Coralline algae VOID??? Who really has an answer?

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

My tank is 1.5 years old, I have it growing on the glass and on the machines, but not on the rocks, I dont get it. I wish it was the other way around.

 

[fish farmer]

Dose Kalk.

I never have a problem growing coralline when I'm adding kalk. I also do have some old school live rocks with good colonies which helped seed dry rocks.

 

[Dburr1014]

So I’ve had 3 large reef tanks in the past 10 years. A 120g a 137g peninsula and finally and presently a 180g.
The first two tanks, NO problem! Coralline algae. My present day 180g reef is doing beautifully but after a year and three months not even a spot of coralline. I’ve occasionally tried the most popular products and an occasional snail or two covered in the coveted purple stuff. The science isn’t so much how to keep it spreading, but how to get it started. What say you?

Scrape some of of the snails and let it float around the tank. Report back in a couple weeks.

 

[Jekyl]

Scrape some of of the snails and let it float around the tank. Report back in a couple weeks.

Agreed. I just scratched some off a live rock I added.

 

[GARRIGA]

Scrape some of of the snails and let it float around the tank. Report back in a couple weeks.

LFS told me that kills the coralline. I'm still going to try it and use the blender as well. Can't hurt my assumption.

 

[Jekyl]

LFS told me that kills the coralline. I'm still going to try it and use the blender as well. Can't hurt my assumption.

No need for blender. Grab a snail or hermit and use a butter knife over the powerhead and scrape it off into the water column.

 

[Nachopapa]

I’m having the same issue as you in my main tank (RS Penninsula) and have done the same steps without luck for 8 months.

however I set up a 16g nano at the same time with dry Marco rock to try out aquascaping and have pink dots all over. (Same water, additives, maintenance, etc). Maybe it likes cheap lights instead of nice ones ?

 

[EricR]

LFS told me that kills the coralline. I'm still going to try it and use the blender as well. Can't hurt my assumption.

Seemed like it worked for me -- scraped some off of some ceramic-looking, marble-size balls into little container of saltwater,,, crushed and sprinkled onto dry/white rock.

Dry/white rock is now covered with coralline but that could've just spread from my live rock.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Scrape some of of the snails and let it float around the tank. Report back in a couple weeks.

Great and logical advice. That being said, 6 or 7 months ago I scraped a small Tupperware full of coralline from a friend’s tank. I not only put it in the water to float around and find it’s own home but I hand placed some of the bigger pieces on my rock work in lower flow areas and checked on them daily. Zero zip zilch!!! ?

 

[Glenner’sreef]

LFS told me that kills the coralline. I'm still going to try it and use the blender as well. Can't hurt my assumption.

Not that your lfs is wrong but where did he hear this???

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Seemed like it worked for me -- scraped some off of some ceramic-looking, marble-size balls into little container of saltwater,,, crushed and sprinkled onto dry/white rock.

Dry/white rock is now covered with coralline but that could've just spread from my live rock.

Congrats Eric !!! Maybe I should stop believing I’m in a science lab where everything has a natural cause and effect and start believe reefing is just a big casino and luck is the word of the day. Lol at least with this topic.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

I’m having the same issue as you in my main tank (RS Penninsula) and have done the same steps without luck for 8 months.

however I set up a 16g nano at the same time with dry Marco rock to try out aquascaping and have pink dots all over. (Same water, additives, maintenance, etc). Maybe it likes cheap lights instead of nice ones ?

Funny!

 

[GARRIGA]

Not that your lfs is wrong but where did he hear this???

Didn’t ask. Until speaking with him I’d been if the belief you could just scrape it. Infect, I was hoping to get a chunk off one of their tank glass and go with that. Considering it can be spread by urchins eating it then it should work from scraping it.

 

[MaxTremors]

IMO, assuming Alk, Cal, and Mag are all within range and stable, and that you’ve seeded some coralline, PH is the main parameter to look at, below an average of 8.1-8.2 and it won’t grow. Light is also needed, but I don’t know if low light is better than higher light, I’ve had corraline grow too well in both types of light. My current tank is around a year old and is just now starting to grow coralline, as I’ve just in the last few months gotten my PH up (it was consistently 7.9-8.0 and is now 8.1-8.3).

 

[dvgyfresh]

Same here man, I do have some coraline algae growing in DT but very little , my sump has a couple of spots but very few in DT, I believe the asterina stars love to eat coraline and aren’t in sump as much, I always see some purple stars meaning they are eating it

 

[Glenner’sreef]

IMO, assuming Alk, Cal, and Mag are all within range and stable, and that you’ve seeded some coralline, PH is the main parameter to look at, below an average of 8.1-8.2 and it won’t grow. Light is also needed, but I don’t know if low light is better than higher light, I’ve had corraline grow too well in both types of light. My current tank is around a year old and is just now starting to grow coralline, as I’ve just in the last few months gotten my PH up (it was consistently 7.9-8.0 and is now 8.1-8.3).

Thanks, I rarely check my Ph. Will check. Thx.

 

[Arego]

My 250 is about 3 yrs old uses led, t5 and alot of whites. I even let the sun help.. it exploded like paint everywhere as soon as the tank got truly stable at about year 2 give or take.

 

[dedragon]

I would maybe add a co2 scubber to the protein skimmer, i dont think a co2 scrubber has any real bad side effects as well

 

[Dburr1014]

IMO, assuming Alk, Cal, and Mag are all within range and stable, and that you’ve seeded some coralline, PH is the main parameter to look at, below an average of 8.1-8.2 and it won’t grow. Light is also needed, but I don’t know if low light is better than higher light, I’ve had corraline grow too well in both types of light. My current tank is around a year old and is just now starting to grow coralline, as I’ve just in the last few months gotten my PH up (it was consistently 7.9-8.0 and is now 8.1-8.3).

I get more Coraline in the darker/shaded areas. Or should I say, it grows faster in those areas. And my sump... Covered the rocks down there.
I have green, purple, and this really cool pink that glows under the blue light. That color is spotty and doesn't grow very fast.

 

[TanksJB]

My mag is consistent at 1500-1550 and after 3 years I only have tiny spots of Coralline. I have tried all the products that are supposed to produce, added snails with some on it, my LFS gave me some chunks of it. Still nothing but tiny dots. I would like to blame my love of urchins, I have 6 in my 125, but is that really feasible that they have kept it off every surface.

I have tried everything as well and doubt high mag is the solution. I maintain mine about 1350 and use ATI lab tests on all trace elements and everything is in the right parameters for growth and yet nothing. I have seeded the tank as well as have rocks direct from the ocean with coralline on it and nothing. what is there dies back. I have lowered light intensity and nothing. I am now using blue light almost all the time to see if that has an impact in an experiment. I removed my corals to the sump with regular light.