flash coraline

[carpenter981]

Ive noticed a few times that it looks like Im getting some nice coraline growth on a few rocks. Itll be there a couple days, pink-purple in color looks just like the coraline near it. Then after a couple days it fades away. It also happened on my sand the last couple days. I have a "dead spot" where a little coraline was growing and now its gone with no change to flow.

Anyone experience this or can explain it?

 

[budsreef]

Hmmm, sounds more like it could be cyano especially if you are getting it on the sand bed. Cyano is the same color but can come and go during the course of the day and lighting schedule.

I've never seen coraline growing on sand and it wouldn't just disappear. If it dies it turns white.

 

[raz0945]

If its gone in the morning and darker at night it could be a little bit of cyanobacteria. Try using a baster to blow it of the rock or sand if it moves you have cyno. Coralline algae doesn't move, it is usually a light purple/lavender color when starting(you usually see it on the glass/powerheads or top of the rocks closest to the light. If it's cyno try adding a little more flow and taking out a little more water with your weekly water change.Holley

 

[rbredding]

+1 mine turns white...

it's got a calcium structure, so it wouldn't just disappear anyway..

probably cyano...

 

[carpenter981]

Rbredding;624647 wrote: +1 mine turns white...

Where it was on the rock, there is a little bit of white left. It just doesnt look like Cyano to me from everything I searched. Ill try and get some pics up later on

 

[rbredding]

put your finger on it.. (next time)

if it's coralline.. you wont' damage it at all..

if it's cyano.. it'll be gone/slimy

 

[jbadd99]

carpenter981;624638 wrote: Ive noticed a few times that it looks like Im getting some nice coraline growth on a few rocks. Itll be there a couple days, pink-purple in color looks just like the coraline near it. Then after a couple days it fades away. It also happened on my sand the last couple days. I have a "dead spot" where a little coraline was growing and now its gone with no change to flow.

Anyone experience this or can explain it?

I've seen the same thing in my tank, except not on the sand bed. The rock grows to be a nice purple color during the day when the lights are on and then fades at night when they're off. Touching it doesn't damage it and I've noticed that the patch reappears in the same spot in the morning, and it grows steadily larger as time (days, weeks) progresses. As it grows larger, less of it disappears at night.