Coralline algae in a bottle? Does it work?

[sp1187]

That’s unfortunate. How’s your lighting? They like it pretty intense until they get established

not according to their website.

Lighting: Lighting is key. The intensity, or “PAR” level, of your lighting shouldn’t be too high and the duration of your photo period should be somewhat close to the natural duration of the sun. Your aquarium shouldn’t receive full intensity or “noon” lighting for 10 hours because that is not natural and it will bleach out corals and the coralline will not grow. Coralline Algae LOVES Actinic and blue spectrum lighting. In the beginning we advise to lengthen the time that your actinic only lighting stays on by an additional 1-3 hours daily.

 

[User]

I also forgot to mention I was using natural seawater in my tank for the first 2 months... not sure If that is a variable or not... just switched to synthetic in october and started dosing in october as well

Can you confirm that the ARC stuff comes with ‘a stone that’s covered in algae’ and that the bottle just contains additives?

Because that’s VERY different to what I’ve been told in email communication with them , and two people who’ve had success

 

[wangspeed]

Worked for me. Here is my tank just 7 months in.

 

[CC13]

not according to their website.

Lighting: Lighting is key. The intensity, or “PAR” level, of your lighting shouldn’t be too high and the duration of your photo period should be somewhat close to the natural duration of the sun. Your aquarium shouldn’t receive full intensity or “noon” lighting for 10 hours because that is not natural and it will bleach out corals and the coralline will not grow. Coralline Algae LOVES Actinic and blue spectrum lighting. In the beginning we advise to lengthen the time that your actinic only lighting stays on by an additional 1-3 hours daily.

This makes zero sense. If you have good quality water and proper lighting Coraline will grow as long as some have been introduced into your system.

 

[sp1187]

Can you confirm that the ARC stuff comes with ‘a stone that’s covered in algae’ and that the bottle just contains additives?

Because that’s VERY different to what I’ve been told in email communication with them , and two people who’ve had success

Did you see the pic of the 4 bottles I bought? Or are you saying you don't believe what I posted? Did I save the directions I received in the package months ago? Sorry, no I did not.
All I stated was my experience with them.

 

[sp1187]

This makes zero sense. If you have good quality water and proper lighting Coraline will grow as long as some have been introduced into your system.

I don't disagree with you on that. I was just sharing the info from ARC's website.

 

[User]

Did you see the pic of the 4 bottles I bought? Or are you saying you don't believe what I posted? Did I save the directions I received in the package months ago? Sorry, no I did not.
All I stated was my experience with them.

Yes, I saw the 4 bottles you posted.

I DIDNT SEE the 4 ‘stones covered in coralline’ you claim came with the bottles and you were told to seed with

Chill bro.

This site could use a dislike button

 

[CC13]

I don't disagree with you on that. I was just sharing the info from ARC's website.

Ya those instructions are ridiculous I’m sorry. If you have good quality water, proper lighting and flow, Coraline will grow like crazy.

I’ve never even seen instructions like that to keep and grow SPS let alone Coraline.

 

[Land Shark]

It worked for me... I got 2 bottles of purple and one bottle of pink for my xl425... If you follow the instructions, which clearly states that is important for product to work, in 2-3 months you will get a coralline explosion... my tank has been running for a little over 3 months and over 75% of my rock is covered in coralline... I started with 175 lbs of Billys dry reef rock... Its all over my overflow and on the rubble rock and return lines in my refugium... I 100% would say this product worked in my case and would purchase again... ill get some updated pictures today in some good lighting... problem is people are impatient and think this stuff works in a matter of moments and stare at their tanks like its acfually gonna grow in fromt of you... clearly states on bottle takes several weeks, in most cases months at the right temperature, spectrum, and water quality... I used 0 live rock... all dry rock

These pictures were taken at the end of october... My tank officially started running August 3rd... I will get some clearer pictures today... I aint no rep either... I just bought the stuff on Amazon and used it as it said to...
I have it included in my build thread

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dustin’s-sobering-sunshine-build.407109/
Pictures taken just now;

Tanks been up close to 4 months...

That's an impressive amount of coraline for a 4 month old tank. I'd never heard of the product before but from the looks of it, I'm convinced it worked quite well for you.

For others that may not be having success in the coraline dept, I've been there before and learned from experience and others posts that a healthy level of magnesium is an absolute necessity. What's healthy? 1350-1370. Calcium should also be around 430-450, alk 7.8 - 8.2. Sure, other parms work by this works best for me.

If magnesium is low (1000-1200), coraline growth is typically slow to non existent. If magnesium is healthy or even in the 1400's, coraline takes off. Don't get into the 1500's or 1600's because your snails and inverts will behave sluggishly and start to die off.

 

[sp1187]

Yes, I saw the 4 bottles you posted.

I DIDNT SEE the 4 ‘stones covered in coralline’ you claim came with the bottles and you were told to seed with

Chill bro.

This site could use a dislike button

Look closer. you can clearly see the rocks in the bottom of both bottles of the pink. Sorry your feelings were hurt. Wasn't my intention.

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Here are the specific directions... and not all bottles come with a small encrusted rock... it states some do and that it is very beneficial to add while using if you do receive one... i guess alot of people were throwing them away exause they had no idea what it was, but that wasnt the case. can we all agree that there are MANY ways to achieve coralline growth... the original post just asks if it works or not... its easy, just say it worked or it didnt!!!

 

[PerplexyHexy]

I followed instructions EXACTLY!!!

 

[User]

Look closer. you can clearly see the rocks in the bottom of both bottles of the pink. Sorry your feelings were hurt. Wasn't my intention.

Lol, you honestly think I’m supposed to figure out those are rocks in there?

My feelings weren’t hurt, your tone was just a little off.

But ‘the rocks’ are the seed media from grinding up the coralline covered live rock at the ARC ‘factory’... there are ‘ROCKS’ and there are ‘disintegrated rock chunks’... I thought you meant ROCKS since, you know, you said ‘stones’

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Didnt realize this was gonna get so intense

 

[Kellie in CA]

That’s unfortunate. How’s your lighting? They like it pretty intense until they get established

All of my past tanks had tons of coralline. Ever since I switched to LED’s I can’t grow it.

But to answer your question, it’s a NanoBox Duo over a tank that is only 12 inches deep. Should be plenty of light. Oh well, at least I don’t have to scrape the glass!

 

[lakai]

This site could use a dislike button

Nah, needs a popcorn emoji though.

 

[ckrausnc]

Seems to have worked well in my tank. I want to get the pink one too now.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

I went overboard and put 5 bottles in my 120 and 5 months laters only now seeing a little on my overflow box only (which I'm assuming came from a snail or something) Not sure if I had bad bottles of the Coraline In a Bottle, or if my tank paremeters just we're off (not sure what it would be if this was the case), but it did not work for me. However, the reason I tried it was bc of all the positive reviews I read about it from others. It's pretty cheap to buy, so your not out much if it doesn't work.

 

[ENVY]

Might just try a bottle of this soon. Since I only use dry rocks now. I dont want to deal with hitchhikers again but I miss the colors on the rocks.



Random and possibly stupid question for the coralline algae guru's here. Do the spores survive out of water and for how long? I just got a used tank on craigslist and there is a few little coralline spots left on the overflow. Is it worth scraping them off and putting them in another tank of mine?

 

[PerplexyHexy]

Even if the corraline process doesnt work for you, its still a nitrifying bacteria product that will assist with the cycling process in your tank... so its not just a 100% waste