# Halimeda meltdown



## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

For some reason, on the weekend, my halimeda all went white and melted overnight. No cloudiness or anything like one would expect if it went sexual, but maybe??? It didn't get crunchy, more slippery. My calcium and alk have been low, but were on the way up with the help of 2 part. 

Anyhow, I removed what I could, but a lot went behind the rocks and I didn't really worry about it. I figured that at worst, my calcium would go up... I checked nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites to be sure and all were 0. I didn't check ph.

So I was running my tests again tonight. Everything looks well, but I wanted to be certain. My Ca and Alk are still lowish, so I added 2 part. Then I tested my ph and it's 8.8!!!!! It's been swinging between 7.8 and 8.4, but I've never seen it so high!

So aside from a WC and removing all the remaining halimeda bits, any suggestions? I'm leaving for 2 weeks on Saturday...my housesitter is a close friend who knows marine tanks as well as I do (not newby, not pro) but I don't want to leave him a big problem!


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

need halmida? poke me. its doing well.


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## acer (May 18, 2010)

the melt of the halimeda might have been nitrate related... I've looked online and most cases related to it melting is the tank not having nitrate.... but it comes back later. 

are you trying to get the pH down? maybe do a water change? measure pH right after and 24 hours after see if it jumps up again.

sorry... melts are also related to sudden changes in calcium levels too.

also... just reread that you said "aside from a wc"...
ummm how much halimeda are you talking about? did the calcium level go up after it melted?


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Thanks, I appreciate it, but I still have some in Zephyr's tank that I can transplant later...



Sunstar said:


> need halmida? poke me. its doing well.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I never have ANY nitrates in this tank but it's always still done well...until now 

The calcium did NOT go up, only the Ph... It was quite a bit of halimeda, 3 substantial clumps...



acer said:


> the melt of the halimeda might have been nitrate related... I've looked online and most cases related to it melting is the tank not having nitrate.... but it comes back later.
> 
> are you trying to get the pH down? maybe do a water change? measure pH right after and 24 hours after see if it jumps up again.
> 
> ...


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

my halimeda melted down as well. this was after I ripped most of it out. the last piece i had stayed green for a few days, them went white and disintegrated. it was so wierd.


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## Daniel181 (Jan 11, 2011)

*RE:*

Yeah great


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Hmmm, I wonder if that's what caused it? I recently tore out a good chunk of it out because it had xenia growing all over it and I wanted to move it to Zephyrs tank...
???
Anyhow, I've got more if you want it, though it seemed to love your tank too much 



PACMAN said:


> my halimeda melted down as well. this was after I ripped most of it out. the last piece i had stayed green for a few days, them went white and disintegrated. it was so wierd.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

peice of mine in my nano has bit of xenia flesh on it and that's starting to grow stalks. I love xenia. the stuff I got from you were SO pretty.


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

carmenh said:


> Hmmm, I wonder if that's what caused it? I recently tore out a good chunk of it out because it had xenia growing all over it and I wanted to move it to Zephyrs tank...
> ???
> Anyhow, I've got more if you want it, though it seemed to love your tank too much


lol yeah, i dunno. i can see how that would suck out all of my calcium.

man, I cant wait for that xenia to come back to my tank in the near future.

must flatworm exit this weekend! then i think i might be getting a finger leather, and some other coral (unknown if its torch, hammer, or frogspawn) from my coworker.

one thing i want o eventually get is some zoas!

hopefully this flatworm elimination goes without any casualties


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

LOL, if you need more, let me know  Even if Zeph's tank with much less light, it's going full force! The brownish one reflects bluish green in that tank, it looks cool!



Sunstar said:


> peice of mine in my nano has bit of xenia flesh on it and that's starting to grow stalks. I love xenia. the stuff I got from you were SO pretty.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Sounds like you're gonna fill up quick! 
If your coworker wants to keep it, you can for sure have more xenia. And when you're ready for zoas, let me know. I've stopped the vit c to make things simpler when I go away, but when I get back and re-start it, I may have some to spare...of course, you'll want to dip so you don't re-intro fw's...



PACMAN said:


> lol yeah, i dunno. i can see how that would suck out all of my calcium.
> 
> man, I cant wait for that xenia to come back to my tank in the near future.
> 
> ...


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

carmenh said:


> Sounds like you're gonna fill up quick!
> If your coworker wants to keep it, you can for sure have more xenia. And when you're ready for zoas, let me know. I've stopped the vit c to make things simpler when I go away, but when I get back and re-start it, I may have some to spare...of course, you'll want to dip so you don't re-intro fw's...


lol damn those flatworms!


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Yea, I know, I'd love to nuke them  But at least my 6 line keeps them *a little* controlled...


PACMAN said:


> lol damn those flatworms!


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

I am planning a nukeage. working on getting what I can out first though.


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## acer (May 18, 2010)

carmenh said:


> LOL, if you need more, let me know  Even if Zeph's tank with much less light, it's going full force! The brownish one reflects bluish green in that tank, it looks cool!


carmen you should post in the macroalgae thread I started. mainly cause I want to see what you have.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I actually don't have that much, and what I have isn't looking that great


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## acer (May 18, 2010)

that's ok... me and Sunstar have the same kinds, basically, lol. plus if you want other kinds we can trade.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Thanks  Sounds like a plan...



acer said:


> that's ok... me and Sunstar have the same kinds, basically, lol. plus if you want other kinds we can trade.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

So apparently I need to start getting more sleep instead of staying up late reading forums  On the advice of a sw guru, I held off on the water change, and I've been testing my Ph 2 x per day. I have yet to see the ph anywhere near the 8.8 I thought I saw the other night. I have to assume that it was a test error rather than an actual reading. Maybe I added too many drops, or ??? Anyhow, aside from my remaining halimeda looking like crapoli, all critters are well and maybe I can sleep tonight instead of waking at 5am with crashed tank thoughts...
BTW, I'm participating in a BRS group order to be delivered down to my mom's and I think I'm gonna tag on a Ph meter 



carmenh said:


> Then I tested my ph and it's 8.8!!!!! It's been swinging between 7.8 and 8.4, but I've never seen it so high!


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