Coralline alge turning white

[jase0723]

Hi reefers,

I have a 55 gallon Oceanic glass reef tank which is generally covered with pink coralline alge. Last week, over one day period, majority of the pink coralline alge in the back of the tank started turning white and started to peel off the back. All the other coralline agle else where in the tank or the rocks does not have this problem. Could anyone give me some input as to whay this is happening? On a side note, around the same time I noticed that my ph level was .20 lower than normal (it's usually around 8.23 but it went down to 8.03) it only lasted one day and I just dosed it with some buffer and it went away. I'm wondering if this had anything to do with it or if it is some other cause. My corals don't seem to be bothered by it.

Tank parameters:
calcium - 360 (bit low but steady) provided by calcium reactor
Alkl - on the border between low and normal ( this is how my test kit reads)
ph - 8.07 night and 8.26 day
salin - 1.25

 

[mojoreef]

Hmmm any bulb changes close to the period?? the ph I would say is probibly not the problem, however it the ph decline was a result of a really low alk then yes, corraline uses alk alot and you may have starved it. It should come back however if you keep the alk where it needs to be. I would also invest in a salifert alk test kit, they will give you more accurate readings and some numbers you can work with.


Mike

 

[reedman]

I'm with Mike. My PH rarely makes it that high and my corraline is growing like mad. I think it's the Alk.

 

[johnehr]

All I know is that my coraline started to grow like crazy when I introduced good lighting and high levels of calcium and alk...