I need help getting coraline algae to grow.

[chris124]

My tank is a 75 gallon fowlr and my water parameters are Temp 77, SG1.024 PH8.0 Nitrates 0ppm and i;m using reef crystals salt. I have two pieces of rock that are covered with coraline algae. But its been in the tank for well over a year and no growth. I have started seeing some lime green stuff growing on the glass not sure if its coraline algae or not. If someone could tell me what i;m doing wrong I would appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[Dalmatia]

You can try to scrape some coralline off the existing rock and let it settle on some of the other rock. I'd also up the salinity to 1.025-1.026 as it will bring up your Cal, Alk, mag... coralline does need the calcium and alkalinity to grow

 

[Lenny_S]

In my case I started with dry rock and seeded coralline algae from a couple of maricultured corals. For me it started as lime green in spots and slowly turned pink/purple. Took a few months. I keep my Alk at 8.4 and calcium at 420 and I think that helps. It also seems to start in more spots and develop better when my LED lighting is in coral acclimation mode, i.e much dimmer than normal and a lot of blue actinic.

 

[chris124]

What Parameters do you recommend for coraline algae?

 

[dr.dator]

IME you need some nitrates. Around 5 ppm is enough. And also coralline algae doesn't like too intense lighting. If you're running LEDs it's easy to have too much light.

 

[Lenny_S]

What Parameters do you recommend for coraline algae?

I don't think anything different than what most stony corals need.

 

[Oksana Kudina]

I used PurpleUp with good results. You can use it for a short period of time just to get the algae started. It will keep spreading without supplement after that.

 

[reefwiser]

You need to maintain and keep steady
Cal 460 t0 480
Alk 7.7 to 8.3
This requires that you use a doser to add a 2 part system or calcium reactor.
These pieces of equipment help you keep a stable level of cal and alk over a 24 hour period. Dosing by hand
With a fish only system this will be something extra you will have to do.
Coralline is just like Corals it needs cal and alk stable to grow. It will take about 3 months of STABLE cal and alk to see the spots start to grow.
It always starts on plastic so watch there.
While products like purple up will get your cal and alk up you must maintain it for the algae to grow.

 

[abinder]

You need to maintain and keep steady
Cal 460 t0 480
Alk 7.7 to 8.3
This requires that you use a doser to add a 2 part system or calcium reactor.
These pieces of equipment help you keep a stable level of cal and alk over a 24 hour period. Dosing by hand
With a fish only system this will be something extra you will have to do.
Coralline is just like Corals it needs cal and alk stable to grow. It will take about 3 months of STABLE cal and alk to see the spots start to grow.
It always starts on plastic so watch there.
While products like purple up will get your cal and alk up you must maintain it for the algae to grow.

Coralline in my tank grows just fine at calcium levels of 420.

 

[Retro Reefer]

It has been my observation that using kalkwasser exclusively to replace water lost to evaporation will fuel coralline growth like nothing else.

RR

 

[Diesel]

Coralline in my tank grows just fine at calcium levels of 420.

Your right it will grow fine at levels of 420 but to start it out you need to have a little higher than your maintain level once you got it going.
By 420 you will drop soon below 400 cause your coraline will need more and more and taking all that CAL away from your corals.
Don't know why ppl are set on having tons of coraline, your corals especially SPS are not liking it at all.

 

[Diesel]

It has been my observation that using kalkwasser exclusively to replace water lost to evaporation will fuel coralline growth like nothing else.

RR

Yes that will help to as a extra dosing while your ATO tops off you dose at the same time.

 

[abinder]

Your right it will grow fine at levels of 420 but to start it out you need to have a little higher than your maintain level once you got it going.
By 420 you will drop soon below 400 cause your coraline will need more and more and taking all that CAL away from your corals.
Don't know why ppl are set on having tons of coraline, your corals especially SPS are not liking it at all.

I auto dose so have no problem with it dropping to 400.

 

[Diesel]

I auto dose so have no problem with it dropping to 400.

What is your consumption on ALK and CAL in 24 hrs.

 

[abinder]

I've been dosing 24ml of both using the BRS supplement and its holding pretty steady.

 

[flounder]

??? If thats what you want then who am i to tell you you're wrong. But i do not wish for coraline algae to grow fast in my tank. Couple of quick reasons: Pumps! That calcification on the pumps is not good for performance and is much harder to clean. (Off pumps and tank, for that reason)
2nd reason is filtration:
Your skimmer does its deal and whatever other mechanical filtration you my have. However more important is the biological filtration. Most beneficial bacteria is found on the surface and inside all the pores in your rock. One of the reasons why choosing not just any rock you find in the backyard is always good for the tank.
A 50lb granite countertop compared to 50lbs of pukani or reefsaver rock isnt the same at all. When coraline algae starts to cover the rovk, sure its pretty. But its slowly cutting water flow to that beneficial bacteria. Its like spray painting over your furnace or any other filter for that matter. Sure its pretty and purple.....but it is no longer doing its job.
I have several small rock urchins in the tank that eat coraline algae to help my rock stay porous and doing its job.
Just my $.02

 

[Semp80]

In my experience, that isn't much as I have only had my tank up for 2 months, I have mostly covered in both green and purple coralline. Maintain calcium at 450, nitrates 5ppm, have really good flow, turbo snails and sea urchin to help spread it around. Also I'm running fluvals pro led's as the coralline grows very well under this lighting.

 

[twreefer]

Using quality lighting?

 

[adestafi]

When I started using kalkwasser and added more blues to my gen pro3's- it took off. Started as lime green and now it's turning purple. I scrape it off the glass as much as possible.