How can I introduce coralline algae into my tank

[SamAPFish]

So I’m pretty frustrated because my tank has been running for about a year and no pink coralline algae. All I have is green coralline which I hate the look of. I started with all dry rock so I had no coralline algae to start with. What can I do?

 

[Matt Peacock]

Coralline Algae

Coralline Algae in a Bottle excelerates growth of colorful coralline algal crusts over your live rock. Choose between pinks with Pink Fusion®, purples with Purple Helix®, or get 2 bottles, one of each, with Pink and Purple! Unlike coralline "accelerators," Coralline Algae in a Bottle is a live...

www.algaebarn.com

 

[BloopFish]

If you see or have any shells from snails or hermit crabs or frags or rocks with a bit of coralline, just scrape them in a high flow area. This will allow them to disperse throughout the tank. The coralline algae in a bottle are just grounded up coralline algae, and the coralline algae boosters are just magnesium in a bottle (which most salt mixes are already high in). Also, do note that coralline algae seems to have a difficult time spreading in high nutrient environment compared to a slightly lower one.

 

[SamAPFish]

If you see or have any shells from snails or hermit crabs or frags or rocks with a bit of coralline, just scrape them in a high flow area. This will allow them to disperse throughout the tank. The coralline algae in a bottle are just grounded up coralline algae, and the coralline algae boosters are just magnesium in a bottle (which most salt mixes are already high in). Also, do note that coralline algae seems to have a difficult time spreading in high nutrient environment compared to a slightly lower one.

Ill try the bottle of coralline. Have you ever used it?

 

[Dragon52]

Also you can ask other reefers/LFS in your area if you know any that have some in their tank if you can have a couple small rocks or scrapings. Also check this out. I did this when I ordered some other items from then & 6mths later I had it pretty good.

: : : : Indo-Pacific Sea Farms : : : :

Indo-Pacific Sea Farms produces captive-bred marine life for healthier reef aquariums: invertebrates, detritivores, live sand, snail grazers, amphipods, beneficial worms, macro algae, plankton, corals, coral food and beneficial bacteria.

www.ipsf.com

Here is a pic of my tank, look at the back.

 

[BloopFish]

Ill try the bottle of coralline. Have you ever used it?

No experience in them personally.

 

[Bigbaby]

Here's one of few videos available on youtube. Just another method to consider before you buy the bottle. Best of luck!

 

[MTBake]

I would look for some snails at the lfs, or another hobbyist perhaps, with a decent coating of coralline algae growing on them. Once you get them home, scrape some off the shells in some decent flow to disperse the algae. Another option is frags with coralline growing on the plugs. Or a fist sized piece of rock with coralline growing on it.

I would invest in those options before going with the bottled stuff.

 

[Hemmdog]

Ill try the bottle of coralline. Have you ever used it?

Yeah I used it, it works great. Only the purple helix one, the pink did not take in my tanks.

 

[FindingPonyo]

So I’m pretty frustrated because my tank has been running for about a year and no pink coralline algae. All I have is green coralline which I hate the look of. I started with all dry rock so I had no coralline algae to start with. What can I do?

Green algae might look bad, but it is still good. I got pink coralline within the first 3 months that I had my tank. I would recommend holding off on water changed for a little more than u r right now. It leaves some more time for the bacteria to develop

 

[bdesign]

PM’d you

 

[K7BMG]

My LFS uses 3/4 PVC. couplings to support various frags, most of them are covered in coralline, I asked for one and when I got home I just scrapped it off the coupling.
Worked like a charm.

 

[JEREMY82]

Got to keep cal alk and mg in line,coraline be using up calcium and mg,seed the tank with another rock from a lfs or fellow reefer just scrape the coraline with something over the rock work in tank

 

[Brad Beckham]

I second the use of the corraline in the bottle, both pink and purple worked great for me to really get it accelerated.

 

[Bacon505]

i personally think coralline algae is a waste of resource to have. they create a diversity and make the tank look natural however they consume a lot of the trace elements because coralline algae also build a skelital structure like coral does. have to much of it will compete with your corals IMO. expert chime in if i'm wrong.

 

[Matt Peacock]

As others have said, instead of bottled stuff you can either get it directly (e.g. by proactively asking someone for a scraping) or indirectly (e.g. on a coral frag plug) and they are correct that’s cheaper than a bottle as it’s free. I’d say that’s how I got mine; coming in on a frag plug once upon a time. Just be careful it comes from a known-good tank (see BRS’s latest video where Ryan introduced aiptasia to a tank from a tiny scraping of coralline algae). Personally that’s why I now prefer the bottled stuff (and it looks like others on this thread have had success) for things like this but each to their own - there’s no one way for everyone. Honestly I think if you just continue to wait, in time you’ll likely see it pop up.

This link should take you to the exact timestamp in the clip I mention:

 

[Roachbeef19]

Fishofhex.com sells scrapings from his tank for like $5. That's what I'm going to use