Look for advise\help

[Mouse51180]

At the beginning of the year I finally saved enough money to change out my florecent lights with a MH\T5 fixture from Aquatinics. I purchased the fixture with Icecap 250w upgrade ballast. They system came with 2x 10K MH bulbs and 2x 54w T5 bulbs.

My aquarium looked really good before I upgraded the lights. I had a good amount of coraline algea on my rocks and everything just had a good healthy look to it and I wanted to put in corals so that is why I upgraded.

All the coraline algea seems to have died off and looks brown now. I have had a stong carpet algea groth recently with spots of red algea. I have done a 25% water change, checked my water values, and added all the necessary chemicals, but my aquarium just still seems to look nasty and dead.

Is this a normal thing to happen when making such a drastic change in lights and is there something I can do to help my tank through this period. Im too affraid to add any corals to my tank at this time.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Anonymous]

Did you change anything else? Did you have an open area and now you have closed it off more? Did you go from pendant light to cover?

Sorry I cant be more help, I am not sure why the downturn

 

[Anonymous]

You need to acclimate the tank to the new lights, if all you had was normal fluorescent lights then pretty much everything is in shock. There's many kinds of coralline algae and some thrive in high light environments, other are deeper water (less light), it will eventually get better as things get used to the new lights, just keep up with parameters and such and pretty much try and be patient.

 

[Brian5000]

My coraline algea never seemed to like intense light. It grows well in the shady spots and the tops of my rocks are bleached white.
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[shavo]

hey can you give a pic or two?? I am really curious about the rock being bleached from light. I have a few rocks that actually stick out of my tank and they get bleached but nothing that is submerged. I have rock towers and they go to the top of the water and are right under the metal halides and it doesn't bleach. I am sure with the right amount of calcium and with the light you will have coraline growing in there.
what is your calcium level BTW?

 

[Snowboarda42]

You might try making your lighting period alot less for some time. Leave the t-5s on all day normally, but only have the MH's on for <4 hours a day. Then increase gradually. Like .5-1 hour more each week or so...


Oh, and check/post your params. Alk and Ca are the two most important for Corraline...