level and Alk.


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

i thought purple up is supposed to help with alk and calcium?

have you tested your parameters assclown? ive always read that you should NEVER add something to your tank unless you are already testing for it. maybe that purple up is messing things up.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

ok, heres the deal, the rocks started out in the tank, then grew diatom algea (pain in the ass)
then grew white on certain spots just a few weeks ago since using purple up.

calcium shouldnt be an issue coraline uses calcium to grow, correct????
im just worried that my rocks are dying, but my original question is this, coraline starts at
different colors OR does it start with white and change when matured?

seems to , its trying to grow into whats supposed to be....?????



Puff said:


> i thought purple up is supposed to help with alk and calcium?
> 
> have you tested your parameters assclown? ive always read that you should NEVER add something to your tank unless you are already testing for it. maybe that purple up is messing things up.


from what nismo told me and from what i have read, its pure calcium crushed into a liquid and 
you add to the tank every day accordingly (i use it everyother day) the coraline uses the calcium
to grow, you scrape it off the glass to germinate with currant yada yada

but does it start off white?


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

When you take the rock out of the tank, it will turn white. Coraline starts with red. Check your prams before adding anything in. The rock itself (bacteria) is not dying. Coraline will recover quickly. I don't dose my tank and coraline is growing eveywhere.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

rchan11 said:


> When you take the rock out of the tank, it will turn white. Coraline starts with red. Check your prams before adding anything in. The rock itself (bacteria) is not dying. Coraline will recover quickly. I don't dose my tank and coraline is growing eveywhere.


piss on the purple up crap.....frigging 25 bucks for stress, no way.........so ive been told, diatom 
algea will dissapeare in time...who knows.

rocks were never out of the water

perameters:
amonnia 0
nitrites 0
nitrates 10 ppm (getting macro algea in sump soon)

have not checked calcium, was told no need with fowlr


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Only coraline algae is dying, not live rock. Diatom will eventually disappear when your tank matures. Check calcium and alk level if you want your coraline algae to be healthy.


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## nismo driver (Jan 27, 2004)

actually after looking at it for a minute it loks like one of your turbo snails cleaned some of the diatom algea off the rock..

as rchan said it doesnt start as purple, my experiance has always been lime green first tehn the other colors start.

if you have a plastic return nozzle or powerhead near the light it will most likely start there.

areas of highest flow and some lighting.. or near the seams of the tank in teh corners



Puff said:


> i thought purple up is supposed to help with alk and calcium?
> 
> have you tested your parameters assclown? ive always read that you should NEVER add something to your tank unless you are already testing for it. maybe that purple up is messing things up.


purple up isnt a really a balanced calcium/alk suppliment it does increase calcium levels


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

ok, well with said info, no more P/U

just good water changes and time i guess, i know i have alot of brown algea, but iwant 
to concentrate on my refug and add macro algea to eat up the ntitrates

coraline must wait then.....







nothing good is ever rushed then....



nismo driver said:


> i thought purple up is supposed to help with alk and calcium?
> 
> have you tested your parameters assclown? ive always read that you should NEVER add something to your tank unless you are already testing for it. maybe that purple up is messing things up.


purple up isnt a really a balanced calcium/alk suppliment it does increase calcium levels
[/quote]

only brown there buddy, all over the powerheads


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

When your tank matures, coraline will grow.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

thanks guys...........as always.......!!!!!!!!


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

well i bought a small bottle of purple up when i ordered a bunch of stuff, but the price wasnt too bad.lol


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

i got the big bottle........









so what the hell is the white on my rocks..........


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Cyanobacteria (brown diatom) is very common in reef tanks but particularly when you first get live rock in the first month. You want to keep your rock cleaned off of this carpet like slime as it will prevent light from getting to the rock thus preventing photosynthesis on your coraline algae and causing white bleached out spots.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

makes sense......no more LFS for me, such bs was shoved down my throat
i was told to leave it alone and it will dissapeare, should have taken my fresh water
knoledge into saltwater.......brushes then to clean off the diatoms off the rocks and clean
R/O water it is


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

Better to clean it with saltwater to prevent killing off the bacteria.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

i ment R/O water replacment, not to clean it off with.

the plan: clean with bottle brush in the tank, vacuum the tank and replace with R/O saltwater
every month........????


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## rchan11 (May 6, 2004)

When you do your water change, save the dirty water and use it to clean the rock. Cleaning it in the tank will spread the diatom all over.


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## assclown (Dec 12, 2005)

ok.....got it, i feel like such a nubie.........

then again this is my first salt tank, so i am......


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

what about putting some astrea snails or some hermits on the algae covered part. they should help keep it in control at least.


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