[kimmeewoo]

My purple coralline seems to have lost its vibrancy. Now it is a faded, muted purple, instead of the bold, bright purple it used to be. It looks really dull--but it isn't turning snow white like coralline does when its dying.

My tank readings are (and almost always have been):
Temp 80 +/- 2
SG 1.026 (I have increased it recently from 1.023-4)
Calcium 330
Alk 7.2 dkh
pH 8.2
Phospates 0
Nitrates 0 (Could be wrong--I'm using expired tests)
2-250w MH with no supplementation yet. (Had it about 2 months) I have been slowly (but not too slowly) acclimating the tank to the light and am currently at 10 hours/day.

I don't think the problem is my calcium level, because the coralline used to grow wildly with that level. I have, however, been trying unsuccessfully to raise it. I wonder if my attempts are causing the problem.

I have been dripping kalk as my makeup water, and dosing B-ionic a couple of times per week. I pour the B-ionic directly into my display tank, in the stream of my sump return so it is distributed quickly.

The only other unusual thing that's going on in my tank is an algae outbreak: Some green cyano and a mysterious, calcerous brown algae that I have to scrape off the acrylic with a credit card.

Does anything here sound like it would make my coralline dull-looking? Or should I check for something else?

[organicreefer]

Originally posted by kimmeewoo

Calcium 330
Alk 7.2 dkh

a bit low i would get it up to at least 420-450 and 9-11,also you mentioned "expired tests",if thats the case ,i would get some new ones.hth

[obring]

I have used "Coralline Stimulator" (Florida Aqua Farms, Inc.) with excellent results. I used les than the recommended dose of 1 drop per gallon, and only once a week. I did not know about the "snow white" thing when they die, and have wondered about it...i have two small spots on one side...guess I better find out! Anyway... just thought I would let you know.

[bongobrian]

I would be skeptical of your calcium since that is the major factor with coraline. I like to keep my calcium around 450ppm as organic reefer mentioned. Your SG is a bit high for your water temp. You might want to bring that down to 1.024-1.025 (those are the optimum levels for 80-82 degrees). Your lighting might also be causing a problem. You're running very strong lights.. how many hours are you running them? coraline grows best in low-light situations and I'm pretty sure that it prefers the blue spectrum of light which it doesn't sound like you have. Using some kind of other product as obring talked about will probably also bring the bright pigmentation back. I use Mark Weiss' Reef DNA. I also think that spectra vital helps with this too! good luck

[organicreefer]

you also might want to try just using the b-ionic everyday ,and skipping the kalk.
using both is very finicky ime,and may be causing an ionic imbalance.
b-ionic is GREAT stuff,once you figure youre daily dose,alk ca levels will be nice and steady and corraline will become almost a pain

[Doug1]

At the very least stop with the kalk drip till you get the calc/alk where you want them, then you can drip kalk to help maintain using less of the B-ionic

[mrok12]

Will coralline still grow in the intense lighting of M.H.. I have 2-250 watt 10k and 2-55wattpc on a 65 gallon. I drip kalk and my caco3 is slowly coming up. about 10mg a day. alk is 3.2meq/l. Opinion please

MROK12

[scubadude]

Originally posted by mrok12
Will coralline still grow in the intense lighting of M.H.. I have 2-250 watt 10k and 2-55wattpc on a 65 gallon. I drip kalk and my caco3 is slowly coming up. about 10mg a day. alk is 3.2meq/l. Opinion please

MROK12

Your Kidding right?
It grows better in intense lighting!! so YES it will still grow If your PH is good Alk is good and CA is good it will all come together....if your tank is fairly new (under 6 mos.) then dont jump the gun :P

[organicreefer]

another reefboard legend "corraline doesnt grow under halides"

[bongobrian]

Yes it will still grow, but coraline does, in fact, grow better in low-light conditions at first.

[organicreefer]

yes i will say that corraline does prefer indirect light,but it will definitely grow in the light as well.ime darker shades grow in the shadows.

[bongobrian]

It prefers low light to no light at all. In nature, the pink and purple coralines grow in very dark areas. Green coraline grows where the light is more intense. No aquarium bulbs can come close to duplicating the light of the sun, so the pink and purple grow in our aquariums quite well and we don't typically see any of the green coraline.

[organicreefer]

i would stop short of "no light at all",it does need light

[scubadude]

The panel (its katty corner in the back left, or the piece with all the coralline on it) to my overflow are closest to my MH's and check this out....these get as close to DIRECT light as you can get!

[bongobrian]

I said it grows better in low light AT FIRST. I never said it doesn't grow in light or doesn't need light. I know people who have put LR in a garbage can filled with salt water and pulled it out a month later covered with dark coraline.

[organicreefer]

scuba,i agreei have a 400w halide over my tank and its covered in corraline .but corraline will grow just as good/better under less light.it definitely grows under halides though

[scubadude]

Originally posted by bongobrian
It prefers low light to no light at all. In nature, the pink and purple coralines grow in very dark areas. Green coraline grows where the light is more intense. No aquarium bulbs can come close to duplicating the light of the sun, so the pink and purple grow in our aquariums quite well and we don't typically see any of the green coraline.

Hmmm interesting....can you give me your source for this bongobrian

[scubadude]

I truly think ALK and CA levels have much more to do with it then light intensity....however I am VERY intrigued/interested about different colors and what produces them. I Have 100lbs + of DIY LR that I will be putting in my tank soon and would like to hear more about this.

[bongobrian]

I read that in one of Dr. Ron Shimek's books. I think it was called the Coral Reef Aquarium. He talks about how the pink and purple pigmented coralines grow very well in our home tanks because the lighting is so weak compared to the sun. I also agree that calcium and alks have much more to do with it! I have several new pieces of LR in my tank right now and the coraline growth where the light doesn't touch is MUCH greater than the areas in direct light. I'm sure those areas will catch up soon though.

[bongobrian]

I'd be interested to see if someone can grow green coraline! I'm not sure I've ever seen it. Scuba~ you've prob seen it though in your diving experience!