Coralline algae growth

[JCH]

Hello hobbyists ! Does anyone have any tips on getting purple coralline to grow? I have a new system set up with the white Marco rock . I just got through the ugly stage. All my water perimeters are dialed in , the rock is brown crud free and I would like to get the purple growing on it . My LFS gave me some scraping to seed the tank with and some of my snails have it growing on their shells. Will this be enough to get it going ? Also I heard adding extra strontium would help? The system is about 4 months old . Do I just need to wait it out. I know there liquid additives are out there but reviews are mixed on them. Thanks in advance for any tips on getting it going !

 

[Lavey29]

If conditions are right you might start seeing some coralline at 6 months. Starts on plastic parts long before the rocks

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

The best tip is patience. First I noticed corraline expanding on my frags that came with some on it, and then a few weeks after that, tiny spots all over my rock! They are growing slowly but surely. Most people say that they grow on the plastic first, but that hasn’t been my experience, both started at the same time. I have a 4 month old tank that started with dry Marco rock too.

 

[Makara23]

My LFS gave me some scraping to seed the tank with and some of my snails have it growing on their shells.

This is all that's needed, plus time.

 

[JCH]

The best tip is patience. First I noticed corraline expanding on my frags that came with some on it, and then a few weeks after that, tiny spots all over my rock! They are growing slowly but surely. Most people say that they grow on the plastic first, but that hasn’t been my experience, both started at the same time. I have a 4 month old tank that started with dry Marco rock too.

Ohh ok , so just be patient I guess. Yeah I see like maroon colored spots forming. So , perhaps it has begun ?

 

[reefer2/19/24]

Hello hobbyists ! Does anyone have any tips on getting purple coralline to grow? I have a new system set up with the white Marco rock . I just got through the ugly stage. All my water perimeters are dialed in , the rock is brown crud free and I would like to get the purple growing on it . My LFS gave me some scraping to seed the tank with and some of my snails have it growing on their shells. Will this be enough to get it going ? Also I heard adding extra strontium would help? The system is about 4 months old . Do I just need to wait it out. I know there liquid additives are out there but reviews are mixed on them. Thanks in advance for any tips on getting it going !

Helix by Algaebarn! Works

 

[Chris L]

Patience is key. Mine just started growing coralline about a month ago and that was around the 5-6 month time frame. I started with Dry rock and a few nice chunks of live rock from an lfs. I noticed the first growth on my Nero pump which seems strange although i dose kalk right above it so that may help.

 

[Tommy B]

Get a couple frag plugs with corraline and keep your parameters stable, it will start popping up everywhere eventually

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Start testing early and keeping alk, calc, mag stable at desired numbers and make sure your phos and nitrate aren't 0.

My previous tanks I didn't test early on and waited for corraline to show up. Looking back I'm sure my nitrates and phosphates were 0 for a long time during that.

I've been making sure both aren't 0, phos has been testing 0 for 4 weeks so I dose .02ppm of it a day. And 3 weeks into this (4 month old tank) corraline started growing on the plastic. This is at least 2-3 months faster than I've ever had it start to grow before.

Obviously there's plenty of factors but those are big ones.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hello hobbyists ! Does anyone have any tips on getting purple coralline to grow? I have a new system set up with the white Marco rock . I just got through the ugly stage. All my water perimeters are dialed in , the rock is brown crud free and I would like to get the purple growing on it . My LFS gave me some scraping to seed the tank with and some of my snails have it growing on their shells. Will this be enough to get it going ? Also I heard adding extra strontium would help? The system is about 4 months old . Do I just need to wait it out. I know there liquid additives are out there but reviews are mixed on them. Thanks in advance for any tips on getting it going !

Just wait it out.
But be careful what you wish for. It's a PITA to keep scraping off the glass every week and hoping you don't end up with a scratch on your shiny new expensive aquarium.

 

[Lavey29]

Ohh ok , so just be patient I guess. Yeah I see like maroon colored spots forming. So , perhaps it has begun ?

At 5 months. Your white rocks should be multi colored with various film algae now and no white showing if your tank is progressing properly.

 

[saltcreep74]

Hello hobbyists ! Does anyone have any tips on getting purple coralline to grow? I have a new system set up with the white Marco rock . I just got through the ugly stage. All my water perimeters are dialed in , the rock is brown crud free and I would like to get the purple growing on it . My LFS gave me some scraping to seed the tank with and some of my snails have it growing on their shells. Will this be enough to get it going ? Also I heard adding extra strontium would help? The system is about 4 months old . Do I just need to wait it out. I know there liquid additives are out there but reviews are mixed on them. Thanks in advance for any tips on getting it going !

Take your scrapings and glue them on a rock in front of a powerhead...that will help spread the pores across the tank.. will take a little time so patience is key...