LR turning white?

[mtglore]

Hello, All! This is my first post.

I have an Eclipse 6 nano which, according to my testing parameters, just finished cycling a few days ago. I was going to add a cleanup crew today, but this morning I noticed that some of the live rock had white splotches on it. Now, I can't remember if these areas originally had coralline on them (i.e., perhaps the coralline is dying and/or turning white). It could just be on the rock. Any clues as to what this could be?

I suspect that it's just dying coralline. But I don't want it to die! Why is this happeneing? Calcium? I have yet to test for calcium or alkalinity, but my kits should arrive this within a few days, along with some B-Ionic. Also, the lighting I have used during the cycling period is the stock flourescent lighting that came with the Eclipse, so its pretty crappy. I just got a 32 watt retrofit which I plant to install this evening. Is it likely that all these changes will help?

Any help or comments would be greatly appreciated!

p.s. Sorry I don't have any pictures. I don't have a digital camera...yet.

 

[brandon4291]

I would bet my eye teeth that it is receeding coralline algae, resulting not from a lighting situation but from non-maintenance of calcium and alkalinity. These two important additions can be easily bound by various processes in the nano, and if not refreshed periodically calcification will stall and you will see your once-pink coralline patches turn white in the center and radiate outwards until it is all white. Those areas will not turn pink again, but once maintenance is established they will just become overgrown with new pink/purple/red coralline.

No prob, some test kits and dosing agents will fix you up!

Welcome, thanks for posting and hanging out in our Forum

Brandon M.

 

[reefann]

Brandon, as always, hit it right on. I had a FOWLR that had that same thing happen. I was at first, but you cant be scared to dose a nano.
My 2.5 gets 1mL of C balance A or B alternating each day
JJ
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