I've had my tank for 2 years now and my dry rock isn't growing coralline algae. I bought 2 live rocks (you should be able to pick out in the picture). Not sure why the others won't turn. I had a big tank crash a few months ago, so I want to make things right before I start again. Do I need more lighting? Its a 75 gallon tank. Currently just 1 led in the middle. Thanks.
Rocks aren't turning purple :(
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Fritzhamer
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I had to scrape coralline off the glass once a week last year. I switched from kalk to two part and I can't get coralline to grow now either. Parameters are the same, clearly they aren't but alk, calcium and Mg are the same. My sps are all growing great but no spread of purple for me either. I think I'm going to go back to dripping or dosing some amount of kalk to see if that helps.
That was the majority reefs beyond 5 years back in the 90's and 2000's, nowadays I cannot find one that uses any form of LED having the same pinkout.
Not saying we can't find an outlier for any claim in reefing, but as a post verse the change has been registered. I used to have to put a razor blade on a stick notch, and scrape down hard to remove quarter inch whorls of coralline off my vase. after LED in 2015, never again, not even one spot on the glass. Thankfully my purple rocks didn't lose any, but none gained. LED only change. I personally love the crowded reef look and having to scrape viewing windows, that's how my reef teeth were cut and id like it back.
What to do to get it to grow in todays LED setups? id have to vote attaining some as scraping and blending it all up, and casting a purplepink cloud into the tank to seed everywhere. someone will sell you scrapings, someone out there still has VHO and is producing them by the metric ton
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Mr. Bill
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Ditto. Since switching from T5 to LED, I have no longer needed to scrape new coralline off the glass or soak skimmer, pumps, etc in vinegar to remove it.
I miss it though! To me, coralline caking indicates straight up reef power like a massive beard to vent someones bulk testosterone. its just a reef that can weather the storm, bring home a huge hog slung over its shoulder etc. todays reefs look all youthful right from the salon including mine so I cant really post an update pic. that pic above is coralline beefcake
that person in the article might have lost their corals, but that coralline and the filtration system hung around just fine after the storm. strong base it reflects
that person in the article might have lost their corals, but that coralline and the filtration system hung around just fine after the storm. strong base it reflects
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chipmunkofdoom2
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I think Brandon has hit the nail on the head, in part. The most coralline algae I ever had was on my first tank, which used 192W PC lighing. Power compacts are kind of a joke in the hobby, especially since the advent of LEDs and the reduction in price of T5s, but the indirect medium-intensity light seemed to be perfect for encouraging coralline.
I think another contributing factor was very high alkalinity and pH. I used plain Instant Ocean, which has a pretty high carbonate alkalinity right out of the box. I was also in college and living at home at the time, and my parents frequently turned off the AC and had the windows open. As a result, I believe my pH was probably pretty high. Never tested, but if my low pH values as of right now are any indicator, having the windows open a majority of the time probably drove pH way up.
Long story short, I think there are two types of tanks, those that grow no coralline algae and those that grow an endless amount. There are all sorts of tips out there about growing coralline, but personally none have worked for me. The only time I had coralline was when I was not trying to grow it. More dispersed lighting may help, but I think a lot of the battle is the chemistry of your source water and what is in your rocks.
I think another contributing factor was very high alkalinity and pH. I used plain Instant Ocean, which has a pretty high carbonate alkalinity right out of the box. I was also in college and living at home at the time, and my parents frequently turned off the AC and had the windows open. As a result, I believe my pH was probably pretty high. Never tested, but if my low pH values as of right now are any indicator, having the windows open a majority of the time probably drove pH way up.
Long story short, I think there are two types of tanks, those that grow no coralline algae and those that grow an endless amount. There are all sorts of tips out there about growing coralline, but personally none have worked for me. The only time I had coralline was when I was not trying to grow it. More dispersed lighting may help, but I think a lot of the battle is the chemistry of your source water and what is in your rocks.
I am inclined to think lighting does play a major role, and that coralline does better under T5 and lower lighting systems, BUT I have a ton of coralline, piles of it in fact because it just flakes off the back, I also run a Hydra52 at almost 100%. Try introducing a small piece of rubble to seed and maintain the big 3. When I use kalk I can not clean coralline off fast enough.
Yup. They don't like high intensitys and need better maint of the big three if yup are going to use high light.
IME recently the supplement also make a difference. With two part a still had minimal corraline, with balling I now have a lot more but it's pink. Not purple.
Keep in mind light levels can't be judged by the source. An led is not brighter than a t5 for the same reason an apple is not bigger than an orange.
IME recently the supplement also make a difference. With two part a still had minimal corraline, with balling I now have a lot more but it's pink. Not purple.
Keep in mind light levels can't be judged by the source. An led is not brighter than a t5 for the same reason an apple is not bigger than an orange.
Havoks
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My rocks didn't start getting coralline until after a year, I been dosing two part (Reef Fusion 1 and 2) all the time. Recently,with the addition of a second light and (as @saltyfilmfolks would put it) blasting my tank, its growth has incremented. I dont get it on the glass but now all my rocks have spots of pinkish algae growing on them. I guess it happens differently in every tank.
I had the same problem, and I think it was from keeping my tank too clean. The coralline algae seems to grow better when other species are actively being fed. Even brown or green algae when cleaned up by snails will cause the coralline to spread. Some of my turbo snails are usually the first to get encrusted with coralline algae. I'm no expert. The coralline seems to thrive and benefit from the same water parameters as stony corals need.
roberthu526
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What's your parameters? If your nitrate and phosphates are low then you can try dosing kalk. I see coralline bloom as after I started dropping kalk.
Mr. Bill
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Totally agreed. Perhaps spectrum plays a larger role than intensity? When I switched, I went from a 2-lamp T5 running ATI Coral Plus bulbs to an Orbit Marine LED. Certainly any T5 combo, as well as MH or even PC sport a broader spectrum range than the old vanilla white/blue LED units, as would the Hydra52 and other higher-end models. Just a thought, as I never changed anything else. I use IO salt and don't dose anything, either. FWIW, in an older 55g tank with PC lighting, my coralline was multiple colors- red, pink, purple, blue, and yellow.
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Yea the PC have both a low par output and some nice color. The corraline was wild.Totally agreed. Perhaps spectrum plays a larger role than intensity? When I switched, I went from a 2-lamp T5 running ATI Coral Pro bulbs to an Orbit Marine LED. Certainly any T5 combo, as well as MH or even PC sport a broader spectrum range than the old vanilla white/blue LED units, as would the Hydra52 and other higher-end models. Just a thought, as I never changed anything else. I use IO salt and don't dose anything, either. FWIW, in an older 55g tank with PC lighting, my coralline was multiple colors- red, pink, purple, blue, and yellow.
This tank started with those.
Also intensity is different between all of those. And imo. There are bits of the spectrum not in some leds and and too much of others.
DarkSky
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Ditto x3, but in reverse.
I had LEDs on my SPS tank for two years, no coraline growth anywhere. I switched to T5s a few months ago and now I'm having spots of it showing up everywhere.
Science says corraline algae on the reef is very handicapped in growth by phosphate. By as much as 70% iirc.
When i ran rowaphos coralline took off.
Corraline also loves t5 lights for some reason.
When i ran rowaphos coralline took off.
Corraline also loves t5 lights for some reason.
