White Patches on Live Rock

Hey there.

I have noticed that the top of my live rock has developed a bleach
white appearance on most surfaces. Looking around previous posts it
seems like this is a sign of dead coraline algae.

Should I be worried? The rock has turned white in all areas closest to
the lights that is not covered with algae.

I am new to sw aquariums. my first tank has recently finished cycling
and I added 10 hermit crabs and 1 turbo snail 2 days ago.

my 58g tank has t5 lights. 2x10,000k daylight and 2x420nm actinics. i
have been using the daylight lights only. 12 hours on/off.

i tested all the params today.

calcium 450 ppm
NH4 0.05 ppm
NO2 0.05 ppm
NO3 8 ppm

ph 8.2
alk 2.4
temp 82-84

I also have alot of algae growth in the last 5 days. mostly brown
stuff on the rocks, sand, and glass. other green and purple hair algae
has grown on the rocks only.

seems like all the params are where they should be. is it an effect of
too much light? or are these symptoms nothing too worry about??

Thanks for any advice you all have,

Aroon

You don't have too much light. But coraline algaes
do come from different depths, and thus like
different amounts of light. In fact coraline algae
grows best deep in the ocean. You are setting up a
reef tank, not a deep water tank, so no you don't
have too much light. There is also a type of
branching coraline algae that only grows in shallow
water in the bright sun light, and it looks like
coral the way it branches.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Aroon wrote on 6/23/2007 4:51 AM:
Hey there.

I have noticed that the top of my live rock has developed a bleach
white appearance on most surfaces. Looking around previous posts it
seems like this is a sign of dead coraline algae.

Should I be worried? The rock has turned white in all areas closest to
the lights that is not covered with algae.

I am new to sw aquariums. my first tank has recently finished cycling
and I added 10 hermit crabs and 1 turbo snail 2 days ago.

my 58g tank has t5 lights. 2x10,000k daylight and 2x420nm actinics. i
have been using the daylight lights only. 12 hours on/off.

i tested all the params today.

calcium 450 ppm
NH4 0.05 ppm
NO2 0.05 ppm
NO3 8 ppm

ph 8.2
alk 2.4
temp 82-84

I also have alot of algae growth in the last 5 days. mostly brown
stuff on the rocks, sand, and glass. other green and purple hair algae
has grown on the rocks only.

seems like all the params are where they should be. is it an effect of
too much light? or are these symptoms nothing too worry about??

Thanks for any advice you all have,

Aroon

Aroon wrote:
I have noticed that the top of my live rock has developed a bleach
white appearance on most surfaces. Looking around previous posts it
seems like this is a sign of dead coraline algae.

I've have the same thing going. It looks like somebody dipped my rocks
in frosting complete with a few drips down the side.

If it's dead, then is probably also inorganic from carbonate deposits.
This will some times happen during warming, but then I should see the
same thing on my heater.

I'm thinking it's some sort of coraline algae. It only seems to be on
certain rocks or rocks within the same location. If so, I have purple,
pink, deep red, and now white algaes growing.

I need to find somebody with a microscope, so I can take a sample and
have a look at it. Nobody seems to have one just laying around. :-)

--Kurt

On Jun 23, 1:25 pm, KurtG wrote:
Aroon wrote:
I have noticed that the top of my live rock has developed a bleach
white appearance on most surfaces. Looking around previous posts it
seems like this is a sign of dead coraline algae.

I've have the same thing going. It looks like somebody dipped my rocks
in frosting complete with a few drips down the side.

If it's dead, then is probably also inorganic from carbonate deposits.
This will some times happen during warming, but then I should see the
same thing on my heater.

I'm thinking it's some sort of coraline algae. It only seems to be on
certain rocks or rocks within the same location. If so, I have purple,
pink, deep red, and now white algaes growing.

I need to find somebody with a microscope, so I can take a sample and
have a look at it. Nobody seems to have one just laying around. :-)

--Kurt

today, i noticed that some portions of the white areas have turned
grey. maybe this is a type of algae development??

i have pink areas of coraline, but nothing as widespread as this
bleached white stuff. i just hope my rock isn't dying.

i have microscopes at work. just 50x dissecting scopes though. not
sure what you'd see.

The white is dead coraline algae

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


KurtG wrote on 6/23/2007 4:25 PM:
I've have the same thing going. It looks like somebody dipped my rocks
in frosting complete with a few drips down the side.

If it's dead, then is probably also inorganic from carbonate deposits.
This will some times happen during warming, but then I should see the
same thing on my heater.

I'm thinking it's some sort of coraline algae. It only seems to be on
certain rocks or rocks within the same location. If so, I have purple,
pink, deep red, and now white algaes growing.

I need to find somebody with a microscope, so I can take a sample and
have a look at it. Nobody seems to have one just laying around. :-)

--Kurt

On Jun 23, 2:39 pm, Wayne Sallee wrote:
The white is dead coraline algae

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


KurtG wrote on 6/23/2007 4:25 PM:



I've have the same thing going. It looks like somebody dipped my rocks
in frosting complete with a few drips down the side.

If it's dead, then is probably also inorganic from carbonate deposits.
This will some times happen during warming, but then I should see the
same thing on my heater.

I'm thinking it's some sort of coraline algae. It only seems to be on
certain rocks or rocks within the same location. If so, I have purple,
pink, deep red, and now white algaes growing.

I need to find somebody with a microscope, so I can take a sample and
have a look at it. Nobody seems to have one just laying around. :-)

--Kurt- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

is there anything i can do to bring it back to life?

or will this always be dead coraline?
its pretty widespread.

It will always be deal coraline algae, but new
coraline algae can grow over it the same as it does
over the rest of the rock.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


Aroon wrote on 6/23/2007 6:35 PM:
On Jun 23, 2:39 pm, Wayne Sallee wrote:
The white is dead coraline algae

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


KurtG wrote on 6/23/2007 4:25 PM:



I've have the same thing going. It looks like somebody dipped my rocks
in frosting complete with a few drips down the side.
If it's dead, then is probably also inorganic from carbonate deposits.
This will some times happen during warming, but then I should see the
same thing on my heater.
I'm thinking it's some sort of coraline algae. It only seems to be on
certain rocks or rocks within the same location. If so, I have purple,
pink, deep red, and now white algaes growing.
I need to find somebody with a microscope, so I can take a sample and
have a look at it. Nobody seems to have one just laying around. :-)
--Kurt- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -

is there anything i can do to bring it back to life?

or will this always be dead coraline?
its pretty widespread.