coralline algae dieing

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Mistertalker

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
Messages
9
Location
Utah USA
Has anyone heard about coralline algae dieing off in a well-established tank? the tank has been up for 2.5 years and 40lb of the rock and coral were also in a smaller 40 gal tank previously. No signs of disease it just seems to be less and less. It used to be very thick; nearly 95% of all the rocks that were exposed to the light were covered. But now there is about 45% covered with some rocks completely bare of it. All the fish and corals seem to be healthy and growing. :? :?:
 
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In addition to Bob's questions, what is the the size of the tank and what is the tank lit with?
 
Have you seen any of these roaming in your tank? They've eaten all the coraline off one of my rocks and from what I've read they like coraline algae :(

The rock in the picture isn't purple anymore.
 
RR ~ Check his sig:

90 gal, reef, with 20 gal sump. Pentium style filtration 3’ of sand and 90+ lbs of live rock. 4 96w power compacts. Many different corals and fish.

Doesn't sound like lack of lighting is an issue. I'd suspect ca/alk levels as well.

Btw, what is this?
Pentium style filtration

How are the corals doing?

Any urchins in the tank?
 
The calcum is usualy 400 to 425 range. Alkalinity is a little low I havent been able to get that to stabilize consistantly. but I do add suplements on a regular basis and the corrals seem to be growing and healthy.

I havent notice any of the little criters that Salt4Us ponted out I will have to look for them.
 
no urchens are in the tank.

The rock after the coraline is gone us left usualy a green brown color. It looks like rock that is recovering from being bleached but with out the white bleaching look that urchens useualy leave.
 
Anything that actually eats corraline is the best thing to get the corraline to grow. When the poop they spread all the algael spores, and thus spred the algae. I have a coupe of questions for ya to :D Have you increased the lighting at all since you noticed this decline?? Are you sure the corraline is not under this green or brown film??and how bad is your alk?

Mike
 
The alkalinity is somewere around 6 to 8 dKH. The test kit I have is a Kent Im thinking about replacing it with something more acurate.

The greenish brown rocks (absent the coraline) arent not slimy its just green and brown algee. It looks like the same stuff the rocks have when thay are new to the tank defor coraline takes over.

As for the lighting I just replaced all 4 bulbs about 3 months ago.

Do you recomend that I try geting a uchen, or would it just eat the reamaining algee.
 
Salt4Us said:
Have you seen any of these roaming in your tank? They've eaten all the coraline off one of my rocks and from what I've read they like coraline algae :(

The rock in the picture isn't purple anymore.

These stars do not eat coraline. I have thousands of these little stars and I have to scrape coraline off of the front glass every week. My back glass has a 1/8" coating of coraline and the rocks and powerheads are all covered.
 
What are you doing /not doing to get your coraline to grow so thick?

I do have small "starts" of coraline on the glass that I have to scrape from time to time and it is growing on the back glass and overflow also. but as I said it is receding on the rock? :(

On another note: do you really have that many of those little star fish thats cool really cool!
 
Mistertalker said:
What are you doing /not doing to get your coraline to grow so thick?

On another note: do you really have that many of those little star fish thats cool really cool!

All my makeup water is replaced with kalk, other than that nothing is added but fish food. I do have MH lighting though.
 
Is the algae just missing on the tops of the rocks when the light shines the brightest. If so it could be just receding because of the new lighting. If so it should come back. You alk is not that bad if its correct. What kind of lights do you have? I would hold off on the urchin at this point. If you dont have much left it might just wipe it out. If you have any one the back glass you might try to scrape it a bit to get the algae to spore.

Mike
 
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