Losing my coraline algea?!?

[am00re34]

I have had my tank up and running for about 8 months now and for a while i was getting great coraline growth on my rocks and glass, but then i had a small crash due to some metal being put into my tank about a month ago, but that has been removed and all my levels are perfect (ammonia, nitrate, nitrate, and phospate = 0, Calcium 440, alkalinty was perfect but i can't remember the number, maybe 8.4?, PH is 8.4, temp i try to keep about 80-82 now because if i try and keep it lower it just goes from 77 to 83 due to the summer heat).
Why would my coraline start to turn white? i did rearrange my rock about 2 months ago which i took it all out, but did store it in the water from my tank that i drained.
help!! i'm loosing one of the best things of a reef tank!

 

[spanko]

Calcium, Alkalinity, Temperature all look okay. Are the lights been the original bulbs? If so may be a time for new bulbs. The lose some of their spectrum over time and I have read, while conflicting, that you should change your bulbs anywhere from 6 months to a year. So 8 months seems to be a good time. Oh yeas you did not post your lighting schedule that may help us in determining the cause.

 

[am00re34]

i've actully increased my lighting. I have a 6 bulb t-5HO set-up. My 2 atinics come on at 8am and turn off at 7pm. my 3 daylight and 1 atinic come on at 9am and turn off at 6pm. My bulbs are just about 8 months old as well, but the light cycle i have stated above just started about 3 weeks ago when i got my corals. before that everything was about 2 hours less (one hour less in the morning and one at night).
I have been told that after about 6 months they start to lose thier spectrum as well, but i was going to try and hold off due to the cost of them. at about 22-25 bucks a pop, replacing 6 bulbs gets expensive.

 

[renogaw]

my coralline started fading last month (odd, 8 month mark as well), i started using b-ionic because my alk and calcium were very low. now, its growing wild everywhere.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by Am00re34
i've actully increased my lighting. I have a 6 bulb t-5HO set-up. My 2 atinics come on at 8am and turn off at 7pm. my 3 daylight and 1 atinic come on at 9am and turn off at 6pm. My bulbs are just about 8 months old as well, but the light cycle i have stated above just started about 3 weeks ago when i got my corals. before that everything was about 2 hours less (one hour less in the morning and one at night).
I have been told that after about 6 months they start to lose thier spectrum as well, but i was going to try and hold off due to the cost of them. at about 22-25 bucks a pop, replacing 6 bulbs gets expensive.
IF you increased your lighting recently it could just be bleaching because of the new intensity. Should grow back.

 

[gustavo]

Do you have any animals (inverts) that graze on coraline? my longspine urchin does this regularly.

 

[am00re34]

i didnt increase my lighting as in intensity, but i did in length.
I dont have anything anymore. I used to have a longspine like you (gustavo), but it died along w/ many other inverts when my tank crashed about a month ago. I loved that guy, but i have corals now, so i wont get another one.
I'll just wait it out and hope it starts to come back.

 

[reefkprz]

check your phosphates. phosphates at low levels slow coraline growth at high levels kills coraline.

 

[am00re34]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
check your phosphates. phosphates at low levels slow coraline growth at high levels kills coraline.
my phosphates are undetectible. I use RO/DI water and then run phos-lock. I hate algea!!!