Coralline algae question

joe143 · 03/28/2010, 07:42 PM

Hey guys, I've got a question.

So I've got plenty of live rock in my tank but im having trouble getting purple coralline algae to grow. I've got a lot of green coralline it looks like. Its bright and spreads all over the rocks.However the purple algae on the rocks turns white and does not really stick around.

My Calc, Mag, Alk, are at the top of the range. Salinity at 1.026. Only thing thats a little off is my PH hangs around 8. Any ideas?

Jocephus · 03/28/2010, 07:47 PM

Give it time, the greens usually show up first, then eventually the purple takes over. Perfectly normal. I've also found that it grows better under mostly actinic lower strength lighting (PC's vs. halides).

My .02

Joe

patsfan1130 · 03/28/2010, 08:08 PM

agreed....give it some time. soon enough you will be complaining about it

lougotzz · 03/28/2010, 08:15 PM

It does grow under halide lighting right?

patsfan1130 · 03/28/2010, 08:25 PM

Yep

thebkramer · 03/28/2010, 08:31 PM

Give it time...pretty soon you will be begging your tank to stop producing it!!

Tek_Diver · 03/28/2010, 09:01 PM

Give it time.....when you deside to get it off of your front panel be carefull not to scratch it.

shaunt · 03/28/2010, 10:18 PM

When I first set up my tank the coraline actually turned white after a couple weeks but then after 6 weeks or so it started to come back. It will come if your parameters are good just wait.

sfboarders · 03/29/2010, 10:39 AM

It took me 6 months to get coraline algae and it grows like crazy! I like it on the rocks but sick of it growing on the powerheads and back glass. I'm constantly scraping it.

shermdawg · 03/29/2010, 01:00 PM

Isn't it funny how life works? Spend the first few months in tank hood begging for coraline...spend the next 20+ years begging it wouldn't grow so fast.

Tuscaquatics · 03/29/2010, 07:13 PM

And I've found it likes actinic the best. I run just my actinics for 2 hours in the morning and at night and that has caused my coralline to go crazy.

joe143 · 03/29/2010, 07:32 PM

Thanks for the replies guys. Its weird how its turning green and the purple isnt making it. Have to wait and see.

OceanLandlord · 03/30/2010, 06:25 AM

Going through the same thing joe, took some older seeded rock with coraline and put in my new tank and its turned green. Guess just have to wait for it to come back after cycle.

Bayliner · 04/25/2010, 06:31 AM

Hi,
Just wondering if the green coraline ever turned purple ?

Thanks
Cam

03/28/2010, 07:42 PM	#1
joe143 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 143	Coralline algae question Hey guys, I've got a question. So I've got plenty of live rock in my tank but im having trouble getting purple coralline algae to grow. I've got a lot of green coralline it looks like. Its bright and spreads all over the rocks.However the purple algae on the rocks turns white and does not really stick around. My Calc, Mag, Alk, are at the top of the range. Salinity at 1.026. Only thing thats a little off is my PH hangs around 8. Any ideas?

03/28/2010, 08:08 PM	#3
patsfan1130 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Woburn, Ma Posts: 2,010	agreed....give it some time. soon enough you will be complaining about it __________________ My cat's breath smells like cat food Member of the Boston Reefers Society Current Tank Info: 75g lps, 90g sps, 120g mixed, 180 nem tank, 300g reef, 600g up & coming reef

03/28/2010, 08:25 PM	#5
patsfan1130 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Woburn, Ma Posts: 2,010	Yep __________________ My cat's breath smells like cat food Member of the Boston Reefers Society Current Tank Info: 75g lps, 90g sps, 120g mixed, 180 nem tank, 300g reef, 600g up & coming reef

04/25/2010, 06:31 AM	#14
Bayliner Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Stoney Creek, Ontario Posts: 971	Hi, Just wondering if the green coraline ever turned purple ? Thanks Cam __________________ A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Darn...that was fun!" Current Tank Info: 75g Reef, mostly SPS, 2-250W 20K MH, 2-VHO Actinics Full Zeovit as of Jan 20th 2011

03/28/2010, 07:47 PM	#2
Jocephus Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Dover, DE Posts: 995	Give it time, the greens usually show up first, then eventually the purple takes over. Perfectly normal. I've also found that it grows better under mostly actinic lower strength lighting (PC's vs. halides). My .02 Joe

03/28/2010, 08:15 PM	#4
lougotzz Moved On Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,524	It does grow under halide lighting right?

03/28/2010, 08:31 PM	#6
thebkramer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 3,198	Give it time...pretty soon you will be begging your tank to stop producing it!!

03/28/2010, 09:01 PM	#7
Tek_Diver Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Grapevine, Texas Posts: 50	Give it time.....when you deside to get it off of your front panel be carefull not to scratch it.

03/28/2010, 10:18 PM	#8
shaunt Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Visalia,CA Posts: 189	When I first set up my tank the coraline actually turned white after a couple weeks but then after 6 weeks or so it started to come back. It will come if your parameters are good just wait.

03/29/2010, 10:39 AM	#9
sfboarders Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: 808 State Posts: 1,356	It took me 6 months to get coraline algae and it grows like crazy! I like it on the rocks but sick of it growing on the powerheads and back glass. I'm constantly scraping it.

03/29/2010, 01:00 PM	#10
shermdawg Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Nevada Posts: 55	Isn't it funny how life works? Spend the first few months in tank hood begging for coraline...spend the next 20+ years begging it wouldn't grow so fast.

03/29/2010, 07:13 PM	#11
Tuscaquatics Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tuscaloosa, AL Posts: 1,324	And I've found it likes actinic the best. I run just my actinics for 2 hours in the morning and at night and that has caused my coralline to go crazy.

03/29/2010, 07:32 PM	#12
joe143 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 143	Thanks for the replies guys. Its weird how its turning green and the purple isnt making it. Have to wait and see.

03/30/2010, 06:25 AM	#13
OceanLandlord Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Lake Worth Posts: 137	Going through the same thing joe, took some older seeded rock with coraline and put in my new tank and its turned green. Guess just have to wait for it to come back after cycle.