Coraline algae disease? (w/ big pic)

Eduvic · #1 04/12/2001, 10:13 PM

I've been reading this great board and learning a lot from all of you and now I've had to register because I need your help.

There are some patches growing on my L/R. They are growing slowly but constantly. The patches are located only on one rock.

The coraline algae over the rest of the tank it's ok and growing normally.

I add iodine regularly to the tank and my test's reads are fine (ammonia = nitrite = 0. Nitrate <10ppm. Ca = 440 ppm (Kalkwasser))

To take out the rock is almost impossible.
What is it?.
Any ideas?
Thank you in advance.

The pic.

Aquaman · #2 04/12/2001, 10:26 PM

Looks more like area's where the coraline is dying back and exposing the base rock underneith.

Doug · #3 04/12/2001, 10:42 PM

Hi Eduvic and [welcome]

Doug · #4 04/12/2001, 10:43 PM

Hi Eduvic,

I agree with Aquaman. It does look as if the coraline is dying off from some reason.

Did you install new lighting recently? And what is your Alkalinity at?

Doug

Eduvic · #5 04/14/2001, 08:21 AM

Thanks for the inputs. Very nice welcome, Doug.

My alk. is at 9dKh. I didn't change anything in my lights,,, but some weeks ago, I introduced some new rocks and change the situation of many others. The rock with the patches was under the HQI and now is at shadow.

With your question about my lights, You made me think that could be the reason. I hope so.

Thanks again.

Chuck Anderson · #6 04/14/2001, 10:07 AM

Your coraline algae is perfectly fine. Don't worry about it.

You have what reefers want: bio diversity.

Those are just another species or two of coraline algae. Besides the common purple, there is green, blue-grey, and magenta-red.

The purple coraline is aclimated to lower light, as the light intensity increases the greens and other colored coralines are more prominant.

I run a 400 watt MH and have prodominatly green and magenta coraline algae with some purple here and there. I've even seen some patches of an orange coraline near the top of the glass.

Enjoy the different colors.

beanbrrd · #7 04/15/2001, 12:43 PM

im with you, chuck. i purposely seed my tank with as many types of coralline as i can find (trade chips of live rock w/friends) - (beautiful super-hard olive green type is just starting to grow, yeehaw!) -
you'll see what lighting/pH/alk/Ca parameters your coralline likes best by watching the color changes (eg: fading coralline always reminds me to add buffer & Ca). nothing beats good-eyed observation for keeping your tank healthy. !robin

O'Man · #8 04/15/2001, 08:50 PM

Something in the tank eating it?

Eduvic · #9 04/16/2001, 01:28 PM

May be, O'man . I keep in my tank two Urchins (Arbacia lixula, from Mediterranean Sea) and they feed on coraline algae, but never as fast as they could be the cause of those patches.

I've been keeping them for two years now without any problem. When they fed on coraline, they leave little white traces than recover fast.

Chuck,,, beanbrrd, I would like that to be new coraline algae growth but I'm afraid not.

Thanks for the news ideas.

*******************

Still getting bigger

Tommy · #10 04/16/2001, 01:51 PM

Looks like some of your coralline was chipped off.At the bottom of your picture i see what looks like a keyhole limpet,these will eat small amounts of coralline.HTH
Tommy

O'Man · #11 04/16/2001, 07:57 PM

I have had urchins, as they get bigger, they gobble the stuff up and do "seem to chew into the rock". Have also found hermits do a major number on it, especially as they geet bigger.