Bleached Coraline Algae -A Sign Of......?

[DiverDude]

I've noticed a lot of my coraline algae is fading in colour -some is almost white.

Is this indicative of something I should be concerned about ?

[Trocar61]

This is happening in my tank also, will be following this thread.:cry:

[Reef_kid]

hey bleaching Coraline can be due to many reasons.

1. phosphate, and nitrate are very common. (keep them at zero!)
phosphate remover ! and a refugium works very well!

2. calcium levels and ph levels out of optimum range (calcium up above 400 and
ph8.1-8.3)



3. lighting is major issue in Coraline algae.

notice how purple it is. this is because the Coraline algae often absorbs wavelengths of light within the blue/purple/red spectrum. the pigmentations absorb these wavelengths and express there proteins (pigments).

often you will get green Coraline algae if you have a green/yellow ting to your light bulb.
or some low light darker pigmented coral.

if you also start seeding your tank with scrapings of other tanks Coraline. you will introduce more genetic variation within the pigmentations. this allows for the Coraline that does suit your lighting to take hold... then its like a weed... add calcium, strontium, iodine. etc.

one of the best lights is fiji purple and atinic, it will boost your coraline growth once you have your other chemicals under control.:)

[ColinD]

Magnesium levels high? When I went on a Bryopsis mission and raise my Mag. to 1600 most of my coralline turned white. Now that my levels are back down to around 1350-1400 my coralline has coloured back up and is starting to cover my rock and glass again.

Colin

[Skimmerking]

bleaching usually caused by to bright of a Kelvin lie 10K or 6500K will cause it to bleach. water level drops and causes the Coraline to be killed from Air. stable PH conditions will grow Coraline.

[paddyob]

I am using a 10k and standard actinic and my tank could not have more coraline if I wanted it to.

As long as bulbs are good and suited for saltwater/reef.... should not matter brand.


Here is a shot from my tank.... all my rocks look like this and I barely dose anything.... calcium once a month (maybe... and kh i throw in my top up pail.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/picture.php?albumid=395&pictureid=3411

[DiverDude]

My lights haven't changed and the bleaching has been in the last month (bulbs are only ~4 months old). So it's not a perceived colour change (i.e. lighting) but an actual one.

Water parameters are:
SG 1.025
Alk 2.5
Ca 420
Mg 1075
No2 0
No3 0
pH 8.2

Now...what I didn't tell you was that there are some 'issues' I'm struggling with in the tank right now but I wanted unbiased opinions before I mentioned these. I have a bad HA problem When I bought the setup from another CanReefer, it has this issue and I was forewarned. After about 2 months of having the tank the HA was gone.

In the 6 weeks, it has come back with a vengance.

The tank is doing VERY well; everything is happy, healthy and growing like mad -especially the HA !

About 4 weeks ago, I put a small Sea Hare in there to combat the HA (I had done this the first time around and it worked well). It spent 2 days cruising the glass (never ate a thing) and then disappeared into the rockwork. Despite tearing half the tank apart, I have not been able to find the damned thing.

So.... I suspect that I have elevated PO4 (which I don't have a test kit for) and NO2/NO3 which test at zero but I suspect it's the HA that's consuming it all. All this despite doing 15% water changes ever 3-5 days for the last 3 weeks !!

Now with the coraline bleaching, I think I've got my proof and tonight I plan to pull as much HA as I can from the tank, tear apart all the rock and find that damned sea hare and then do a 50% water change. Oh, and I've got a borrowed 36 watt UV sterilizer on the tank to see if that will help too ! (1 watt per gallon -think it's enough ? :mrgreen:)

Anyone think I should take the Bio-Pellets out of my reactor and replace them with Phosban for a while ?

[Zoaelite]

When you do your water changes do you drop the water level in the main tank right down? I used to do this until my return pump crapped out mid change and my tank sat half full for about 30 mins. Every bit of coraline above the water level died, everything below survived.

[globaldesigns]

Hey Mark,

Firstly you should get your parameters in check, the following are out of whack:

ALK is to low - the acceptable range is 7-12
Ca is high, but not a biggie - 400 is optimal so I wouldn't worry about that
Mg - way too low, acceptable value is 1350 - plus if you Mg is low, most likely your Strontium is also

Before you can really try to figure out what is the cause, you need your tank stable, right now you have many things not in check, and may be causing some of your issues. I personally don't think HA is related to the above, but again you can't really make good decisions when others things are not in check.

In regards to the BioPellets, they are not the cause... But you can remove if you wish. I just think you will be wasting time there, as you need to stabalize things first, so work on those parameters.

As we also discussed, you are looking at band-aid solutions to things like your HA... Instead you need to look at the solution to the overall problem not a quick band-aid to assist, as the original problem will still be there. In regards to HA, I suspected it to be flow, of which you probably don't have enough, especially through the live rock.... Dead areas can be breading grounds for lots of things (Nitrates, etc) and then they leach into the rest of the water column. Try to get good flow through your aquascaping... Believe me I had issues with HA and Cyano, but once I got the good flow, it is now a thing of the past.

Rick

[DiverDude]

No, water covers everything at all times.

[DiverDude]

Ricky, Ricky, Ricky....

Alk is measuerd in Meq, not DKH. 2.5 is fine :razz:
Mg is a tad low but that's not the issue, I don't think.

My comment about replacing the bio-pellets with PhosBan was because I only have space for the single reactor and I can't run both in 1 reactor. I know the pellets aren't the issue but if phosphates are, PhosBan may be a better use of the reactor for a while.

I hear you on flow but it's the dead sea hare that's in the lowest flow part of the tank that's the real problem. Once that's out, I hope to see improvement (if, in fact, I can find it). I'll try to open up the rockwork a bit at the same time if I can.


Hey Mark,

Firstly you should get your parameters in check, the following are out of whack:

ALK is to low - the acceptable range is 7-12
Ca is high, but not a biggie - 400 is optimal so I wouldn't worry about that
Mg - way too low, acceptable value is 1350 - plus if you Mg is low, most likely your Strontium is also

Before you can really try to figure out what is the cause, you need your tank stable, right now you have many things not in check, and may be causing some of your issues. I personally don't think HA is related to the above, but again you can't really make good decisions when others things are not in check.

In regards to the BioPellets, they are not the cause... But you can remove if you wish. I just think you will be wasting time there, as you need to stabalize things first, so work on those parameters.

As we also discussed, you are looking at band-aid solutions to things like your HA... Instead you need to look at the solution to the overall problem not a quick band-aid to assist, as the original problem will still be there. In regards to HA, I suspected it to be flow, of which you probably don't have enough, especially through the live rock.... Dead areas can be breading grounds for lots of things (Nitrates, etc) and then they leach into the rest of the water column. Try to get good flow through your aquascaping... Believe me I had issues with HA and Cyano, but once I got the good flow, it is now a thing of the past.

Rick

[MitchM]

I would consider Mg almost 30% low to be an issue.:wink:

Mitch

[DiverDude]

Oh, sure...gang up on me ! :biggrin:

I've been working my Mg up and it's higher than it's ever been before. So yes, it needs to keep increasing but that's not what's causing the coraline to bleach because it would have bleached far worse before.

...and I'm only 11% down on the lower end of what Seachem says is a good range (1200-1350)

[MitchM]

With that many water changes, I would think that your Mg should be higher than that anyways.
Which salt are you using?

Mitch

[DiverDude]

Reef Crystals. I've been experimenting with how much of what to add to each 5 Gal bucket of water I make up. Right now, I'm adding 1 TSP Ca; 1TSP Mg and every other change, 1/2 TSP Sr.

I think I might double the Mg for a bit and see where it stabilizes.

[blacknife]

Just put the phosban in a nylon... err.. media bag in a high flow area, wont work as good as in the reactor but will still pull some out the pellets can get the rest, if they work as good as everyone says.

[globaldesigns]

Ricky, Ricky, Ricky....

Alk is measuerd in Meq, not DKH. 2.5 is fine :razz:
Mg is a tad low but that's not the issue, I don't think.

My comment about replacing the bio-pellets with PhosBan was because I only have space for the single reactor and I can't run both in 1 reactor. I know the pellets aren't the issue but if phosphates are, PhosBan may be a better use of the reactor for a while.

I hear you on flow but it's the dead sea hare that's in the lowest flow part of the tank that's the real problem. Once that's out, I hope to see improvement (if, in fact, I can find it). I'll try to open up the rockwork a bit at the same time if I can.

OOOPS, HEHE sorry read to fast, YUP, I am talking in DKH from 7-12

Well I am still on track for the other things. Boy you are a tough cracker!!!!

[globaldesigns]

I would consider Mg almost 30% low to be an issue.:wink:

Mitch

I agree!!! Can't say it is contributing to the HA and other issues... But as I stated before, instead of using band-aid techniques, you need to have a stable tank first, then if the problems persist you can look at other things that might be causing it. I hope this makes sense.

[globaldesigns]

We are not ganging up on you. Well maybe I am :biggrin: Just kidding.

The phosban in a media bag may work well, but if you want to run in the reactor just put the BioPellets in a bucket of fresh RO water and exchange the water out everyday... If it is going to be long term, just lay them out on a cookie tray with paper towel under them and let dry... I have done this and then reused successfully.

Don't you have any MG supplement, as I would get that up to the 1350, there is no reason for it being that low... Also make note that Strontium will be low also, as they tend to work together and deplete together also.

Again, I will voice my thoughts... Flow, Flow and more Flow!!! I personally think that is your problem. You have some dead areas in your tank, most likely within your rockwork, these areas are trapping the poop and stuff and thus creating issues... The goal of flow is getting it everywhere. I speak from experience!!!! Remember I had HA and Cyano, and once I got the flow throw the rockwork, VOILA!!! it went away. So just my 2 cents there. We already discussed on the phone, what I think you should try. Have you? Why not?

[Skimmerking]

Ricky, Ricky, Ricky....

Alk is measuerd in Meq, not DKH. 2.5 is fine :razz:


ALk is also measured in Dkh for the German side of the house that is where it started from. on the MEG/L yes 2.5 is fine

[fishytime]

I would really work hard to try and get that Mg up......most algaes dont appreciate Mg levels at or above the accepted range.......If one of your "big three" (Ca, Mg and DKH) is out of whack, it can have a big effect one everything:wink:.....

[DiverDude]

Don't you have any MG supplement, as I would get that up to the 1350, there is no reason for it being that low... Also make note that Strontium will be low also, as they tend to work together and deplete together also.

Again, I will voice my thoughts... Flow, Flow and more Flow!!! I personally think that is your problem. You have some dead areas in your tank, most likely within your rockwork, these areas are trapping the poop and stuff and thus creating issues... The goal of flow is getting it everywhere. I speak from experience!!!! Remember I had HA and Cyano, and once I got the flow throw the rockwork, VOILA!!! it went away. So just my 2 cents there. We already discussed on the phone, what I think you should try. Have you? Why not?

Sure I have Mg. I dose it -but I guess just not enough. I've doubled-up my doses and we'll see how that goes. As for Strontium, I'm a bit torn on that one. I've read in several places that you get plenty from regular water changes and there's no need to does it at all. That said, there doesn't seem to be much danger to over dosing it either so I put 1/2 tsp of Sr in every other 5 ga water change.

On the flow topic, I tore the tank apart the other day and still couldn't find the damned sea hare remains. took me hours of plucking HA from rocks but I did manage to open up the rockwork a bit so we'll see how that goes.

Skimmer is still acting up an overflowing periodically -not that there's much to skim with all the water changes I'm doing. I'll do another tonight.

[MitchM]

I don't know if you are aware of this calculator, but this will tell you how much to add of whatever it is you use to bring up your magnesium level.

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Mitch

[DiverDude]

Yup, I've seen several calculators. I just don't like massive changes in any tank parameter in a hurry.

Also, I'm trying to find a 'recipie' that works for my setup so that I can dose specific amounts of Ca Mg Alk with my water change each week. If I can find the 'magic' numbers then I should be able to maintain fairly stable levels with my weekly water changes and not have to do any other dosing.

Thats the idea at least.

[globaldesigns]

Use that calculator and dose to get to the proper MG... If you need to spread the major dose over 2 -3 days, then do so....

Once you are at the proper level, then as you stated, spend time trying to find out that daily recipe. And if you need to do a bigger dose again, then do so... Eventually you will get what the daily amounts will be

[Coleus]

turn off UV if you are using pellets. UV will take away the effectiveness of the pellets