How do you feel about Coralline algae in your tank?

[smartwater101]

Its usually a decent sign of quality water conditions, but I’ve never been a big fan of the back wall covered in coralline. Looks a kind of dirty. But at this point I can’t really bring myself to take the time and scrape it off. Someone scrape this crap off the tank walls for me lol


How do you guys/gals feel about it? Any regrets adding it? Wish you had more? Struggling to get it to grow in the first place?

 

[Deiblerj]

I like to keep mine of the rocks and back glass. Try to keep the sides and front clean of it. When I see it growing more on the glass I take it as a sign of the tank remaining in a healthy state

 

[jgvergo]

I've changed my opinion over time. Before I started in the hobby, I detested the sight of it. Like you, I thought it just made the tank look dirty. Now, two years into the hobby, I have grown to love it. A healthy purple coralline makes the whole tank pop with color. Additionally, I associate it with a healthy system.

 

[GabeM]

Red coralline looks great under proper UV!

 

[smartwater101]

I've changed my opinion over time. Before I started in the hobby, I detested the sight of it. Like you, I thought it just made the tank look dirty. Now, two years into the hobby, I have grown to love it. A healthy purple coralline makes the whole tank pop with color. Additionally, I associate it with a healthy system.

I remember when I first got into the hobby (20 years ago?) I would have killed to get the stuff going. (Although, even then, I wasn't a fan of the back wall being covered.)

I've slowly starting to accept it. But, that's less because I like the look and more because I'm too lazy to do anything about it lol

 

[cracker]

Can't hardly get it to grow .

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

I'm glad it's there, but it is a nuisance to keep clean. I grow it very thick and it covers everything, rocks, shells, rubble, glass, overflow, power heads, etc. I have to soak my powerheads in vinegar monthly and scrape my glass at least every three to four weeks. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad my system supports it, but it is a pain in the rear if you like a clean look. You can see how purple my rocks and the snail shell graveyard is in this gif:

 

[SDK]

It's like owning a boat. Initial excitement followed by never ending scraping lol....

 

[LetItReef]

If the Coralline are on the rocks I'm good but if they are on the glass and background not feeling it.

 

[brandon429]

Sierra I don't recall where I saw that rock before but knowing myself I would've remarked something like this: im so jealous its the best coralline ive ever seen lol and you have no algae bc its being bio excluded by coralline so thick you can't chip it off with a hammer

Id have asked if you are using LED lights in amazement of getting that much coralline, you'd likely have responded yes, and Id still be shocked lol. I think it would go down like that.

I would have said bottle it and sell that virulent strain whatever it is...

 

[Todd A.]

It's a love-hate relationship (that should have been a Poll Choice)
With my first tank, I was thrilled to see it as it is a sign of a healthy tank, but 1 year down the road, the back was solid coralline and I struggled to keep it of the sides, front and every where else. I was really growing tired of it.
Now I've up sized to a 220 gal and am bummed it hasn't appeared. I've struggled with GHA along a strange lack of nutrients (kinda of a contradiction) in the new tank and will probably jump for joy when I see the first few spots. Then I'll hate it again as I scrap it off daily.

 

[smartwater101]

It's a love-hate relationship (that should have been a Poll Choice)

Good idea. Poll updated.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

Sierra I don't recall where I saw that rock before but knowing myself I would've remarked something like this: im so jealous its the best coralline ive ever seen lol and you have no algae bc its being bio excluded by coralline so thick you can't chip it off with a hammer

Id have asked if you are using LED lights in amazement of getting that much coralline, you'd likely have responded yes, and Id still be shocked lol. I think it would go down like that.

I would have said bottle it and sell that virulent strain whatever it is...

Lol - I probably could sell it. I think of that every time I scrape the glass - I need a little vacuum pump/scraper gizmo. My rock came from TBS as did my shell-laden sand. Lights are combination Maxspect Ethereal LED's and T5's. Why it grows so heavy I have no clue, but it does. As for algae I wish it were true; I do get some GHA if I let my nutrients get too high, but it grows in crevices, not on the coralline usually.

One thing I've noticed but haven't taken the time to prove: Scraping heavy coralline affects your alk levels. I dose Randy's 2 part out of containers using an automatic doser. When the coralline on the glass gets thick enough to scrape and I clean it all off, there seems to be a spike in my dKH the next day or two and I have to lower my dosage. I assume this is due to the sudden lack of alk usage with the coralline being removed.

Heck, I even have coralline growing in my sump. . .

 

[Hemmdog]

Lol - I probably could sell it. I think of that every time I scrape the glass - I need a little vacuum pump/scraper gizmo. My rock came from TBS as did my shell-laden sand. Lights are combination Maxspect Ethereal LED's and T5's. Why it grows so heavy I have no clue, but it does. As for algae I wish it were true; I do get some GHA if I let my nutrients get too high, but it grows in crevices, not on the coralline usually.

One thing I've noticed but haven't taken the time to prove: Scraping heavy coralline affects your alk levels. I dose Randy's 2 part out of containers using an automatic doser. When the coralline on the glass gets thick enough to scrape and I clean it all off, there seems to be a spike in my dKH the next day or two and I have to lower my dosage. I assume this is due to the sudden lack of alk usage with the coralline being removed.

Heck, I even have coralline growing in my sump. . .

+1

 

[JimFuller]

I like it. It let's ne know things are going good.

 

[Vahanyos]

I personally love the look of the algae on my back wall, rocks, powerheads, etc.... I always clean it off the front and side glass panels. I want my whole back wall to be covered

It makes me feel proud that my tank is healthy and thriving . I also use it as a sign of "oh crap something seems off".... when the colors start to fade a little or i see blotches, then I know to test my alk and what do you know, it's always a point or so off so I correct it haha.

 

[saltyhog]

I like it on the rocks and even on my overflow, but I don't like it on the back glass. Clean it every 3 days to keep it off. Other than that the only problem it causes me it to stop up my overflow slots raising the water level in the tank after a while. Not hard to break it off of them but it's a little bit of a nuisance.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

I don't mind it I have encrusting corals and gsp on my walls to add a little oomph to the tank. I grow some manly on frag plugs but I have a urchin which is a love hate relationship who eats the coraline.

 

[jtl]

I like it but only on the rocks. I keep the all of the glass and sand spotless. It adds a nice purple/pink color to the rocks until they eventually become encrusted with coral.

 

[jtl]

I like it but only on the rocks. I keep the all of the glass and sand spotless. It adds a nice purple/pink color to the rocks until they eventually become encrusted with coral.

 

[Zos4me]

i like it on rocks but not glass