No Coralline Algae?

Brett9917 · 01/05/2009, 01:55 PM

After reestablishing my tank back in July I have noticed a lack of coralline algae in my tank. All my corals are doing wonderful, even my SPS is doing well. I know I don't have the best lighting, I have 4x96 PC for a 75 gallon but again it's enough for my SPS to be doing well. My calcium is right around 440. Phos, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, all that is at 0. Salinity is around 1.024. I do have a refugium with chaeto, and that seems to be doing really well. My spectrum for lighting is 1 6500k, 1 10,000k and 2 Actinic 03s. It is even to the point now where it is actually starting to recede a bit. I have noticed that there does appear to be green coralline algae (?) I don't know if that actually exists or not but that's what it appears to be.

I guess a final thought is, is this ok? Like I said, my corals seem to be doing really well, growing and whatnot, so I have no clue.

barclayrl · 01/05/2009, 02:05 PM

How is your KH/ALK and PH?

Do you have an urchin or anything else that could eat it?

teo reef · 01/05/2009, 02:11 PM

What is your alkalinity levels? I would recomend to change the 6500 lamp with one of 10000 so that you have more intense lighting.
Also try carib sea purple up to encourage the coraline.

miwoodar · 01/05/2009, 02:27 PM

I agree on the alk suggestion. Make sure that and Mag are also in line and your coralline will eventually take off. It will grow even faster if you keep your Ca/alk/Mg a touch on the high side.

Green encrusting algaes are common.

A 6.5K lamp will typically have more PAR than a 10K. Coralline algaes do not require intense light to flourish though. If your corals are growing, you have plenty.

Purple Up is a total waste of money. It's little more than sand and water. The chemistry forum has dozens of threads on Purple Up if you want to learn more about it. Spend your time and money on different products though. The two-part solutions are fairly easy to apply and are highly successful.

jbird69 · 01/05/2009, 02:30 PM

I was under the impression that coralline algae did not require high lighting.

Two cases in point. I have coralline in my tank in areas that recieve little to no light, and I have LOTS of it in my refugium, which has a silly little walmart light for growing chaeto.

Jay

nukemdanno · 01/05/2009, 02:30 PM

+3 to the Alk.....also check your Mag levels. CA, Alk, and Mg all need to be in balance as well.

LOTUS50GOD · 01/05/2009, 02:32 PM

Why the heck do you want coraline algea? It grows on everything and is a unbeneficial algea IMO. I purposely keep my alk high so it wont grow.

Whisperer · 01/05/2009, 02:42 PM

I wish my coralline does not grow so fast either. I even have a PLATING coralline! Here are a couple of pics just for fun.

Brett9917 · 01/05/2009, 02:46 PM

Thanks guys for all your responses. I am not sure how I forgot to give my pH and Alk.
My pH is at 8.2, my alk is at 11dKH and I don't have a magnesium test kit. And like I said my Ca is at 440. I was always told that was a little on the high side, should I consider raising that?

miwoodar · 01/05/2009, 02:49 PM

11dKH and 440 Ca should be enough to produce accelerated growth.

Do you have any astrina stars? Mine love coralline.

Brett9917 · 01/05/2009, 02:56 PM

No, I don't have any stars of any kind, nor do I have any urchins. The only inverts that I have are really just snails and hermits (corals not withstanding).
To answer the ones about why I want coralline algae, I was asking if that was bad that I didn't have it.

nukemdanno · 01/05/2009, 03:00 PM

I'd get the Mg test kit. IME if the ca, alk, and mg are not where they need to be you end up with a slower growth rate all the way to having problems with your tank. If you are having a different bloom IE Hair Algae or Cyano they could be out competing the coraline for food/space. However from the discussion so far I doubt that is the case...

miwoodar · 01/05/2009, 03:00 PM

I wouldn't call it bad that you don't have coralline growth.

You might try taking a few rocks from a fellow reefer who does have good growth and see what happens.

Brett9917 · 01/05/2009, 03:07 PM

Ok, I will run out and get a Mg test kit tomorrow. I have to leave for work in about ten minutes, so I won't be able to do it today.

bradbmbj · 01/05/2009, 08:42 PM

Coraline algae adds beauty to the reef, plus if there is coraline present it can be extremely beneficial by reducing rock surface for unwanted algae to grow on

bradbmbj · 01/05/2009, 08:45 PM

.

Brett9917 · 01/11/2009, 09:37 PM

Alrighty, I know it has been a couple of days since I first posted this question, but I finally tested the Mg levels and it's sitting right at 1300, which is on par for what I have been reading. To answer 1 question, I have just had a recent bloom of red slime. I have since replaced the components for my R/O unit, so hopefully that will help clear that problem up.
Again, thanks for all your help.

01/05/2009, 01:55 PM	#1
Brett9917 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Richboro, Pa/ York, Pa Posts: 448	No Coralline Algae? After reestablishing my tank back in July I have noticed a lack of coralline algae in my tank. All my corals are doing wonderful, even my SPS is doing well. I know I don't have the best lighting, I have 4x96 PC for a 75 gallon but again it's enough for my SPS to be doing well. My calcium is right around 440. Phos, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, all that is at 0. Salinity is around 1.024. I do have a refugium with chaeto, and that seems to be doing really well. My spectrum for lighting is 1 6500k, 1 10,000k and 2 Actinic 03s. It is even to the point now where it is actually starting to recede a bit. I have noticed that there does appear to be green coralline algae (?) I don't know if that actually exists or not but that's what it appears to be. I guess a final thought is, is this ok? Like I said, my corals seem to be doing really well, growing and whatnot, so I have no clue.

01/05/2009, 02:11 PM	#3
teo reef Aquascaping geek Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Greece Posts: 156	What is your alkalinity levels? I would recomend to change the 6500 lamp with one of 10000 so that you have more intense lighting. Also try carib sea purple up to encourage the coraline. __________________ October 2009 TOTM

01/05/2009, 02:27 PM	#4
miwoodar Likey the bikey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,371	I agree on the alk suggestion. Make sure that and Mag are also in line and your coralline will eventually take off. It will grow even faster if you keep your Ca/alk/Mg a touch on the high side. Green encrusting algaes are common. A 6.5K lamp will typically have more PAR than a 10K. Coralline algaes do not require intense light to flourish though. If your corals are growing, you have plenty. Purple Up is a total waste of money. It's little more than sand and water. The chemistry forum has dozens of threads on Purple Up if you want to learn more about it. Spend your time and money on different products though. The two-part solutions are fairly easy to apply and are highly successful. __________________ Mike On hiatus. I'm either out riding my bicycle, playing with my family, or throwing ferts in my planted tank. Or working. I hope I'm not doing that though. Current Tank Info: 140 DIY Cube Last edited by miwoodar; 01/05/2009 at 02:32 PM.

01/05/2009, 02:30 PM	#5
jbird69 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The beautiful State of Jefferson Posts: 2,751	I was under the impression that coralline algae did not require high lighting. Two cases in point. I have coralline in my tank in areas that recieve little to no light, and I have LOTS of it in my refugium, which has a silly little walmart light for growing chaeto. Jay __________________ Broke Back Mountain is not a movie, its the pile of dead ninjas in Chuck Norris' back yard

01/05/2009, 02:32 PM	#7
LOTUS50GOD Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,210	Why the heck do you want coraline algea? It grows on everything and is a unbeneficial algea IMO. I purposely keep my alk high so it wont grow. __________________ Vertex Alpha 300 Skimmer, AI SOL Blue, Neptune Apex Controlled 360 gallon Reef Current Tank Info: born 6/26/2008- 340 reef + 100 fuge, 300lbs of figi LR

01/05/2009, 02:05 PM	#2
barclayrl Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chambersburg, PA Posts: 332	How is your KH/ALK and PH? Do you have an urchin or anything else that could eat it?

01/05/2009, 02:30 PM	#6
nukemdanno Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 133	+3 to the Alk.....also check your Mag levels. CA, Alk, and Mg all need to be in balance as well.

01/05/2009, 02:42 PM	#8
Whisperer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Punta Gorda, FL Posts: 4,020	I wish my coralline does not grow so fast either. I even have a PLATING coralline! Here are a couple of pics just for fun. __________________ The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. --------- No one is born with intellect and age guarantees wisdom to no one. Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 30G sump, 10G QT tank

01/05/2009, 02:46 PM	#9
Brett9917 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Richboro, Pa/ York, Pa Posts: 448	Thanks guys for all your responses. I am not sure how I forgot to give my pH and Alk. My pH is at 8.2, my alk is at 11dKH and I don't have a magnesium test kit. And like I said my Ca is at 440. I was always told that was a little on the high side, should I consider raising that? __________________ Gentlemen, we just seized an airfield. That's pretty ninja. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon pc lighting 4.5 watts/g make shift sump 900 gal/hr

01/05/2009, 02:49 PM	#10
miwoodar Likey the bikey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,371	11dKH and 440 Ca should be enough to produce accelerated growth. Do you have any astrina stars? Mine love coralline. __________________ Mike On hiatus. I'm either out riding my bicycle, playing with my family, or throwing ferts in my planted tank. Or working. I hope I'm not doing that though. Current Tank Info: 140 DIY Cube

01/05/2009, 02:56 PM	#11
Brett9917 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Richboro, Pa/ York, Pa Posts: 448	No, I don't have any stars of any kind, nor do I have any urchins. The only inverts that I have are really just snails and hermits (corals not withstanding). To answer the ones about why I want coralline algae, I was asking if that was bad that I didn't have it. __________________ Gentlemen, we just seized an airfield. That's pretty ninja. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon pc lighting 4.5 watts/g make shift sump 900 gal/hr

01/05/2009, 03:00 PM	#12
nukemdanno Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 133	I'd get the Mg test kit. IME if the ca, alk, and mg are not where they need to be you end up with a slower growth rate all the way to having problems with your tank. If you are having a different bloom IE Hair Algae or Cyano they could be out competing the coraline for food/space. However from the discussion so far I doubt that is the case...

01/05/2009, 03:07 PM	#14
Brett9917 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Richboro, Pa/ York, Pa Posts: 448	Ok, I will run out and get a Mg test kit tomorrow. I have to leave for work in about ten minutes, so I won't be able to do it today. __________________ Gentlemen, we just seized an airfield. That's pretty ninja. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon pc lighting 4.5 watts/g make shift sump 900 gal/hr

01/05/2009, 08:42 PM	#15
bradbmbj Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: New Orleans Posts: 554	Coraline algae adds beauty to the reef, plus if there is coraline present it can be extremely beneficial by reducing rock surface for unwanted algae to grow on Last edited by bradbmbj; 01/05/2009 at 08:58 PM.

01/05/2009, 08:45 PM	#16
bradbmbj Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: New Orleans Posts: 554	. Last edited by bradbmbj; 01/05/2009 at 08:51 PM.

01/11/2009, 09:37 PM	#17
Brett9917 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Richboro, Pa/ York, Pa Posts: 448	Alrighty, I know it has been a couple of days since I first posted this question, but I finally tested the Mg levels and it's sitting right at 1300, which is on par for what I have been reading. To answer 1 question, I have just had a recent bloom of red slime. I have since replaced the components for my R/O unit, so hopefully that will help clear that problem up. Again, thanks for all your help. __________________ Gentlemen, we just seized an airfield. That's pretty ninja. Current Tank Info: 75 gallon pc lighting 4.5 watts/g make shift sump 900 gal/hr