Why is my live rock turning white?? NEED HELP!!!!

[adrchan]

Hi all,

I need help....I just bought some live rock from my LFS and after 24 hrs the live rock is starting to turn white. I just bought some Kent Marine Essential Elements to add more calcium. Please any advice would be helpful.

My tank specs:

- 120 gallon fish only- 2 puffers, a panther grouper, and a picasso trigger
- 2 canister filters
- Red Sea prizm skimmer
- all readings for the tank is normal
- salinity= 1.021
- temp = 76 degrees

 

[bobby]

My only guess is its coraline that has turned white. I see you have the prizim, did you check out the thread for the mods. I moded mine 2 days ago and I have had great results so far. If intrested the thread is called good news for biff, dfrench and everyone else with a prizim.

 

[adrchan]

Do you think in time the color will come back to my live rock? I only bought about 14 lbs of live rock. Also im using the orbit flourescent lighting for 8-10 hrs a day.

 

[bobby]

It should unless something happens to all the coraline. The white might mean its dead or dieing, but if everything else is ok it will come back with the right amounts of alk, ans calcium.

 

[adrchan]

Well I'll cross my fingers and hopefully by adding the calcium will help it out. Thanks

 

[bobby]

What are your perameter now. Another thing it could be is die off if the rock isnt cured or got too cold or something like that.

 

[adrchan]

I've had the saltwater tank for about 6 months and here are my latest readings.

temp = 76 degrees at all times
Ammonia- 0ppm
Nitrites-0ppm
Nitrates-10ppm
pH-8.1

 

[Bifferwine]

Coralline algae can be white depending on how strong your lights are.

 

[adrchan]

Should I use less lighting?? I leave them on for 8 hours a day.

 

[Bifferwine]

What kind of lights do you have? How many watts? 8 hours a day is fine. I leave mine on for 12. Most people leave theirs on for 8 to 12.

 

[adrchan]

I have a 60" Orbit Compact Fluorescent w/Lunar Lights. (260 total watts)(4 - 65 watts).

 

[d.french]

high phosphate keeps rock from getting coraline algae thats what my problem was i have very little coraline algae but its getting better. Plus just added phos reactor one hour ago, and my light run one hour blue actnic and10 hours with halides and actnics and than one hour of actnic than white moonlights at night

 

[bobby]

What is your calcium at, you dont want to over due it. Your calcium should be at 380 to 440. If you add calcium with out checking you my due more harm that good. What type of salt do you use? IO sucks for calcium, but it what I use.

 

[adrchan]

OOOPPSS....I didnt test the calcium before adding the additives. I assumed that since i've been running the tank for 6 months with the skimmer I thought the calcium level would be low. I only added 2 capfuls (5mm) of the additives. Im using Oceanic Sea Salt Mix. I just did a water change this past Saturday (20%).

 

[bobby]

I dont know how good oceanic is for calcium I know someone on here uses it so they might be able to help on that. You should check before you dose anymore. I would bet your safe though.

 

[adrchan]

Ok I'll try to do a search on the Oceanic Salt mix. I just hope the live rock wont be covered in all white tomorrow, then i'd just give up on live rock for awhile. Its wasnt cheap. Maybe I should order online for live rocks. Seems like a better deal.

 

[bobby]

Just because the coraline turns white the live rock is still live and good, there are all kinds of life on it.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, I wouldn't think that the color of the rock makes much of a difference to the critters that live in it.

 

[jhnrb]

Your Ph and alkalinity must be kept up a bit high to facillitate the coraline algae growth. 8.2 to 8.4 on the Ph, dkh of 10-12, alkalinity of appr. 375-425, calcium 420 -450, if this does not do it you need to check iodine and magnesium levels. If the rock is fairly new it might just be die off. keep us posted.

 

[adrchan]

Yeah I know, but it just doesn't so "live" when there's no purple, or darker colors present. :(