Coralline algae looks dark green?

[MatthewSS7]

Okay, pretty sure this is coralline that has algae on top of it or something. Maybe it is another type of macro because it does grow on the glass and starts as dark green? Where I have scrubbed the glass with mag float and it rubbed the back glass, it looks like a light gray/white maybe purplish underneath. Maybe you can tell in pic.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Looks like dead coralline with algae growing on top of it to me... did you buy the tank used and it already had coralline spots? Was there a crash/ similar event that killed a lot of things that possibly could’ve killed the coralline?

 

[codycolina707]

Looks like dead coralline with algae growing on top of it to me... did you buy the tank used and it already had coralline spots? Was there a crash/ similar event that killed a lot of things that possibly could’ve killed the coralline?

was gonna say thats about how my coraline on my wavemakers look after washing them off in the sink

 

[MatthewSS7]

Looks like dead coralline with algae growing on top of it to me... did you buy the tank used and it already had coralline spots? Was there a crash/ similar event that killed a lot of things that possibly could’ve killed the coralline?

Tank is aquatop Recife. Purchased brand new, 6 months old. There are new growths that continue to pop up. Starts out grayish white on the back wall then becomes dark green as it grows. The glass grows dark green right off the bat and I just scrub/scrape those off. They act like coralline. Here’s a pic of a new one on glass...

 

[MatthewSS7]

No crash. Levels have been stable but I am battling GHA. Just doing weekly water changes and it was gone from tank after cleaning the affected LR last month. Now it’s on the remaining LR and I need to pull it out and try to reduce it again. CUC doing okay and slowing it down.

P04 shows 0 cause it’s tied up in algae I’m assuming.
NO3 is about 15 on API test

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hmm they feel hard right? Coralline needs a lot of calcium to grow, are you dosing that?

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hermit crabs have done really good for me lawnmower blenny might be good, as the LFS if you can ‘rent’ one if you don’t wanna keep it (I did this cause they’re kinda ugly IMO), this way you don’t have to rehome it.

 

[MatthewSS7]

Hmm they feel hard right? Coralline needs a lot of calcium to grow, are you dosing that?

It is very hard. Not easy to scrub with mag float. Needs scraping. No dosing. It’s a 24gal and I am using Fritz salt with weekly 4-5gal water changes.
Last time I checked Ca was at 440

 

[PicassoClown04]

That’s great! Coralline algae is a pain to get off the glass so sounds like what that is, what kind of lights are you running?

 

[MatthewSS7]

Hermit crabs have done really good for me lawnmower blenny might be good, as the LFS if you can ‘rent’ one if you don’t wanna keep it (I did this cause they’re kinda ugly IMO), this way you don’t have to rehome it.

I have three hermits and they are really helping the GHA problem. I had an emerald crab from my LFS when I first setup the tank. It did die about a month ago for no apparent reason. All numbers were stable and all other inverts thriving. Including peppermint shrimp that molts just fine periodically. I’ve only seen the hermits molt once. I don’t think it was a molting issue. LFS didn’t have any advice on that other than sometimes they just die. It was on the larger side and I also fed directly every day. So I’m not sure.

 

[MatthewSS7]

That’s great! Coralline algae is a pain to get off the glass so sounds like what that is, what kind of lights are you running?

It is the LED reef light that came as part of the kit for Aquatop Recife Eco 24. It is the entry level model but I have a trumpet coral frag that is doing great and is even splitting/ growing another head right now. So that’s exciting. Just not sure why the coralline looks dark green. I have read that there are other macro algae’s that are hard like coralline but I can’t find much info on it.

 

[PicassoClown04]

It mighta just been old, who knows? I have a hermit loss periodically, it’s just life with a reef tank. I definitely would recommend that you get a few more hermits though if you feed heavy. How long did the emerald live before it died and do you have any bubble algae?

 

[PicassoClown04]

It might be that you don’t have enough light for the purple coralline? Idk, but if you want to grow some nicer corals (not acros unless you put them way up) then I highly recommend the AI Prime light. I have a 20 gallon peninsula and it grows chalice, zoas, euphyllia, xenia, shrooms, LPS, acans, etc beautifully, even have a scoly under there that’s doing great! It’s about $100 used off craigslist (where I got mine), eBay, or the for sale forum here.

 

[MatthewSS7]

It might be that you don’t have enough light for the purple coralline? Idk, but if you want to grow some nicer corals (not acros unless you put them way up) then I highly recommend the AI Prime light. I have a 20 gallon peninsula and it grows chalice, zoas, euphyllia, xenia, shrooms, LPS, acans, etc beautifully, even have a scoly under there that’s doing great! It’s about $100 used off craigslist (where I got mine), eBay, or the for sale forum here.

Thanks for the tip. Light upgrades are definitely in my future. Would the coralline even start growing if that light is not intense enough? Cause it is covering the lower half of the back wall and slowly making its way up.

 

[MatthewSS7]

It mighta just been old, who knows? I have a hermit loss periodically, it’s just life with a reef tank. I definitely would recommend that you get a few more hermits though if you feed heavy. How long did the emerald live before it died and do you have any bubble algae?

I will get a couple more. How many is okay in a 24 gallon? Emerald lived 5 months. And was really active. I loved watching that guy move around the tank. A little weary of replacing it now though. No bubble algae.

 

[PicassoClown04]

The coralline will grow anyway, definitely recommend dosing calcium and keeping it between 350 and 450 mg/L, especially as you add corals. They need the calcium to grow their skeletons.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I’d say maybe 10-12 hermits in a 24 gallon. Emerald crabs eat bubble algae and hair algae, but mostly the bubble. The cycle (as I’ve experienced it) goes hair, red cyano (optional), bubble, coralline. Right now I’m in the bubble stage with one of my tanks and the emerald has really helped! I’m not a fan of dosing chemicals/ meds to my DT cause I’m just scared of it, I prefer natural alternatives. I’d get another one so maybe your bubble algae problem won’t be too bad, try giving it a veggie pellet with tweezers like 2-3 times a week or however much you think it needs as supplement to the natural algae in your tank. It’s hard to tell when inverts starve to death cause you can’t see them lose weight. Did he ever molt for you? No molting= no growth= probably not getting enough food

 

[MatthewSS7]

was gonna say thats about how my coraline on my wavemakers look after washing them off in the sink

I’ve got some on the wave maker too. Here’s a pic of that. I haven’t rinsed it either. Just grows this color. There is purple by it as well. So I’m just unsure.

 

[X-37B]

I have mostly purple and pink coralline. I do have some spots of green just like yours.
Only pic I have as its very limited but it it green and hard to scrape off the glass just like the rest.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Sounds like regular coralline then, I think it might be purple on your powerhead cause it’s closer to your lights?