Live Rock turning white????? Help!!!!

My live rock has been in my tank for two days, it is turning white??? Any advice? Water PH seems to be fine. Not sure what is going on.

[jamal-188]

Where did you get the LR from? Was it cured? If it's turning white, it's probably from die off. How are the other parameteres of your water besides ph?

[fo8squad]

I have a 40 gallon tank with about 60 pounds live rock. When i bought the rocks, they were fully cured and had nice coloration. Now, however, almost all of them have lost their color and are white as well. My tank has been up for about 4 months. My paramaeters are all normal. Do i have to supplement with anything to sustain growth and coloration? I have regular flourescent lights. Any ideas?

I have regular flourescent lights. Any ideas?

Might need more light. Depending on what is dying, it could be from lack of strong light...

[mrmarine]

my live rock started to do that but i didnt take much notice of it and then i put in some buffer it went away i dont know if the buffer helped it but just trying to help

[jks1]

we will need more info to help you out. Was the rock cured when you got it? Is there anything else in the tank? What kind of lighting do you have? Where did you get the water for the fill, RO/DI, conditioned tap water? Is the rock just loosing color or is there a film developing over it? What did the rock smell like when you put it into the tank?

With thiss info we should be able to help you through this.

[fo8squad]

THe rock was fully cured when i got it. I have a dragon goby, a sixline, 2 chromis, a brittle star, and some hermits and snails. I use distilled water to top off. My rocks just lose color and turn a white color, no film. It doesnt smell, just loses color. It seems that all my rocks that i put in there fade after a while. Should i add pH buffer and calcium to my tank?

[rhomb]

Mine did that at first!

then i added some light and now it looks sort of ok... no die off, but its not really growing, expt for the green and red coraline, purple one is kinda stable.

[fo8squad]

Should i buy something to raise my alkalinity and calcium, as well as pH?

[Doan]

Yeah I am having the same problem... and I dont' know what to do... I have like a white substance on my rock that is seems like I could just pull off.. It is like on the outside of the rock like a film... I have no Idea what it is or how to get rid of it I came here for help too....

Doan

My opinion... most important water quality. second Lighting, third Trace Elements. When you stated that they were reg flourescents, does that mean just one of those strip lights that comes with a hood? or you mean nothing too fancy but suitable?

In other words I agree with Timbo and what he said.


Dela

[Doan]

Not to uhhh belabor the point but mine is doing a white peel looking type thing too and I know it is NOT the lighting... I also think my water quality is good based soley on the fact I have little white "bugs" running all over my glass and rock.. I would think if the water quality was bad things I have to put my nose to the glass to see would not be flurshing (and they are everywhere almost making the water cloudy) what else do you guys think it COULD be??? I just didn't want to start another thread do I am here but I know I have a little different situation than others in this thread... Sorry still a newb and learing the etequite..

Response to DOAN. are you getting good airation and water movement with at least 2 powerheads plus your filter? sometimes things just cant breathe. im just thinking of things besides elements, quality or lighting

dela

Currently watching another hour of 24 and posting compliments of TIVO!

[Doan]

Haaaa Dela I am posting and watching Tivo Too It was the coolest thing in my house prior to the fishtank.... I have a filter and 2 pwrheads going.. I am kinda just thinking that that is where the rock died when I put it in that I could see and after a few days what was not foaming on night one also showed up as dead and that is what I am seeing now.... I am just gonna kinda ride it I think....and see what happens...(till you see my panicked post tommrow )

[fo8squad]

Yes i have the regular flourescent lights taht came with the fish tank. I do not have a film, its just that the rocks that have growth turn white, leaving the rock bare.

fo8squad, I recommend getting new lights , or adding something on. This is the biggest decision you are going to have to make. I dont know if you know this all already. But when you add lights TO help Growth of Coraline algae ( the purple stuff!) you can also grow many other types of algae. Next thing you know you are spening tons of money on supplements and ro units and whatever. Then again You might be able to sustain the needed biofiltration without the extra light. TOns of info on this scattered around.

Here is a link for Power Compact lights from captive reefs. These are what I use. I have retro fit kits. For a 40 gallon tank? your light wattage depends on what you're looking for
http://www.captivereefs.com/captiver...asp?CatID=ltpc

Although you can have coraline (lots of colors), you will prolly do best with readings such as:

CA = 400 - 450
Alk = 4.0 - 4.5 Dkh
PH = 8.0 - 8.4
Temp = 80 - 84
NO3 = -10 meg/L

There are others, I dose Iodide and >>>>Oceans Blend<<<< 2 part solution.... This keeps everything in the right params...

I also have a 4X96 watt PC, with 2 - Actinic and 2 - 10,000K bulbs on a 55 gal...Plenty of light..

Coraline is growing now pretty good.. I never got the bleaching effect on mine, it just didn't take off until about 3 months ago and this tank has been up for a year....

Don't get discouraged, if maintained well, it will return without fail...

JM2C

great to read all the feedback, I am pretty sure the white is the coraline dying off. This is the worst rock I have ever purchased. If I dont get my money back, I will let everyone know where it came from so you dont make the same mistake as me.