questions on coraline algae growth

woogy · 10/12/2008, 07:14 PM

This is dosing on my 12 gallon aquapod:

I have been using reef crystals for months.

I have no corals. I have been holding off due to low levels of calc and mag.

1. I have been dosing kent marine nano part A calcium and got it up to 440 yesterday. (testing with seachem...I have API but they are too messy IMO). Should I keep dosing? It states 3ml a day but I do

2. Mag this afternoon was 1100 and just tested and it went to 1125 after adding about 45ml of kent tech M. This was also tested with seachem. This seems like an awful lot of mag added to the tank with hardly any increase. The product states it will raise mag 18.3ppm per 1ml. Well if this is the case then either the test kit is faulty or I am.

3. Alk yesterday was 8 when I tested with the API test kit. With the seachem it was 3! I am going with the API because there is no way it is this low...right?

4. I feel that with the weekly water changes with reef crystals this should be enough to keep levels in check.

Maybe I am trying to hard or there is something I am missing. I tell my wife the first time I see coraline on the glass I will jump for joy. I would rather have a lot of coraline than none. And I promise I will not complain about scraping it off the glass.

BTW...I am happy to say that nitrate is 0!!! I tested with salifert on this one.

I know a lot of people will tell me to get rid of the seachem test kits and get salifert, which I am considering but $$$ is running out.

Any other suggestions?

Bonebrake · 10/12/2008, 07:40 PM

I started off with a nano and my tank was covered in coralline within three months using limewater for top-off. Some people have been getting bad batches of Reef Crystals with low calcium and low magnesium. It takes a tremendous amount of magnesium to increase your levels if they are that low. The product probably says it will raise 18.3 ppm per 1 mL per liter of tank water or something like that. 18.3 ppm per mL is meaningless without a reference volume. As a newbie the best thing you can do is read everything you can get your eyes on. Read every article in the archives stickied at the top of this forum.

m2434 · 10/12/2008, 07:51 PM

It seems to depend on things we don't measure. On my 75 gallon, it took years and all of a sudden, it just took off. My parameters and maintenance never changed. My 20g it happened pretty quickly. Alk, ca and low PO4 seem to be required (and this is all I ever add). Other than that, I'm not sure what the magic ingredient is, maybe just time...

woogy · 10/12/2008, 08:31 PM

maybe. My 29 has a little purple on the rocks here and there but I say about 90% of the rock is white and light brown.

I was thinking about using the total two part package from bulkreefsupply

Any good reviews on this?

Randy Holmes-Farley · 10/13/2008, 06:42 AM

The two part package from Bulk Reef is a fine way to go.

HowardW · 10/13/2008, 08:43 AM

<<< 3. Alk yesterday was 8 when I tested with the API test kit. With the seachem it was 3! I am going with the API because there is no way it is this low...right? >>>

You do know you have to multply the Seachem result by 2.8 to get the dKH, right?

woogy · 10/13/2008, 09:11 PM

no i didn't. I guess I will have to read that over again. That would make it 8.4, which is a lot better.

woogy · 10/13/2008, 09:21 PM

does it state that in the instructions? Because I do not see that anywhere stated.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 10/14/2008, 04:48 AM

If the unit the kit uses for alkalinity is meq/L, then you multiply by 2.8 if you want the units of alkalinity to be dKH. Like inches vs centimeters, they are just different units of measure.

NormanB · 10/14/2008, 07:55 PM

The Seachem alk test kit reads in meq/l. Therefore, if you want to convert to dKH like the API reads then, yes, multiply by 2.8. However, there isn't a need. Meq/l is fine. I shoot for 4 meq/l

NormanB · 10/14/2008, 07:55 PM

Double post. Sorry

captstinky · 10/15/2008, 07:36 AM

I second the Kalk for beefing up coraline produciton...finda good source and mix your own, lots of good literature here at this site for DIY kalk

StupidsReef · 10/15/2008, 09:23 AM

If you guy's want or feel the need to scrap purple & green coraline off of glass......Please by all means come on over!!! My arms could use a break.

The purple is easy, but the green

That stuff is the tuffest stuff around.

Todd March · 10/15/2008, 10:13 PM

Get your Mg levels up, up, up... Like around 1300ppm-1350ppm. And as you noticed, it takes a LOT of Mg additive to get it up. Just keep adding it and testing. When you get it to the right level, it takes much less product to maintain the higher levels. Mg goes down slowly, but again, it takes a lot of additive to raise it initially.

And be patient. Coralline often takes a long time to get started, but then it gets to be like gang-busters, growing EVERYWHERE...!

10/12/2008, 07:14 PM	#1
woogy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western PA Posts: 986	questions on coraline algae growth This is dosing on my 12 gallon aquapod: I have been using reef crystals for months. I have no corals. I have been holding off due to low levels of calc and mag. 1. I have been dosing kent marine nano part A calcium and got it up to 440 yesterday. (testing with seachem...I have API but they are too messy IMO). Should I keep dosing? It states 3ml a day but I do 2. Mag this afternoon was 1100 and just tested and it went to 1125 after adding about 45ml of kent tech M. This was also tested with seachem. This seems like an awful lot of mag added to the tank with hardly any increase. The product states it will raise mag 18.3ppm per 1ml. Well if this is the case then either the test kit is faulty or I am. 3. Alk yesterday was 8 when I tested with the API test kit. With the seachem it was 3! I am going with the API because there is no way it is this low...right? 4. I feel that with the weekly water changes with reef crystals this should be enough to keep levels in check. Maybe I am trying to hard or there is something I am missing. I tell my wife the first time I see coraline on the glass I will jump for joy. I would rather have a lot of coraline than none. And I promise I will not complain about scraping it off the glass. BTW...I am happy to say that nitrate is 0!!! I tested with salifert on this one. I know a lot of people will tell me to get rid of the seachem test kits and get salifert, which I am considering but $$$ is running out. Any other suggestions?

10/12/2008, 07:51 PM	#3
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	It seems to depend on things we don't measure. On my 75 gallon, it took years and all of a sudden, it just took off. My parameters and maintenance never changed. My 20g it happened pretty quickly. Alk, ca and low PO4 seem to be required (and this is all I ever add). Other than that, I'm not sure what the magic ingredient is, maybe just time... __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

10/13/2008, 06:42 AM	#5
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	The two part package from Bulk Reef is a fine way to go. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

10/13/2008, 08:43 AM	#6
HowardW Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Aurora, IL Posts: 1,763	<<< 3. Alk yesterday was 8 when I tested with the API test kit. With the seachem it was 3! I am going with the API because there is no way it is this low...right? >>> You do know you have to multply the Seachem result by 2.8 to get the dKH, right? __________________ Florida live rock addict

10/14/2008, 04:48 AM	#9
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	If the unit the kit uses for alkalinity is meq/L, then you multiply by 2.8 if you want the units of alkalinity to be dKH. Like inches vs centimeters, they are just different units of measure. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

10/12/2008, 07:40 PM	#2
Bonebrake Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Danville, PA Posts: 519	I started off with a nano and my tank was covered in coralline within three months using limewater for top-off. Some people have been getting bad batches of Reef Crystals with low calcium and low magnesium. It takes a tremendous amount of magnesium to increase your levels if they are that low. The product probably says it will raise 18.3 ppm per 1 mL per liter of tank water or something like that. 18.3 ppm per mL is meaningless without a reference volume. As a newbie the best thing you can do is read everything you can get your eyes on. Read every article in the archives stickied at the top of this forum.

10/12/2008, 08:31 PM	#4
woogy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western PA Posts: 986	maybe. My 29 has a little purple on the rocks here and there but I say about 90% of the rock is white and light brown. I was thinking about using the total two part package from bulkreefsupply Any good reviews on this?

10/13/2008, 09:11 PM	#7
woogy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western PA Posts: 986	no i didn't. I guess I will have to read that over again. That would make it 8.4, which is a lot better.

10/13/2008, 09:21 PM	#8
woogy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western PA Posts: 986	does it state that in the instructions? Because I do not see that anywhere stated.

10/14/2008, 07:55 PM	#10
NormanB Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Mars, PA Posts: 163	The Seachem alk test kit reads in meq/l. Therefore, if you want to convert to dKH like the API reads then, yes, multiply by 2.8. However, there isn't a need. Meq/l is fine. I shoot for 4 meq/l

10/14/2008, 07:55 PM	#11
NormanB Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Mars, PA Posts: 163	Double post. Sorry Last edited by NormanB; 10/14/2008 at 08:03 PM.

10/15/2008, 07:36 AM	#12
captstinky Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 309	I second the Kalk for beefing up coraline produciton...finda good source and mix your own, lots of good literature here at this site for DIY kalk

10/15/2008, 09:23 AM	#13
StupidsReef Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Somewhere near the ST. Louis area. Posts: 3,013	If you guy's want or feel the need to scrap purple & green coraline off of glass......Please by all means come on over!!! My arms could use a break. The purple is easy, but the green That stuff is the tuffest stuff around. __________________ "We may define faith as a firm belief in something for which there is not evidence. We only speak of faith when we wish to substitute emotion for evidence." Current Tank Info: 225g RR 100g sump T5 lighting Octopus DDNw300 GEO Calcium Reactor Dual GFO reactor, now I just need some frags

10/15/2008, 10:13 PM	#14
Todd March Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Santa Monica, CA Posts: 3,684	Get your Mg levels up, up, up... Like around 1300ppm-1350ppm. And as you noticed, it takes a LOT of Mg additive to get it up. Just keep adding it and testing. When you get it to the right level, it takes much less product to maintain the higher levels. Mg goes down slowly, but again, it takes a lot of additive to raise it initially. And be patient. Coralline often takes a long time to get started, but then it gets to be like gang-busters, growing EVERYWHERE...! __________________ My hobby? I glue animals to rocks... Current Tank Info: Rimless Starfire 85g SPS (36" x 26" x 21"): ATI Powermodule 10 x 39W, ATB Small Cone, RK2, Vortech MP40W, 6025 Stream modded, MAG 9.5 return, Balling