Corlline Algae Bumps and Flakes

J

Jen

Reefing newb
Hi all,
I have live rock with pink and red/marron coralline algae. These are starting to get white circles on them. Is this a phase of reproduction? I have looked all over the web and can't get any info. Also just got a new live rock with purple coralline its bumpy and has just started to flake a thin whitish film off areas of bumps. Lastly the purple bumps are starting to grow smaller protrusions. Any info or site recommendations would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jen

Added pics to Member gallery https://www.livingreefs.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/Purplecorallineflaking.JPG
https://www.livingreefs.com/gallery/files/6/1/6/pinkcorallinewhitebumps.jpg
Hope the pics can help. Could the white spots be spores or do I need to buy a calcium test? I think the flaking is some die-off or adjustment to new tank.
Thanks,
Jen
 
Last edited:
Coralline Algae

Hi sll,
Did a 20% water change. Added calcium to water also added iodine for inverts. Will post if this helped.
Thanks,
Jen
 
Sorry, I missed your pictures because you updated instead of added a new entry. By updating a post the thread doesn't appear to have new entires from the main menu. I create a new entry unless I am making a correction. Even then I post a new entry to indicate the change. Also the forum doesn't email and indicate a change to a thread but it does email when a new entry is added. It makes it easier to follow the conversation as it progresses. Your latest post triggered the email and I still almost missed that you had posted pics.

There is a really nice article in posted by John in the articles forums of this site that discusses calcium supplements. I highly reccommend reading those articles. Your coralline does indeed seem to be having some trouble but it's ard to say exactly what it is in your case because there are so many variables you haven't indicated.

I highly reccommend that you do buy and regularlly use a calcium test, coralline absolutely requires good calcium or it probably will die. But keep in mind you really have to watch PH and Alkalinity when adding Calcium. Calcium should be added literally daily when you replenish evaporated water.

How long has your tank been setup? How long has the live rock been in the tank? What are the water parameters... PH, alkalinity, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, etc. have you had a tempature fluctuation? Are you sure your tempature is staying constant and in the correct range? Are you positive your heaters is keeping the tempature stable? Don't trust heaters alone, double check the tempature with a thermometer constantly.
 
did I read you correctly: you added iodine for the inverts? Iodine is not good for shirimp and the like, it causes premature molting and will eventually kill them.
 
Iodine Good / bad?

O.K. you said iodine will eventually kill the shrimp when I've read and been told that they need it after they molt. I already added it (Kent Marine concentrated) 1/2 teaspoon for a 24 gal. tank. Both shrimp had molted already and I just got a pulsating Xenia and a mushroom rock. Let me know if I should or should not add iodine, and if not what I should do for the inverts. and coral. Thanks,
Jen
 
as far as a good dose to the tank for your corals and such, phytoplankton works great. Iodine will promote premature molting adn is not good for inverts. but if you have good water quality your xenia and shroom will pull most of their nutrients out of the water columm.
 
Please forgive my skepticism but that's the first time I've ever heard anyone suggest not to supplement iodine. I know ocean water has iodine in it naturally. Are you saying to not maintain any level of iodine or are you saying it should be mantained some way other than with supplements? Can you provide any links to resources online that support that?
 
Hmm I have not heard about not using iodine also,but to much can cause issues also.Anyway it looks like the tank new so if the rock was inserted and was not fully cured or used to cycle.It may have some die off causing the white color.Coraline will take off if given the right light and supliments as the tank matures.
 
I am not saying to NOT use it, you jsut have to be carefull. I use about half the recommended dosage in my tanks. but if you over use it. it can be harmfull
 
graphixx said:
I am not saying to NOT use it, you jsut have to be carefull. I use about half the recommended dosage in my tanks. but if you over use it. it can be harmfull
Click to expand...
O.K. I would have to agree that it is very toxic if over used.Test and dose as needed.
 
ok ,if you dont have a test kit for it i dont suggest blind dosin so if you dont have it get it ,becase you well have to dose eventually,if you have any corals ,and yes iodine can kill everything in the aqurium if dosed too much so i would recommend a test kit,just my :twocents:
 
if you keep your water quality good and do steady water changes you should not have to add supplements. this is speaking for a properly balanced and stocked tank. Now if you have a "garden" tank packed with corals then yes you will have to supplement. but if your tank runs along properly stocked guidelines your water changes should supply the demand on nutrients. Its a very fine line that some hobbyists walk. I have friends with CRAMMED sps tanks and they care barely keep up with the calcium demands in a tank. but that is not a natural environment. I hate to say it but its kind of sad. IMO when stocking a reef tank you need to look at your tank and try and forsee where the tank is gonna be in a year or so. if you place a sps coral and then 2 days later place another one 4 inches away from it, 6 months down the road your gonna have serious alleopathy going on. Sorry got a bit off topic but this is something that I am very passionate about.

Greg
 
I appreceate that position but I would add that many people follow the minimal water change school. You'd have to change water quite often to keep up with the calcium needs of coralline in my opinion. I don't exactly have a "packed" tank but I can see calcium dropping over the course of a few days. I only change water every few months at most and then not a whole lot. Having read quite a bit I am more concerned about the impact on the bacterilogical melieu that frequent water changes can have. Nielson for example pointed out that it can take up to a year for that to stabilize. Frequent water changes will certainly extend that a bit. A tank is not the open ocean. The ocean has literally a microscopic percentage of coral reef compared to the available calcium, etc. Natural reefs don't even come close to actually affecting the available calcium in seawater. The fluctuation of certain elements in seawater is tiny. Even if you change water weekly you still are going to fluctuate far more than in the ocean. So in my opinion, supplementing is in at least one respect a more natural approach. You are in essence fulfilling the natural oceans role of keeping a constant supply of those elements available. Since manmade seawater doesn't have the bacterilogical melieu in place that natural or established tank water has I feel it's a bigger change for the tank than simply adding the elements that are constantly being consumed.

Just my two cents on that discussion but there are two schools of thought on it.
 
Coralline Algae looking better

Just wanted to let everyone that the calcium and iodine helped the coralline algae. It looks like it is growing again and the white spots are fading. We have new additions to the tank will post when everybody smiles for the camera :bounce: !
thanks to all for your help,
Jen
 

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