Question about cycling tank - is this normal growth

Hi Everyone,

I purchased a large quantity of dry rock and then some pieces of live rock. Almost immediately I could see Coraline algae growing in small specs throughout the dry rock. Today I came home to measure the tank parameters and everything has drastically changed.

In a day the live rock is now completely dark green and most 80% of the dry rock is now covered in white as if someone sprayed, fake snow all over the dry rock.

My nitrates are high 80 ppm, I am mixing salt as we speak to conduct a water change.

Just curious if this is normal outside of the high nitrates.

 

It could be a very large bacteria bloom? Is your water cloudy?

A picture would be helpful

 

My water is not cloudy all activity is on the surface of the rocks themselves.

 

Coralline algae can die back or change color from extreme changes in lighting.

Dramatic swings or parameters out of whack such as Ca/Mag/Alk and Strontium.

I would make sure that first those the big three Ca/Mag/Alk are in line.

Next I would consider lighting.

 

I do have 8 bulb tek elite on this 75 gallon tank.

I will break out the reef master kit shortly and see where the parameters are, I am only cycling the tank so I have been focusing primarily on pH, Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates.

 

Sorry just jumping back to this, extreme changes in light? I have not changed my lighting but for the past 3 days the lights have been turning on and off, I.e. on a timer.

 

Also to throw this in,

the green looks like algae, it is "growth" and raised. The white, however, is more like a build up and does not appear "plant like"

 

Lets say the rock came out of the typical cure tank you find at the LFS, a lot of those do not even have the most common current lighting systems. You take it home and stick it 2 feet under 4 bulb T5HO fixture you might very well see the coralline take a hit initially. I am not familiar with your lighting type so I can not address par.

The same can be said for parameters. Take rock from a tank that runs an sg of 1.025-27 and put it into a tank running at 1.020, the coralline might fade.

 

I believe he was talking about his dry rock having the white stuff not the LR? can dead coralline just "unglue" it self from the rock and float away when it dies?

A picture would really help OP, can you please post one?

also, can you post your parameters?

 

For sure,

The live rock was sourced with low light and the Tek Elite is a 8 bulb t5HO fixture I know people who have used the 6 bulb versions for SPS.