Rocks coated in white

captain_jimmy

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Hi there

Lately my rocks have become covered in white stuff. There are almost definitely some spirorbid worms but there is also something different that has spread out over two rocks, one is basically covered now.

I had thought possibly a type of Coralline but does it come in white? I've not been able to find pics that match this too closely.

PXL_20210626_152905233.MP.jpg

These ones are spirorbid worms I'm pretty sure.

PXL_20210626_152923278.MP.jpg

This is the white stuff under white lights

PXL_20210626_152634196.MP.jpg

It's very obvious under blue lights.

PXL_20210626_152721657.MP.jpg

Closer shot.

Additional info:

Tank is 6mths old or so.
Couple fish and a bunch of coral.
Tested Params last weekend and everything was fine (this stuff was already around by then).

I've had a diatom bloom this week and have a bit of white fuzz algae in dark areas of my rockwork. Will be water changing and removing as much as possible of that stuff tmrw.
 

Arego

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All it looks like to me is the trail my tuxedos leave behind them as they clean especially if they concentrated on a specific area.

If it's a man made rock of any kind they can do this as they age and the color chips away. I have a single piece that came with a colony and it looked like yours a few months after putting it in.. at least until actual coraline covered it.
 
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captain_jimmy

captain_jimmy

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All it looks like to me is the trail my tuxedos leave behind them as they clean especially if they concentrated on a specific area
Thing is the rocks are the purple ones, covered in dye. The real reef rock.

So when the snails clean and eat that green algae you see it brings it back to the purple base rock.

This white is new in the last couple weeks.
 

vetteguy53081

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White areas look like those that have been cleaned by cleaner crew
 

vetteguy53081

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Hiya someone above said the same thing, but the rocks are not white and when they get cleaned they look purple.
This helps. Just switched to my PC screen and it appears to be dead Coralline Algae or moreso what is known as calothrix in which this stuff should be able to be scrubbed off
 
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captain_jimmy

captain_jimmy

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I did a search for calothrix and it seems it is an algae that looks green on the pages I found. Is this correct? Do you have any more info, it's tough to find specific stuff.

It *could* be dead Coralline but to be honest I don't think these rocks have too much Coralline on them, there's a bit but it's mostly the purple dye that the rocks came with.
That is what makes me question the Coralline bleaching or dying theory which was my first thought as well.

I might pull a rock tomorrow and have a close look at it out of the he tank.

I'll post pics and info when I do in the hope of any suggestions and also to help anyone else dealing with this.
 
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