Live rock loosing the purple color

Hello once more all! ;D

Since my tank is fishless for the next 3-4 weeks :sigh: I decided it's time to finish off my live rock decor. I have 30 lbs now and will be adding 75 more on sunday evening. My wife an I are taking a trip from WI to IN (premiumaquatics) to pickup the rock....I feel like a drugdealer or something, saying that.... anyways the fish are out b/c of a brooklynella problem

http://www.3reef.com/forums/fish-diseases/another-clown-white-film-3-4-argh-36791.html

The rock that I have in there, is just not as brilliant in purple as it was when it was @ the LFS a few weeks ago. I do treat with kents liquid "calcium reactor" but I haven't tested the calcium yet (shame i know). Alas, I'm going to get a test kit tonight. My first guess is that there just isn't enough calcium in teh water. Any other thoughts?

I'm worried that perhaps something else is wrong with my water paramaters? ALso, i went through a cyano bloom a few weeks ago when i put 4 T5HO's on the tank and around the same time removed my canister filter. There currently is some form of white hair-like algea growing which im doing some research to find out what that is.

THX !!

 

Adding light can most certainly cause the coralline on your rocks to fade out. I went through the same thing when I replaced my power compact fixture with metal halides.

 

Yeah the LFS keeps all their stuff under single bulb 40watt unless there is corals in the tank. They won't sell LR out of those tanks for obvious reasons So that would make some sense. The folks at PremiumAquatics say they have MH over their tanks so hopefully that may be better! Thanks!

 

I really would not worry. Coraline algae is very fussy when its out of water. When i take the powerheads out all the coraline bleaches...but in a few weeks it comes back. With good lighting it should all be fine in the long run.

 

Corraline, .....
It may be fading due to the light shock. Going from a NO fluorescent to a brighter light can do that. I would also check your Alkalinity level, just as a check up.

Jim

 

If you find out what the white hair like stuff is please post. I am having the same problrm

 

Nitrates and phosphates are the #1 cause for hair algae, from what I've gathered so far. I'm not currently using RO/DI water and that is more than likely why I'm having the problem. My nitrates are at 0ppm every time I test for them (weekly at least). I'm sure my dissolved organic and phosphate count farm from 0 (hehe).

Anyways, I'm back from Indiana now. I must say being in premium aquatics store was like being 10 years old again. Their prices are 1/2 my local retailers and I couldn't stop pulling things off the shelf! WEEEEEEEE

This picture doesn't do the rock justice. Yeah, the datestamp is a year early too WHUPS

 

alot of rock. Nice. Where are the corals going?

 

Wow... looks like a good start. Bunches of rock.. You know though, I am a big rock guy, I like lots of rock in my tanks too, and if you start with lots of real small corals instead of spending the big bucks on the big pieces, you can put tons and tons of different types in and watch them grow and cover... Kudos! I like it. Good luck! Keep us updated with pictures.

 

I have used fiji gold before. That stuff rocks!