Is this coralline algae or just a red rock?

Brian7002 · 01/22/2011, 08:22 AM

Entire photo album of tank: http://picasaweb.google.com/bkfitz/A...eat=directlink - I'm clearly just getting started, but want to make sure this 'live rock' is good and alive before adding dead rock...

willandmelsreef · 01/22/2011, 08:24 AM

looks like coraline to me

reeftanknewbie · 01/22/2011, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willandmelsreef

looks like coraline to me

+1

kfisc · 01/22/2011, 11:34 AM

You can obviously distinguish this at home, but from the photo an off-guess is it might be cyano; if you reach in the tank and can fairly easily scrub it loose with your finger or a clean tooth brush, it's likely cyano algae.

chimmike · 01/22/2011, 12:53 PM

looks more like a thin coating of cyano to me. Corraline usually isn't that red, it's more purplish.

That and I can kinda see small microbubbles in it, which also leads to the cyano suggestion

Ryanimpreza · 01/22/2011, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chimmike

looks more like a thin coating of cyano to me. Corraline usually isn't that red, it's more purplish.

That and I can kinda see small microbubbles in it, which also leads to the cyano suggestion

yup, I had that at one point and thought it was coralline, turned out it wasn't

Brian7002 · 01/22/2011, 01:34 PM

I just did a fingernail scratch test and while it does come off the rock, it's not easy... I have to give it a good scratch with my fingernail, not just a rub with my finger. Its a very thin covering, not raised at all it seems.

chimmike · 01/22/2011, 01:40 PM

cyano.

Sebastian J. · 01/22/2011, 02:31 PM

Coralline usually grows in distinctive blotches with a lighter growth margin. Looks more like some sort of short brown/red algae to me, although Cyanos are another possibility.

Brian7002 · 01/22/2011, 03:42 PM

great... I guess I'm going to have to buy some more live rock with coraline already on it.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

chimmike · 01/22/2011, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkfitz

great... I guess I'm going to have to buy some more live rock with coraline already on it.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

patience! coralline will grow when conditions and lighting are right. It'll get to the point where you DON'T want any more coralline because it'll be growing on your powerheads, the glass, etc.

stovenut · 01/22/2011, 05:29 PM

If you don't see small dots of purple at the top of your glass or on your powerheads, then it's just cyano or diatoms doing their thing. Every new tank goes through it. Remember you have to have coralline in the tank for coralline to start growing. Buy a nice purple rock from another hobbyist in order to enable its growth. And make sure you are dosing calcium and alk and maintaining a stable ph of around 8.2.

duncaholic · 01/22/2011, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stovenut

If you don't see small dots of purple at the top of your glass or on your powerheads, then it's just cyano or diatoms doing their thing. Every new tank goes through it. Remember you have to have coralline in the tank for coralline to start growing. Buy a nice purple rock from another hobbyist in order to enable its growth. And make sure you are dosing calcium and alk and maintaining a stable ph of around 8.2.

+1 but rather than a purple rock, I'm always much more open to trading/giving a fellow hobbyist one of my corralline covered turbo snails.

stovenut · 01/22/2011, 05:49 PM

^Even better idea^ When I first started I took 2 huge turbo snail shells covered in coralline and scratched them together under the water to spread coralline around the tank. But remember that coralline grows under certain light and water parameters. Make sure you've got the right environment and be patient. It won't happen overnight.

01/22/2011, 08:24 AM	#2
willandmelsreef Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis, In Posts: 182	looks like coraline to me __________________ WISHING I LIVED IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef

01/22/2011, 12:53 PM	#5
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	looks more like a thin coating of cyano to me. Corraline usually isn't that red, it's more purplish. That and I can kinda see small microbubbles in it, which also leads to the cyano suggestion __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

01/22/2011, 01:40 PM	#8
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	cyano. __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Growing Coralline algae in a 10 gallon Nano reef tank	aquariumkeeper2	Nano Reefs	21	12/23/2011 05:24 PM
Dead Coralline/White "stuff" growing on it. Help	E71Malkin	New to the Hobby	7	12/27/2010 04:24 PM
Coralline Algae	turbosek	Reef Discussion	5	12/14/2010 09:30 AM
ID? Coralline Algae vs Small Red Coral?	FlyingFish65	New to the Hobby	5	03/20/2006 11:21 PM
ID? Coralline Algae vs Small Red Coral?	FlyingFish65	Reef Discussion	7	03/20/2006 09:42 PM

01/22/2011, 11:34 AM	#4
kfisc Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,020	You can obviously distinguish this at home, but from the photo an off-guess is it might be cyano; if you reach in the tank and can fairly easily scrub it loose with your finger or a clean tooth brush, it's likely cyano algae.

01/22/2011, 01:34 PM	#7
Brian7002 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 126	I just did a fingernail scratch test and while it does come off the rock, it's not easy... I have to give it a good scratch with my fingernail, not just a rub with my finger. Its a very thin covering, not raised at all it seems.

01/22/2011, 02:31 PM	#9
Sebastian J. Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 74	Coralline usually grows in distinctive blotches with a lighter growth margin. Looks more like some sort of short brown/red algae to me, although Cyanos are another possibility.

01/22/2011, 03:42 PM	#10
Brian7002 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 126	great... I guess I'm going to have to buy some more live rock with coraline already on it. Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

01/22/2011, 05:29 PM	#12
stovenut Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 81	If you don't see small dots of purple at the top of your glass or on your powerheads, then it's just cyano or diatoms doing their thing. Every new tank goes through it. Remember you have to have coralline in the tank for coralline to start growing. Buy a nice purple rock from another hobbyist in order to enable its growth. And make sure you are dosing calcium and alk and maintaining a stable ph of around 8.2.

01/22/2011, 05:49 PM	#14
stovenut Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 81	^Even better idea^ When I first started I took 2 huge turbo snail shells covered in coralline and scratched them together under the water to spread coralline around the tank. But remember that coralline grows under certain light and water parameters. Make sure you've got the right environment and be patient. It won't happen overnight.