Coraline Growth Non Existent

nubomb · #1 12/15/2006, 10:25 AM

My tank has been up for a year now and in the past three months I just started to add some corals and changed my lights from NO to 2-175W MH 10K Ushio and 2-VHO's Super Antics. I run the Mh about 8 hours and the VHO for about 10. My tank is a 55G.

The coraline was growing very well for the first nine months. Purple growing on all sides of the glass and rocks. The last three months it has slowly been dying off the glass and now some of my rocks are bleaching white. I do 20% water changes every 2-3 weeks. Everyone in the tank appears to be doing very well (Shrimps, Fish, the few corals I have)

I test CA every once in while but it has been pretty consistent since day 1 ~400. Alk may be a little low but consistent as well, around 7-8.

Is it possible the tank is getting to much light, maybe lessen the photo period or raise the lights of the tank a little?

Gary Majchrzak · #2 12/15/2006, 10:31 AM

You want coralline growth on the glass?

Many species of coralline don't do well in brightly lit situations. Personally, I would prioritize the health of your corals over corallines.

papagimp · #3 12/15/2006, 11:01 AM

agreed, corals over coralline. But that being said, check the alk and calcium in the tank. Make sure they are okay still. In all likelyhood it's the lighting intensity being increased. Will kill off lower lighting coralline but in time you should get some higher light coralline taking it's place. Be patient.

Hugeness · #4 12/15/2006, 11:04 AM

I don't know if u supplement magnesium, but I found that to help a bunch.

nubomb · #5 12/15/2006, 11:05 AM

It's a pain to clean but I like the look on the back glass and it does pretty up the rocks a bit. I guees I need more corals so they are the center piece and not the rock.

I just fiqured if Coraline was growing it was a good sign of a healthy tank. I did bout Cyano recently and changed to RO/DI water about two months ago and now have it under control.

papagimp · #6 12/15/2006, 11:10 AM

That may have something to do with it. cyno will cover and suffocate most inverts and algae. may had it bad enough to block out lighting and then "blam!" intense lighting on em, bleaching it out.

I wouldn't dose magnesium unless you have a test kit for it. If your alk and Calcium seem okay, mag probably is as well. Throwing magnesium or strontium (or any element) out of wack will inevitably cause a dominoe effect with other parameters.