coraline

[jadeguppy]

How do I keep it healthy and growing. I'm seeing white around the edges of some patches. Will my snails or hermit crabs eat it? The corals in the tank are doing fine. I don't have massive growth, but they have stayed healthy and a few have started growing. BTW, this is a 5.5g nano packed with corals, some snails and scarlet hermits, and one firefish goby.

[ILoveReefer]

Snails or hermits won't eat it. If your corals are growing your corline should also be growing. They like the same conditions. Do you add calcium?

[jadeguppy]

I started adding kalk when the pH dropped. I add a small amount in with each nightly water top off.

[ILoveReefer]

If you keep the ph and calcium at recommeded levels you should notice more growth

[rhythmicfire]

Something worth asking is - are you testing for Calcium in you tank? I don't see much reason to be dosing calcium in a 5.5gal nano every night - unless you've got the tank packed to the brim with calcium loving LPS and SPS corals. Regardless, just aim to keep your calcium at around 400-450ppm and keep up with the water quality. I had coralline growing within four weeks of setting up a brand new reef tank.

Just my $.02

[jadeguppy]

I was told that regular water changes would take care of most water issues since such a large % is changed each time. I may try increasing how often I change the water and see if that helps. Nearly every bare spot has been covered with coral frags. I don't have sps in there (pc bulb), but I do have hammers, mushrooms, ricodea, candy canes, gorgonians, star polyps, kenya tree, and two Florida native hitchikers. All together there are about 23 different corals in the tank.

[ILoveReefer]

Water changes do take care of most issues but not all. You should really consider testing for calcium.. Some salt mixes such as oceanic brand are known to be calcium deficient.

[clockwurk]

Keep your alk and cal at optimum levels, and it will come. Testing is key.
5 gal seems a little small to be dosing though...
Are you mixing your own salt? Or are you buying?
Its best to know exactly what your putting in your tank to limit all the variables, so I always suggest mixing your own if you can.

Also, have you recently taken you rocks out of the water, even for a brief time? I know this may sound off topic but coraline dies very quick once its on open air. It doesnt happen instantly but when you take it out of the water even for just a couple of minutes, it will slowly fade away as the days pass. Sometimes, within a week or two, you will see significant loss.

[jadeguppy]

I haven't taken them out. I have a ro/di filter and have been using Instant Ocean salt. I plan to switch to Reef crystals once the current bag is used up. I have a pinpoint pH monitor, but I don't think it is working right. The wand has water in it. Anyone know how to fix it? I try to add kalk in small doses when doing a top off to keep the calcium and alk up. If I get the problem fixed, how soon should I see results and know that what I have changed is working? I don't want to give up on something too soon.

[Mavrk]

Never dose for anything you do not test for. Your calcium and alkalinity must be in balance and be at optimum levels for coralline to grow.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10921528#post10921528 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ILoveReefer
Some salt mixes such as oceanic brand are known to be calcium deficient.

Actually Oceanic is really high in calcium but low in alkalinity.

[ILoveReefer]

Your right my mistake.

[jadeguppy]

All I have to test with right now is the 5 test dip stick. I can't find my liquid kit. Alk is above 300 (which is green) and is a blue color, Hardness is a bright red color, maybe between the 250 and 425, but without the brown tint. pH is around 8 or just above. All readings are in ppm.

[jadeguppy]

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