Coralline Algae Dying?!

Hi!

Well, about a week ago I picked up some new live rock at the LFS. One piece was completely covered in dark coralline algae (that's why I picked it - so pretty!). Now the coralline algae is turning light lavender in some areas; is it dying? If so, why would it die? It was so pretty!!

Thanks!

P.S. please ignore my typo in the main title!

 

I'm not maintaining those at the moment, but plan to get a test kit next time I get to the LFS.

It does get a lot of light. Could that be it?

Thanks for fixing the title!

 

light has alot to do with it but so do the big three ca,kh,mg

 

Coralline Algea grows in the dimmest of area’s and in the brightest and everything in between – but the shock of moving the algae from one to another can be tough, tho it shall recover.

Coralline is Calcareous just as hard corals – this is why the others asked you about calcium, magnesium and alkalinity. Additionally, I would add to this list Strontium and feel the detriments to coralline are noteworthy as well – that being, nitrates and phosphates.

Mostly the above can be handled by regular water changes, skimming and RO/DI. You will find as your tank matures and the coralline covers everything (I do mean everything) simple water changes will be insufficient when maintaining calcium levels and dosing calcium will be necessary.

You are explaining bleaching – but there are critters who eat coralline as well (urchins, some crabs and snails)

After you test and get your parameters where they should be your coralline will thrive.

Oh, one last thought – coralline bleaches after it is exposed to air for too long, not sure how you transported your new rock home – but it would also recover from this.

 

Thank you for all the information! That was really helpful. I didn't know about the calcium issue, so I'll definitely go get a testing kit for calcium, magnesium and alkalinity. Hopefully it will recover!

 

will just add that water temperature is a large factor for many species of coralline, the others are the big ones though, but no fun just saying +1

 

For temperature, do you mean too cool or too warm? My tank is at 79 degrees. Some of the previously bleached spots seem to have recovered a bit, but new areas are turning white now. Oh boy!

 

depends on the species, but more species like it cooler than warmer, but keep the tank the temp you want it, and the species that like that range will dominate over the rest. (the narrow range is why you don't see a great diversity of coralline species in the hobby- with literally hundreds of species -maybe thousands, close for sure - there are only a handful kept for the long term in personal aquaria)

 

Thanks a lot for your help! Much appreciated.