View Full Version : Live Rock Coating
kreblak
05-05-2003, 10:32 AM
When I bought my LR it had some type of white coating on a lot of it's surface. The coating looked a lot like the icing used on cinnimon buns, and was bubbled in places. As my hermits and snails have wandered about the LR, this white coating has come off in some places, revealing a bright green coloration underneath.
What is the white coating, why is is eroding in spots, and what is underneath it?
OrionGirl
05-05-2003, 11:25 AM
The white coating sounds like coralline algae--it bleaches white in low light conditions, and will quit growing and flake off. Not sure on the green underneath--sorry!
Corax
05-05-2003, 11:26 AM
That was dead coralline algae. It turns white when it doesn't have enough light and eventually it flakes off.
Corax
05-05-2003, 11:27 AM
dangit Onion, ya beat me =P
The green could be more coralline, it does come in green, but to have it underneath would be rather odd cuz it requires light to grow. Ya sure it isn't just a green rock? It COULD happen..
kreblak
05-05-2003, 12:09 PM
I see. Any chance of reviving the coralline algae? The green coloration underneath the flaked off algae is not limited to those spots...it is all over the LR, and spreading. Might this be new algae growth? It is much brighter than the green hair algae I have, and the hemits and snails seem to love what's on the LR, where as they won't come near the green hair algae.
OrionGirl
05-05-2003, 1:56 PM
Seems likely that the green is a different algae. Corax is right--there are many colors and shapes for coralline, purple is just very common.
As for reviving it--with enough light and a bit of time, it will come back. The flakes usually plant themselves in a new location and thrive--hence the development of purple patches on glass, powerheads, etc.
Corax--girls beat boys. Face the facts! :D
Is it an "emerald" green? If so, it may be a type of cyano.
karlas
05-17-2003, 6:55 AM
actually i have to say corraline is white when it dies but also white when it starts to grow also. there are several colors of corraline and green does grow in a lower light. if it looks like bulbs it could be bulburous corraline (http://www.globaldialog.com/~jrice/algae_page/bulb_coralline.htm)
corraline is in many colors green, blue, purple, pink, burgandy
i have even heard of people getting yellow, orange, white
heres some pics
http://www.saltreef.com/images/galleries/coralline/bth-redcoralline.jpg
http://www.saltreef.com/images/galleries/coralline/bth-purplecoralline.jpg
http://www.saltreef.com/images/galleries/coralline/bth-greencoralline.jpg