Coralline Algae Seeding questions

[MarsReefer]

My tank is just about set up, but I have 3 months until I plan on adding fish. I figured i'd go ahead and seed some coralline algae while my tank is just sitting there. My questions are:

1. There are currently no nutrients in the tank. What level of nitrates does coralline need to grow? Everyone talks about having stable parameters in regards to calc, mag, and alk but I have found no reference to what it needs in regards to standard nutrients. My current plan was to dose up to 0.5 ppm ammonia to start a slow cycle and give a 2ppm nitrate level in the tank.

2. What level of lighting do I actually need? I don't really want to run my lights at 100+ PAR since that is just going to grow unwanted algae. Will Corelline grow at lower par levels? f I set my PAR to 20-30 will it grow? All inverts will get the full 80 day quarantine, so if I start growing other algae its going to stay there a while.

3. Water changes? Like I said there is nothing in the tank currently so I haven't been doing anything other than ATO. I'll need to replenish alk and calcium when it starts growing, but is that the only need to do water changes?

 

[Bucs20fan]

Coralline can grow at a various amount of lighting, so dont worry about lighting for coralline. It prefers stable calcium and alk, 400-450 ppm calcium and dkh of 9-12, very similar to corals. Coralline generally wont start at all until your tank is cycled and stable for a period of time. To seed it, just ask your LFS for a shell or some scrapings from their tanks if youd like. Or you can buy it bottled from amazon. Coralline is kinda just something that happens in most tanks, it does require light, so im not sure it would grow at that low of PAR but mine grows in all levels of my tank regardless of light.

 

[Rmckoy]

Coralline isn’t just going to show up even if sufficient levels of nitrates or calcium is present.
some systems take forever .
but …. Once it starts your next post will be how to slow or get rid of it .

nothing good happens fast in reefing .
add scrapings or live rocks with coralline algae before you know it everything will be covered

Good luck and happy reefing

 

[Rmckoy]

Coralline can grow at a various amount of lighting, so dont worry about lighting for coralline. It prefers stable calcium and alk, 400-450 ppm calcium and dkh of 9-12, very similar to corals. Coralline generally wont start at all until your tank is cycled and stable for a period of time. To seed it, just ask your LFS for a shell or some scrapings from their tanks if youd like. Or you can buy it bottled from amazon. Coralline is kinda just something that happens in most tanks, it does require light, so im not sure it would grow at that low of PAR but mine grows in all levels of my tank regardless of light.

9-12 seams a little extreme imo
I have never had my alk over 7.5 dkh and can not scrape it off the glass or pumps fast enough .
the secret is time to mature and stability .
But I agree with seeding from scraping .
but if the system isn’t stable . Coralline will not live or spread .

 

[Rmckoy]

My tank is just about set up, but I have 3 months until I plan on adding fish. I figured i'd go ahead and seed some coralline algae while my tank is just sitting there. My questions are:

1. There are currently no nutrients in the tank. What level of nitrates does coralline need to grow? Everyone talks about having stable parameters in regards to calc, mag, and alk but I have found no reference to what it needs in regards to standard nutrients. My current plan was to dose up to 0.5 ppm ammonia to start a slow cycle and give a 2ppm nitrate level in the tank.

2. What level of lighting do I actually need? I don't really want to run my lights at 100+ PAR since that is just going to grow unwanted algae. Will Corelline grow at lower par levels? f I set my PAR to 20-30 will it grow? All inverts will get the full 80 day quarantine, so if I start growing other algae its going to stay there a while.

3. Water changes? Like I said there is nothing in the tank currently so I haven't been doing anything other than ATO. I'll need to replenish alk and calcium when it starts growing, but is that the only need to do water changes?

Water changes are essential for nutrient export along with replenishing elements depleted .

once your system is stable you might not need to do water changes as frequently or at all as some choose not to . Mix your salt to proper reef salinity 1.026 sg and maintain it as
Stable as possible .
ato will maintain salinity and water level .

 

[MarsReefer]

Water changes are essential for nutrient export along with replenishing elements depleted .

once your system is stable you might not need to do water changes as frequently or at all as some choose not to . Mix your salt to proper reef salinity 1.026 sg and maintain it as
Stable as possible .
ato will maintain salinity and water level .

Salinity is definitely nice and stable. Water changes are currently off, but they are automatic with a DOS, so I can turn those on as soon as needed.

Guess i'll start cycling the tank and then once its cycled and stable start seeding. I know its a slow process so I figured i'd get started while i'm getting ready to add fish. Vacation in august so not adding anything until after I get back.

 

[RockyMountainReefing]

Salinity is definitely nice and stable. Water changes are currently off, but they are automatic with a DOS, so I can turn those on as soon as needed.

Guess i'll start cycling the tank and then once its cycled and stable start seeding. I know its a slow process so I figured i'd get started while i'm getting ready to add fish. Vacation in august so not adding anything until after I get back.

How is your tank doing with coralline? Pics?

 

[kdx7214]

I was in a situation where I don't have anybody local to get scrapings from. So I ordered a bottle of it from Amazon and it worked quite well, although it took about 3 months to really get going well.


Edit: Not sure why the Amazon link isn't showing up, but it's id # is B07DN2HSSQ

 

[paragrouper]

At just under 8 months with my tank up I am starting to get fair coralline growth. The only thing I did was ordered some coralline encrusted cerith snails from seahorse savvy (my wife liked them) as part of my CUC and nature took over from there.

 

[Budman93]

Youll get it no matter what when you introduce frags of coral with it on it. However the bottles do actually work. No idea if it's faster or not than putting in a couple frags...If I had a kid in 6th grade I'd make him do that for a science fair project LOL