Coralline Spore tolerances

[swiss1939]

Something I started wondering about recently and hoping someone would have some information on is what water conditions would kill coralline algae spores? What level of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are enough to kill coralline spores? Or more specifically, how extreme can these conditions get while coralline spores survive?

This is something wholly different than what the ideal conditions are for it to grow and spread. I'm more wondering if the spores can survive while not spreading in higher nitrite/nitrate water conditions.

 

[andrewey]

Interesting question. Most of the papers I've read usually investigate nitrate, ammonia (often measured as ammonium) and phosphate and their effect on growth of various Corallinales and the papers I've seen investigating spore survival have often investigated water temperature and it's effect on survival/growth. I'd love to know if anyone has tested your question directly.

 

[swiss1939]

Yes it seems all I can find is research on ideal conditions for it to grow and calcify, but I am kinda interested to see an experiment that starts with bare dry rock and a bottle of coralline algae spores, but the water is kept with elevated nitrites/nitrates (not enough to kill fish right away, but enough to be considered a less well maintained tank) and then check to see if spores are still viable after something like a week, a month, 6 months? Or if calcification will even start at a much slower pace.

Maybe do a series of tanks with only dry rock/spores at varying levels of elevated ammonia/nitrite/nitrate from just irritant level to toxic for fish and test the spores for viability over ranges of times. Adding nothing else that would introduce spores into the system.

More so a test to see what the bare minimum conditions are for it to survive.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I have a bunch of old LR that from jan 2021 was sitting in a cold vat with 1 power head for 14 months before going in tank. I did give one large piece of rock to my cousin to start his tank in June of 2021 and to date, he has no coraline algae.

I know the LR had coraline since few rocks can be found with coraline algae. Even though rock has remained wet I strongly believe that coraline is not coming back from the grave. The water conditions where high nutrients and temp of maybe 60-70 degrees. i think the main reason is there was no light on the rock so that will pretty much kill any photosynthetic organism overtime.

I am convince that even if WET, coraline algae is pretty delicate and need some care to thrive. I would say within few months of not having nutrients and light it will die indefinitely and have to be reseeded.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Here is the rock i was talking about, its a good 12 years old LR but i've had it since Jan 2021.

I never wanted to buy coraline in a bottle but will probably just get one bottle for my 500 gallon. Then again do i really like it taken up all my trace elements and growing everywhere other then my rockwork? Uhh decisions.