Coraline still declining.

So say 2-3 months ago, my coraline algae started spreading pretty good. Then say a month or 2 ago, it started turning white. Actually it looked a little blue, and I didn't pay it any mind. Didn't know white was dead.

Now I know. The green algae is still spreading on it, and now the new algae that was growing on the back glass is turning white. Here is what I have.

Ca/Alk was always good, but then found other wise.
2 weeks ago Ca-350, Alk 3.
Brought them up, over shot a touch.
As of this morning this is what I have

Ca 400
Alk 4.0 by Sea chem. But I bought a Seachem Mag kit that also has Alk. It tested 3.0. Dosed some alk.
Mg 1200
PH 8.1-8.2
SG 1.025
zero NO3,ammonia/nitrites, no PO4
78 F, +- 1.5
All seachem kits.

Don't know what to do next, or if it will turn around. I have decided to leave Seachem alk/ca, and will be going to BRS 2 part now that I have a Mg kit. That will probably happen next week.

Any sugestions? Thanks

 

how old are your lights? did you change them?

 

They had just been replaced when I bought the tank back in September. I was going to replace them this Summer. June.

Now that I think about it, I assumed that was all of them. I might just be the MHs. I should find out if he did the Atinics too. If not, they would be about a year and a half old.

 

Coralline doesn't need light to grow, I'm 98% sure.

 

I know I've heard that also but its a very controversial debate.
If I had to take a guess I would say you are right because allot of fish stores the cure live rock do it in a lightless tank for a long time
and when you get it home theres Coralline on it ready to start back up.
plus it is believed that different types of Coralline do better under different types of lights.
But what I was suggesting is if he got new lights the brighter light might kill off the Coraline algae that was used to the lower light.

 

I just remember that when Amcarrig shut the lights off in her tank for a few months to try to kill off some nasty bryopsis, the purple coralline took off spreading like mad. But it could also have been due to the higher magnesium levels at the time too.

 

Coraline requires a steady high amount of calcium to thrive, low light is also better. Usually FOWLR tanks with low output lights will have awesome looking rock after a long time. Also have you seen any tiny starfish with six legs?

 

No. However, I have seemed to have had an out break of those tiny hard white stars. The legs are not very defined and It's hard to find one that actually has all of them. Don't know if that matters.

 

Any other sugestions?

 

Is it also declining in the darker areas of your tank? My coraline has been declining since I upgraded my lighting in December. However, where it is dark such as under a piece of rock, under my anemone, behing my large colt coral it is still a very nice dark purple. It's growing in my external overflow where it is pretty dark. Coraline, I believe, is a deep water algae and prefers dimmer light.