Ugly phase

[412Reef]

Hi all!

Kind of a 2 fold question here. First, does anybody know what this stuff is on my live rock? I’ve taken a turkey baster to it and tried to blast it off with no success. Secondly I’m in the ugly phase where all of my dry rock is being coated with Bright Green Algae. Is there any cleanup crew that would take care of this or fish? Or should I just let it go? The live rock think is really bugging me since this stuff won’t come off.

Current Parameters:
90 Gallon
Alk 7.8
Nitrate 17.1
PH 7.9
Phosphate .10
Salinity 1.025

Last water change 1 week ago

Current live stock
2 clowns
1 diamond sand sifter
10 hermets
5 Nasarrus Snails
5 Trochus snails

 

[Baldyreef]

the green algae coating the dry rock is completely normal and a sign of a healthy reef tank

 

[Baldyreef]

do you have any better photos of whats on the live rock?

 

[412Reef]

do you have any better photos of whats on the live rock?

I tried but here is all I could get. I almost thought it was salt, but it’s white and won’t come off no matter how much I try to blast it

 

[Baldyreef]

thats very weird, is is possible to scrape it off? is is exposed rock maybe?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

the good news is this is normal, it is biofilm and micro algae's, it will feed all those snails and hermits you have.

the bad news is this is not really the ugly phase, this is just the prelude to the ugly phase, thats coming

 

[Baldyreef]

the good news is this is normal, it is biofilm and micro algae's, it will feed all those snails and hermits you have.

the bad news is this is not really the ugly phase, this is just the prelude to the ugly phase, thats coming

yup hopefully it wont be a gha ugly phase

 

[Fish Fan]

What Baldy and Mojo said

 

[ScottJ]

Where is the purple rock from? To me it looks like either man made or Caribsea Life Rock, which is not live rock, it's dead dry rock with color applied. If it is one of these, the white specks that look like salt are the color coming off. But don't worry, it will turn all sorts of colors soon enough.

 

[412Reef]

thats very weird, is is possible to scrape it off? is is exposed rock maybe?

I actually tried and had no luck. Just a huge eye sore in the tank, and it’s just those 2 pieces. The other area looking normal and purple like how I’d expect

 

[412Reef]

the good news is this is normal, it is biofilm and micro algae's, it will feed all those snails and hermits you have.

the bad news is this is not really the ugly phase, this is just the prelude to the ugly phase, thats coming

Do you think the clean up crew is appropriate for the time being? Or should I be adding more?

 

[412Reef]

Where is the purple rock from? To me it looks like either man made or Caribsea Life Rock, which is not live rock, it's dead dry rock with color applied. If it is one of these, the white specks that look like salt are the color coming off. But don't worry, it will turn all sorts of colors soon enough.

Live rock was from my LFS

 

[Baldyreef]

I actually tried and had no luck. Just a huge eye sore in the tank, and it’s just those 2 pieces. The other area looking normal and purple like how I’d expect

its most likely the color coming off like what Scott said then

 

[412Reef]

I actually tried and had no luck. Just a huge eye sore in the tank, and it’s just those 2 pieces. The other area looking normal and purple like how I’d expect

its most likely the color coming off like what Scott said then

Aww bummer. Alrighty :-/

 

[Baldyreef]

Do you think the clean up crew is appropriate for the time being? Or should I be adding more?

should be fine totally fine

 

[Baldyreef]

Aww bummer. Alrighty :-/

eventually Coraline algae will grow in the tank at a certain point of establishment which if it grows on the rock will cover the white, other algaes will also help mask it over time

 

[ScottJ]

eventually Coraline algae will grow in the tank at a certain point of establishment which if it grows on the rock will cover the white, other algaes will also help mask it over time

And then your urchin (who you don't have yet, but you will) will come along and clean off the Coraline and leave a white trail behind

 

[Baldyreef]

eventually Coraline algae will grow in the tank at a certain point of establishment which if it grows on the rock will cover the white, other algaes will also help mask it over time

And then your urchin (who you don't have yet, but you will) will come along and clean off the Coraline and leave a white trail behind

And will take a whole colony of a unglued coral on its back