No coralline growth after 10 months

[AdamB]

I am curious why Coralline algae is not growing at all in my 80 gallon tank with r300 eshopps sump with Chaeto and refugium mud in fuge. I am dosing b-ionic and my alk is consistently around 9 dkh. My water parameters are spot on and tank is not stocked heavily with fish (3)or coral as of yet. I started out with new dry rock I seeded 80 gallon tank 4 months ago from my coralline filled 90 gallon tank and also added a few pieces Coralline covered live rock.
I am sort of happy coralline is not growing like crazy and taking up much more alk but just curious is anyone else has this experience in coralline not growing in their tanks ?

 

[Scorpius]

What's your ph, nitrate, and phosphate levels?

 

[Auquanut]

How is the coraline doing on the live rock that you transferred?

 

[Bramzor]

Are you using waterchanges or dosing? Because Magnesium is an important one.
Besides that, new/other lightning can whiten it out but it should come back later on.

 

[Sailingeric]

What kind of CUC do have? I had some but it seems my snails might be eating it just was it starts to show up on my glass but I do have coverage on my rocks. I am not complaining, I hated scraping it off my glass.

 

[AdamB]

What's your ph, nitrate, and phosphate levels?

Ph is 8.2.. nitrates
Phosphates

What's your ph, nitrate, and phosphate levels?

ph 8.2
Phosphates 0- trace
Nitrates 2-5ppm ( somewhere in between)

 

[AdamB]

How is the coraline doing on the live rock that you transferred?

It’s doing okay. It’s was just a few small pieces . 1 size of my palm of hand

 

[SuncrestReef]

As I go back and look at old photos of my tank, I didn't see any coralline on my rocks for the first 7 months, then it started popping up as small specks that spread slowly. Around 11 - 12 months it just exploded and was everywhere.

7 months:


9 months:


13 months:

 

[Auquanut]

It’s doing okay. It’s was just a few small pieces . 1 size of my palm of hand

Well if it's not turning white, at least you know your system is capable of supporting coraline.

 

[AdamB]

Are you using waterchanges or dosing? Because Magnesium is an important one.
Besides that, new/other lightning can whiten it out but it should come back later on.

I am doing a 20% water change every two weeks and dosing using GHL doser .. mag is around 1300. My alk is consistently 8.6,Cal is 430 or so .Not a heavy fish load in tank .1 snowflake clown , 1 firefish, 1 melanurus wrasse. 7 or 8 hermits , 1 emerald, and some astrea snails .
I am running my blues at 100% and whites are at less than 20% on hydra 26s.
I’m baffled . I had viperspectra s on my 90 and coralline grew like crazy..

 

[AdamB]

As I go back and look at old photos of my tank, I didn't see any coralline on my rocks for the first 7 months, then it started popping up as small specks that spread slowly. Around 11 - 12 months it just exploded and was everywhere.

7 months:


9 months:


13 months:

Very nice! I guess each tank is different on timing of growth. I’m sure I will forget about it and one day bam!

 

[AdamB]

What kind of CUC do have? I had some but it seems my snails might be eating it just was it starts to show up on my glass but I do have coverage on my rocks. I am not complaining, I hated scraping it off my glass.

Emerald crab,several blue leg and scarlet hermits, several astrea snails and maybe a turbo or 2
I Would like for coralline only on the live rock and not elsewhere but it’s nice not having to scrape and have to up dosing my 2 part to keep up with coralline

 

[AdamB]

Also, I was thinking, perhaps my dosing of 2 part b ionic is just right where the corals are taking up enough alk and calcium to where there is not enough grow coralline algae consistently?

 

[boacvh]

Very nice! I guess each tank is different on timing of growth. I’m sure I will forget about it and one day bam!

This happened to me. I had given up, then readjusted the intensity on my lights and BAM it exploded everywhere around 11 months. I started to have alk issues because of it

 

[AdamB]

Well if it's not turning white, at least you know your system is capable of supporting coraline.

Yes, not seeing any white dead coralline. So maybe I will just watch and see. I’m not complaining not having it . Nice not to have to scrape and have a lot more alk consumption! Thanks!

 

[AdamB]

As I go back and look at old photos of my tank, I didn't see any coralline on my rocks for the first 7 months, then it started popping up as small specks that spread slowly. Around 11 - 12 months it just exploded and was everywhere.

7 months:


9 months:


13 months:

Nice!

 

[JCOLE]

You could try seeding your tank with ARC Coralline and dose Strontium. Coralline loves Strontium. I have been dosing Strontium every 3 days for 2 months and my tank is turning purple!

 

[AdamB]

You could try seeding your tank with ARC Coralline and dose Strontium. Coralline loves Strontium. I have been dosing Strontium every 3 days for 2 months and my tank is turning purple!

Wow... your tank is looking really good. How much have you upped your dosing as coralline filling in?

 

[JCOLE]

Wow... your tank is looking really good. How much have you upped your dosing as coralline filling in?

Thank you! I am dosing the same with Strontium. As far as Alk and Calcium I dose Kalk in my ATO and use a calcium reactor so I dont know as it remains pretty consistent.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Looks like nutrients are being scavenged quite efficiently with P04 testing at or near '0' (coraline does best with a bit higher nutrient load). You could try slowly raising PO4 to around 0.02/0.03 ppm and see if you notice increased coraline growth.