CORALINE BOOSTERS PROS AND CONS

[Tom Giddens]

I am starting a new build 220 RR and I am using of live and dry sand and a mix of dry rock and live rock. I know some of the old coraline can re activate. I have used purple up before and it seemed to work, I see there are a couple of other brands out now and I am wondering what other peoples experience with these products.
https://www.ebay.com/p/Purple-up-Co...aribSea-F2a/691325746?iid=303022741804&chn=ps

https://www.marinedepot.com/Continu...s-Continuum_Aquatics-4C30677-FIADSALR-vi.html

 

[rkpetersen]

If you're going to try something other than transferring coralline algae scrapings from another tank, this is probably the most effective product:

https://arcreef.com/product/coralline-algae/

Also welcome to R2R!

 

[vetteguy53081]

As long as calcium levels are optimum, it will establish naturally

 

[Clarinuto]

If you're going to try something other than transferring coralline algae scrapings from another tank, this is probably the most effective product:

https://arcreef.com/product/coralline-algae/

Also welcome to R2R!

Never used this myself, but I’ve been curious about it. Any repercussions to using it?

 

[rkpetersen]

Never used this myself, but I’ve been curious about it. Any repercussions to using it?

I don't even know if it works, and haven't tried it myself. But in principle, if the spores inside are still viable, it should allow rock surfaces to be seeded earlier than might otherwise happen.

 

[Clarinuto]

I don't even know if it works, and haven't tried it myself. But in principle, if the spores inside are still viable, it should allow rock surfaces to be seeded earlier than might otherwise happen.

Oh. Interesting. I hope someone who has tried it chimes in. Would be curious to hear what happened.

 

[Scotty Buttons]

Purple up is just calcium in a bottle. If you want coraline goto your LFS and buy a small piece of rock, snail shells or empty frag plugs. Scrape off the coraline into your tank. Make sure your parameters are in check and you'll have a tank full of it in no time.
Happy reefing!

 

[Tom Giddens]

I know the coraline will come back on dry rock. I took down a tank once and the rock sat in a pile outside my garage for at least 2 years and I rinsed it and within 2 months in the new tank the coraline came back without adding anything but the salwater and live sand.

 

[Katrina71]

I would only do it using scrapings personally.

 

[Katrina71]

If you rub a shell on the rock vs using scrapings, I have found it to grow in faster btw.

 

[Dennco2000]

Scraping, good calcium, good light, and most important patience.
Just my 2 cents

 

[JMetaxas]

This product worked for me and many others. It's actually coralline algae in a bottle.

 

[Tom Giddens]

Thanks

 

[rkpetersen]

I haven't used the coralline algae spore product I linked to above, but I know of it from other threads. If I were to try any coralline product, it would be this one, because there's some scientific basis for its claim.

When I started up my most recent tank, I already had another identical one with luxurious coralline algae growth. In addition to scrapings from the glass of the first tank, I also swapped out the coralline-encrusted overflow combs, return nozzle, and magnetic glass cleaners. Also, I started with dry rocks that had been treated and cycled in a brute, so no nitrate or phosphate issues to contend with. Radion lights at modified AB+ settings. First coralline algae appeared on glass at 7 weeks and on all rocks at 8 weeks.

 

[Hermie]

I dosed the arc reef in my tank a week or so ago, I was drawn to it mainly because I don't want to introduce algae or parasites from someone else's tank. I've had parasites wipe out an entire FW tank before I figured out what they were and now I don't trust other people's setups and especially not LFS or online orders. Always QTing my stuff now, so with the ARC Reef at least I know they have a reputation to uphold so they say there's no fish or cross contaimination in their strains of coralline production system. I just hope I get at least more than 1 or 2 of the strains growing in my setup because they say the bottles come with 6 to 12(?) depending on the pink fusion or purple helix version. I guess I won't know unless they visually look different though. Either way, they also said the bottle has nitrifying bacterial strains which I assume are standard in their coralline grow setups, I am not sure if they add concentrated bacteria to the bottles, but either way, it's adding biodiversity to your tanks bacteria population, which I assume is going to be more than the caribsea arag-alive strains and possibly on par with the biospira strain diversity. However I have no idea really which bacterial strains are in all these products... Just throwing everything at my tank and hoping it helps the cycle.

 

[Hemmdog]

I bought the arc reef stuff but am hesitant to turn off my return for 2 hours. Seems risky not knowing how it will effect the coral.

 

[Hermie]

I bought the arc reef stuff but am hesitant to turn off my return for 2 hours. Seems risky not knowing how it will effect the coral.

Chance it lol
no really I have no experience with coral but I do know that water changes are recommended and the return pump has to be turned off for that, also ARC does say you can leave the powerheads on... (I don't have any though). You could do it for less than 2 hours, it's just they want the spores to have time to float to the bottom and attach to things instead of getting sucked into your filter sock

 

[Tom Giddens]

I dosed the arc reef in my tank a week or so ago, I was drawn to it mainly because I don't want to introduce algae or parasites from someone else's tank. I've had parasites wipe out an entire FW tank before I figured out what they were and now I don't trust other people's setups and especially not LFS or online orders. Always QTing my stuff now, so with the ARC Reef at least I know they have a reputation to uphold so they say there's no fish or cross contaimination in their strains of coralline production system. I just hope I get at least more than 1 or 2 of the strains growing in my setup because they say the bottles come with 6 to 12(?) depending on the pink fusion or purple helix version. I guess I won't know unless they visually look different though. Either way, they also said the bottle has nitrifying bacterial strains which I assume are standard in their coralline grow setups, I am not sure if they add concentrated bacteria to the bottles, but either way, it's adding biodiversity to your tanks bacteria population, which I assume is going to be more than the caribsea arag-alive strains and possibly on par with the biospira strain diversity. However I have no idea really which bacterial strains are in all these products... Just throwing everything at my tank and hoping it helps the cycle.

Did you use the purple and pink? Please keep posting here on the progress

 

[Tom Giddens]

I bought the arc reef stuff but am hesitant to turn off my return for 2 hours. Seems risky not knowing how it will effect the coral.

It says use within 2 weeks and there is no way to overdose.

 

[Hermie]

Did you use the purple and pink? Please keep posting here on the progress

Just pink for aesthetic reasons however I may end up adding the purple in a few months... Want to see how the pink looks first. Also, ARC said they are working on a flourescent orange strain ( I believe ) which I think would be awesome, so I'm hoping that works out and I can add that too.