View Full Version : my rock is bleaching but why?
fishfreak83
08/21/2006, 07:30 AM
i just set up a 54G reef a week ago and my rock i cured was starting to grow great in the curing bucket now a week into it the rock seems to slowly be turning white. I have it under the same light that I was curing it with, my salinity seems fine, I even bought a very nice rock from my lfs that was covered in purple and now its slowly bleaching also any suggestions
The first thing that comes to mind, is that though your water's salinity is "fine" the calcium level may not be adequate. Coraline algae of the kind you are trying to foster in your tank requires sufficient levels of calcium to thrive. Take a look here for proper water chemistry levels:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
Also, while you mention that the light is the same as when you cured the live rock, that may not be sufficient in the first place. Can you describe all of the details of your water chemistry (including calcium, alkalinity, pH, salinity, etc.) and your lighting?
rdmpe
08/21/2006, 08:30 AM
IMO you need to pick up salifert test kits for CA, ALK, MG and see if they are per recommendations in the article above.
Cheapest I've seen them is
http://www.hobbyoutletsales.com/salifert.html
I've ordered two from them and they came fast and packaged well...
Coralline algae also need Strontium. No test that I know of, but I add some twice a week and I got coralline everywhere.
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