Bleached coraline algea

[mission man]

What makes my purple coraline algea on my lr turn white?

[Hopestar075]

I'm riding along on this one, I have the same problem.

[kau_cinta_ku]

how long has the tank been setup? and what are your water parameters?

[Paintbug]

did you just put it in your tank? have you changed anything like your lights, or flow?

[Sk8r]

Temperature over 85 will bleach very quickly. Thermometers and heater thermostats are notoriously wrong, mine by 10 degrees. I run two thermometers to crosscheck. Also pay attention to how high it might go due to a sunbeam or something crossing the tank while you're out of the house daily. That can spike the rock temperature even while the rest of the tank stays cooler. My coralline suffered, peeled a film like sunburn, and repaired itself over 2-3 months.

[WaterKeeper]

Another thing that cause bleaching with new rock is the transportation process. Often the rock is piled on top of each other and the coralline underneath suffers. With a new tank this is very common but it may be awhile after the tank is set-up for the damage to reveal itself.

[agrusczak]

Too much light would cause the problem as well, no?

I have read in a number of places that initially you should just run your tank with actinics initially because coralline algae prefers low light levels. Anyone have experience to the contrary? Mine had dark coloration in a curing bin but after a few days in my tank under 12 hour periods of full PC lighting, it appeared to fade a bit. I've cut back to only actinic lighting for now.

Also, I'm trying out the Purple Up product to encourage the growth of coralline. Anyone have good or bad experiences with this product?

[®eefer]

Coraline likes high waterflow. By all means you dont have to run your tank with only actinics. I have metal halide lamps running at 10 hours/day and even my coraline very close to the surface is bright purple. I have heard that very bright light can bleach your coraline, but I have seen much coraline growth in tanks with 400w halides. Definitely keep your temps at 80 max and be sure to keep your calcium and flow rate high. A reef additive seems to help as well.

[Inferno]

Maintaining proper calcium, alkalinity and magnesium is needed to maintain good corraling algae growth.

cooltank, where did you get the information that temps over 80 degrees will bleach corraline? 80 degress max for a tank is not necessary. Lots of people run their tanks at around 82, the key is to maintain a stable temperature. Its the flucuations that will have negative effects.

[mission man]

I inherited my tank from my brother. I believe it has been running for about 4-5 years.Its a 65g with 3 95w vho and one actinics bulb. Ammonia 0 , nitrate 20 , nitrite 0, calcium 400 , temp 78 , salinity 1.024. I dont have an alk test kit. The nitrate was alot higher but I have been doing alot of water changes. Also the tank does sit by a window. The sun rise shines right in that window on the right side of tank. I dont really have a problem with algea building up on the sides of the tank.I clean it maybe once a week.

[imortal fish]

dont know if this relates but my long spine urchin started eating my coraline leaving white patches on my lr.

[Paintbug]

when you say inherited, was the tank moved or did you brother move out and left you the tank?

[®eefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7082628#post7082628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Inferno
Maintaining proper calcium, alkalinity and magnesium is needed to maintain good corraling algae growth.

cooltank, where did you get the information that temps over 80 degrees will bleach corraline? 80 degress max for a tank is not necessary. Lots of people run their tanks at around 82, the key is to maintain a stable temperature. Its the flucuations that will have negative effects.

I didnt mean to say 80 max, I meant it as an ideal temp.

[The Marmot]

High temps will bleach it. Also maintain your Ca levels.

[mission man]

My brother and I moved the tank to my house. His new apartment didnt have the room for the tank.

[Paintbug]

got ya. sounds like normal die off from the move. it has to get adjusted to the new setup. the color will come back shortly.

[mission man]

But the tank has been setup at my house for over 6 months. The rocks were really purple when we set it up and were that way untill a month ago. Now slowly but surely they are turing white.

[murphy54]

it has to do with the environment you took it from..it was maybe with sufur..and sulfur(in organic connection) looses it's power to stay linked to the organic part in contact with oxigen

[PatMayo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7081967#post7081967 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Another thing that cause bleaching with new rock is the transportation process. Often the rock is piled on top of each other and the coralline underneath suffers. With a new tank this is very common but it may be awhile after the tank is set-up for the damage to reveal itself.

Tom, will the rock that is covered up by other rock and turns white get coralline growth on it like the rock that is not covered? I have some rock like that. It some cases it is not necessarily covered by other rock but is shielded by the rock on top and thus is not in direct contact with the lights etc. Or will the rock always be white? I have copious amounts of coralline growth in my tank. It has been up for 70 days now.

Regards,

Pat

[jnfallon]

This is very common.

I have had rock turn white and leave a "ring" when water levels drop during a water change. I have also had them turn white when moving from one tank to the other.

My hypothesis was the oxidation of being unsubmerged, but I read recently that it is the increase of light from being exposed (the light is no longer diminshed).

Either way, it has always grown back fairly quickly.

[WaterKeeper]

The bleaching happens when the coralline dies and leaves behind its "calcium skeleton". New coralline will grow over the old. This is a major part of the reef building process.