coraline algae dying???? Help

[doubletap4311]

I have a 150 gallon reef ready tank thats been up and running for about 4 months now. I purchased 90% of my live rock from members of my local club. It was all covered in coraline algae, red, purple and pink. Over the last couple of weeks, every since I switched from standard florescence to power compact lights, my coraline algae is starting to decrease rapidly. What I am seeing is brown and green algae forming on my rock, covering the coraline, then it all turns white. It appears to be killing the coraline. Any help or ideas to fix the problem is appreciated. The only thing I have added is kalkwasser, one time. I am also using nitrate granules to help remove nitrate. Wet dry filter with no bio-balls. 1 filter sock for filtering the water.

Water
sg-1.021
no2-0
no3-15-20
calcium-425
amm-0
temp 78-80

[quads4_life]

being that your tank is only 4 months old it is still cycleing. Some of your coraline will dye off. Just maintain your water changes and good flow through yout tank and watch your calc. levels and you should be ok. You might even notice a couple more stages. The brown alge is just a stage as your tank gets more mature it will go away. You might also have a cyno break out and it to will go away in time. Just continue your water changes and make sure you dont have any dead spots in your tank.

[ManotheSea]

You are not providing the correct conditions for coraline to grow. Here is what you can do if you want to correct the water parameters for the coraline...

Raise the SG (salinity) to 1.024-1.025. Clean the filter sock every three days or only use it for one week per month to cut nitrate build up. USE THE KALKWASSER EVERY DAY FOR TOPOFF. The Kalk will auto adjust your Alk, pH and Calcium. Put cheato macro algae in your wet dry under a home depot spotlight. Get a skimmer. Use ro/di water or bottled purified to mix your kalk topoff water.

Do these things and vaccume out as much brown and green algae as you can. I bet your tank will be rockin within the next month.

[ManotheSea]

Coraline also likes strong lights and high flow

[Sk8r]

keep up your calcium and magnesium, so that if anything needs it it doesn't have to 'raid' your coralline.
Do weekly 10% water changes; test; and if you are getting overrun with green algae, that's excessive phosphate---set up a refugium.

I would also get rid of the filter sock and wet-dry filter, if you are going reef rather than fish: I'd run the filter box with just live rock rubble, a bit better than the bioballs. You are still doing a little bit of cycling, I fear. And doublecheck your thermometers for accuracy.
Calcium stated is excellent: salinity is too low: use 1/2 cup salt mix per gallon---makes 1.024.
If you're worried about your coralline and want more, make sure you use a reef salt with a good level of magnesium. Oceanic seems to be one such, and is well buffered.

[doubletap4311]

I run a mag 18 for return. I also have two koralias #4 on opposite ends of my tank. I run a skimmer. I can raise the sg, not a problem. I am going to eventually convert the wet dry sump into a refrugium.. I am using instant ocean salt. I started using the filter sock to catch debris floating in the water. I change it out every 4 days. I have a mixed reef system.

[doubletap4311]

I also use a ro/di with 0 ppm. The brown algae is not over taking my tank. Is the white stuff the diadoms dying off?

[tmz]

The white stuff sounds like dead coraline. There are many calcerous red pink purple algaes called coralines. Some like higher light than others and some grow even in low light tanks.The jump from low light to pc may be shocking the low light variety of coraline that was growing.

[ahullsb]

I lost a lot of coraline the first few months I had my tank up and running. Especially after I switched from pc's to mh's. Don't worry about it too much. Just make sure you keep your calcium, alk, and magnesium within acceptable ranges. That is THE KEY.

[doubletap4311]

Thanks