Coloration On Live Rock

[kmacc99]

My FOWLR aquarium has been running successfully for the past 10 months. I have started adding supplemental Mg, Ca, and alkalinity to the aquarium to facilitate addition of corals. I have noticed some new green, purple, and red coloration on my live rock. Is this my imagination or is there a reason for this new coloration....Thanks

 

[melosu58]

It could be but IMO PWC`s will give you all you need of those supplements with the exception of maybe Calcium depending on what type salt you use and coral stock. What is your readings on those supplements. Never add anything that you cant test for first.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I'm guessing that your calcium levels were low enough that coralline algae was having a hard time establishing itself in your tank. With the addition of the Ca/Mg/alk, you now have enough of those elements for coralline algae to thrive... which is what you're seeing with the green/purple/red spots.

What kind of salt are you using? Depending on the salt, and your water change schedule, you may or may not need to use those supplements - or at least not all of them. Some salts do require a little boost in calcium to really get the coralline algae going over the long run.

As melosu mentioned, in order to make sure you don't push your water parameters way out of whack, you should really test for anything you put into a tank.

 

[Tank2379]

Some salts do require a little boost in calcium to really get the coralline algae going over the long run.

Which salts would require you to add Calcium?

 

[cmor1701d]

It depends. Are you using a bag, a box or a bucket of salt? Some salts are not made of homogenized particle sizes so there is some settling during shipping. Therefore a mix from the top of the bucket could have different readings than a mix from the bottom of the bucket. Different production runs at the manufacturer could also vary. It's best to test your salt mix before use (not just after mixing) and adjust it if needed.
Don't ever add supplements to your tank without testing the tank water first for that supplement. How do you know that Ca, Mg, Alk, etc are off if you don't test. More importantly, how do you how much and how often to add if you don't know your starting point.

Check out the Reef Chemistry Calculator . I use Randy's 2 part formula to make my adjustments.

 

[kmacc99]

I use Instant Ocean salt with an Argonite substrate. My levels before addition were Ca 380, Alk 7.5, Mg 1100. My levels after addition are Ca 430, Alk 10, Mg 1300. I have noticed what seems to look like a small green coral growing from the live rock. Will I use less chemicals as my aquarium matures? I would like to start adding corals. Am I in the right parameters for success?.....Thanks.

 

[melosu58]

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

IO is known for it`s lower amounts of calcium. You will probably have to supplement calcium because of it. I still think the others can be maintained due to frequent PWC`s.