How to create Coralline Algae

[Subsea]

@rkpetersen thank you for the info. However I didn’t uunderstand approxiamtly 95%.

what settings should I set the Ocean Revives at? And the times? Or keep it on for 24 hours?

Pic of what I got. Started approximately mid July. Everything is doing awesome and growing and multiplying except I learned I hate Favias! Lol

Which tank are we growing coralline in?

 

[Newbie1]

Lol, basically I have a 60 gal tank in my garage. I want to do something while it’s sitting doing nothing. So I wanted to put rock in there, put my waste water from my 30 gal into the tank. Put a heater in there and a jet. I then going to introduce coralline algae to it and spread it around. So basically I was wondering do I just go ahead and start the process and not clean the rock first or clean the rock first? Please does this make sense?

David

 

[Newbie1]

I have coralline in my 30. But I’m going to upgrade to 60. But my wife said I have to wait 6-8 months. So in the mean time I want to make purple rock and (the natural way).

 

[Subsea]

Your plan makes perfect sense.

As long as water doesn’t boil or freeze, coralline will thrive. If your rock has undesirable pest, then clean it. Aside from that, let it happen. Coralline does not need much light.

I also suggest, you use this system as a pod refugium. I grow them in outside systems down to 50 degrees. Since you have some light, you should consider some ornamental macro like Red Grapes are Gracilaria Hayi. If you like green, then I suggest Caulerpa Prolifera as a look alike for Oar Grass.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookbotryo.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookgrachayi.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookprolifera.htm

All of the above will thrive fron 55 - 80 degrees. After you have some macro, bacteria and coralline going, it will eventually need nutrients to continue growing. Get some fresh water mollies and convert to salt water with a drip acclimation over 6 hours. Then feed mollies & pods with flake food. I have growout tanks with fifth generation marine mollies feeding next to amphipods bigger than mollie fry.

 

[Newbie1]

So you do suggest to cleaning the rock. If so how? I don’t want to get fancy. I simply want to stock it and let it run and leave it alone. And let nature take its course. So when my wife gives me the geeen light, I can empty tank move it upstairs, put purple rock in tank, with sand and substraight, and then after awhile slowly transfer everything from 30 to the 60.

 

[Subsea]

So you do suggest to cleaning the rock. If so how? I don’t want to get fancy. I simply want to stock it and let it run and leave it alone. And let nature take its course. So when my wife gives me the geeen light, I can empty tank move it upstairs, put purple rock in tank, with sand and substraight, and then after awhile slowly transfer everything from 30 to the 60.

I said, “if your rock has undesirable pest”. What pest does your rock have?

 

[Newbie1]

So I have rock in my 30 gal tank that will go into my 60 gal. However I purchased another 70 lbs of dry rock from two different people I never met before. So I’ll combine the rock that I need to make the most desirable design and sell the rest. My rock from my 30 has a few bristle worms a few aptasia (sp) but nothing very devistating (I believe, again I’m a newbie). Today I purchased a file fish in hopes he eats my Aptasia

 

[Subsea]

I would not transfer Aptasia into a start up system. Bristle worms are beneficial detrivore.

@Newbie1

To remove Aptasia from rock requires hydrogen peroxide and toothbrush.

 

[Newbie1]

It is only on one rock so if it comes down to it I’ll eliminate that rock. But on another rock I have located what appears to be spider web about the size of a pea. Is that harmful?

 

[Subsea]

It is only on one rock so if it comes down to it I’ll eliminate that rock. But on another rock I have located what appears to be spider web about the size of a pea. Is that harmful?

Probably not harmful. Has it bitten you?

You might be discribing spaghetti worms which are suspension feeders. Pictures help a lot.

https://www.waikikiaquarium.org/experience/animal-guide/invertebrates/worms/spaghetti-worms/

 

[Newbie1]

No bites yet . But here is a pic of the only issues I can see.

 

[Subsea]

Looks like sponges. Not very pretty, but good biofiltration.

 

[Newbie1]

Sorry, so if I choose to clean the dry rocks, how would I go about it? Use bleach or what do you suggest?

 

[Subsea]

Aptasia can get out of hand, if left alone. When you see them, you should eliminate them. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful” oxidizer that works. For in tank elimination, use a tooth brush dipped in h202 and scrub Aptasia off the rock. Aptasia will dissolve into the water. Peroxide needs to be reapplied to tooth brush every 60 seconds as it gets diluted when in the water.

With respect to dry rock with unknown history, I would be cautious about calcium phosphate as a result of dosing kalk. Soak rock in vat of fresh water for a week. Then check water for phosphate that might leach from the rock. If no Phosphate in water test, then you are good to go.

 

[Newbie1]

Ok not to be redundant but this is what I have done. Please let me what was done right? Wrong? Etc.

I have a 60 gal in my garage. I have filled it with approximately 20 gal of waste water from the water changes of my other tank. I placed another clean 15 gal. I placed dry rock that has been used from two different people and it was appearant they been dry for some time.

I placed a heater in the tank and it's set at 80 degrees. I have one kirrllia (sp) jet on one side and one very small pump on the other side of the tank running. I have two ocean revives running blues set at 50, from 7A-12A. Whites set at 1P-7P at 1.

I purchased one rock with coralline on it and I took it home and took a file to it. I then poured the shaving all over the tank. I broke the rock up and placed it all around the tank.

Am I suppose to leave it alone for 4-8 months? Should I do water changes or leave it alone and let it get funky? Should I dose the tank weekly with calciume ?

Please advise

 

[Subsea]

You have done it all. Continue adding waste water from your display tank.

If you are going to the expense of heating the water, you might as well put in a fish and feed it.

@Newbie1
You might review post #24.

 

[Newbie1]

What should I put in there to get things going in there?what kind of fish? Copapods?shrimp?