white spots on lr

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bosslady

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
63
Location
louisiana
I think I read in a previous post that white spots on lr was not uncommon. I am I remembering that it's normal? Will it go away?

Jeanett
 
I have tried to upload pictures, but I can't. Do you have any thoughts without see pictures?


Jeanett
 
well... a couple of things offhand that it could be...

If you have a calcium rich tank, your filer feeders could be multiplying. The calcerius ones start off tiny tiny tiny, like the tip of a pin. But you'd soon notice they begin growing in a swirl pattern and develop red filters that come out of the tube.

If you are talking about white spots on your coraline, then it's the begining of blanching. This will likely grow over your rock. But there are things you can do to help save it. Since coraline is really a hard macroalgae, it needs nutrients like macro aglaes do... with one great exception... coraline needs to have phytoplankton to live... in fact, blanching is the phytoplankton being expelled from the coraline in such a degree that all the color from the photosynthetic plankton goes missing... ergo, white spots.

Every LFS stocks phytoplankton in their fridges and you should ALWAYS ALWAYS have some in your own fridge. I try to remember to add some in everyday, but I usually end up adding it 2-3 times a week. You can also pick up macroaglae nutrients which will help to stimulate all your macroalgae growth and give you a healthier tank. And finally, there is coraline nutrients/stimulents and seed blocks you can buy, all will help your coraline to grow completely out of control (but don't worry, it's a good thing).

Those are the two most common "white spots on rocks" things I can think of... but if neither is right, please send more description... is it growing? are they regular shapes? are they some kind of animal growing ON the rock (do they protrude from the rock?) did your rocks come with them? is there a big fish pooping all over your rocks with white poop? are you using something that "drifts" in the tank? do you do regular gravel cleaning?

Any of those can have a hand in your white spots. 0X
 
thanks for the help

The rock was cured when I put it in the tank. I might be die off? I bought a couple of pieces at a lfs and they didn't put any water on them or wrap them in anyway. I know now that was a mistake. The spots are not getting any larger. I only have one clown and 2 dammsels in the tank. The rocks do have what looks like deep red "bud" that's all I know to call them. I'm new at this. I will go to the lfs tomorrow and get what I can to help save the rock. It is to expense to get rid of and start over.
 
bosslady, you uploaded a pic to the gallery tonight (of the white spots), it only partially uploaded and I had to delete it, please reupload the pic, so we can see what it si.
 
Looks like bleaching/blanching. But it could also be a disease. Are you adding any macroalgae nutrients in your tank at all? Dosing with calcium and trace elements? Coralline does need to have trace elements to grow well, it also needs to stay in a general range of 70-85 F (almost everything else in your tank will have stricter heat/cooling requirements. And, of course, it needs sunlight - or red spectrum light.

If your levels are good, you're using R/O (or at least distilled) water and the problem is still there, I'd check back at your LFS, see if any other rock they got with that batch is showing the same signs. It has a slight chance of being coralline disease. You can read more about that here:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mccarty_and_peters/coral/lethal.htm

Hope that helps!
 
I have some of this on my rock too. It is currently curing in my tank. I have been doing water changes every other day per the curing article.

I have never read of adding phytoplankton. Is this this needed for a FOWLR tank? My ammonia has spikes and is on it ways down. The Nitrites(tested yesterday) were spiking now. Hopefully they will start coming down sooner than later.
 
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