About coralline: the purple stuff...an FYI.

Sk8r · 02/08/2016, 12:10 PM

Coralline is a red algae that shows as purple: it binds calcium, and covers rock in a purple coat that many hobbyists find quite pretty. And it does limit where pest algae can grow. It seems to start out as a dark red velvety coat and then starts laying down the calcium-shelled purple/pink stuff right amid it.

Do you want coralline? here's how. First, obtain some live coralline. A single tiny spot on one rock will do. You can also buy it ground up in a bottle. But if you have a single spot on a rock that's all you need for a starter.

Second, set your parameters as follows: magnesium 1350; alkalinity 8.3; calcium 420. Dose in that order. Test between doses, because getting them there is gradual and you should wait 8 hours before testing: takes time to dissolve and all that. Dose the mg up all the way to 1350, (may take several days) then start raising the alk, THEN start raising the cal. I use Salifert tests, which give you numbers for those things, not colors.
Once you've got them there, keep them there with dosing. I use Kent Tech-M, Kent DKH Buffer, and Kent Turbo Calcium for the 3 doses. Whatever gets it to that reading. Your fish and corals will love it. If you have clams or stony coral that sucks up calcium like mad, you may consider adding lime powder (kalk) to your topoff reservoir. But generally a new tank can do this by hand-dosing. Note that some reef salt mixes may come in with mg higher than 1350 and alk a little higher than 8.3. This is ok. But the ratio I gave you is a good balanced relationship that will not be extreme in anything and will work well.

Now---just think positive coralline thoughts and get a good glass scraper. I am very fond of the Tunze Care Magnet cleaner, which cleans glass or acrylic (2 different blades) with a fierce magnet and yet avoids picking up sand grains which can scratch glass and particularly acrylic, nastily.

Old hands smile a bit when somebody says "Will this [urchin, asterina, snail, crab, etc] eat my coralline?" The answer is---you could only wish. Just keep that chemical balance I've outlined above and keep that algae scraper handy. Seriously. If you have an acrylic tank do not let any tiny pink dot stay on your tank wall AT ALL. Scrape it off. Coralline loves growing on glass/acrylic. It even prefers it to rock. Just keep scraping. The bits will reach the rocks and more and more will grow.

It can get so thick on the rock it looks as if somebody dripped purple ice cream on your rocks. When it's actively growing you'll see a scalloped edge of paler color around the edge of the growth. Will it suck up calcium? Oh, yes. Just do those tests and keep that balance up.

Do keep your tank temperature under 84 degrees. If it hits 85 under strong lights and stays there, your coralline will bleach white as snow, and take a long time to recover.

Keep the balance. Purple is in your future. Just don't let it grow on the glass.

thelawnwrangler · 02/08/2016, 12:18 PM

Good read thanks for this

I have to start testing mg, alk and Calcium

T Haynes · 02/09/2016, 06:02 PM

My alk is about 8.6-8.9 big deal?

Indymann99 · 02/09/2016, 07:13 PM

After about 4 yrs of battling to keep the back and side walls clean, I gave up scraping the back and sides of my in-wall....

For all those wishing for Coralline... be careful what you wish for...

Member No. 1 · 02/09/2016, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T Haynes

My alk is about 8.6-8.9 big deal?

You are fine. Stability is the key. I run mine 9.5-10 dKh

kmcochran0010 · 02/10/2016, 09:15 AM

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

T Haynes · 02/10/2016, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Member No. 1

You are fine. Stability is the key. I run mine 9.5-10 dKh

im dosing calcium to get it up to 450 now. any particular way to keep alk stabile or does it do it on its own?

nmotz · 02/10/2016, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T Haynes

im dosing calcium to get it up to 450 now. any particular way to keep alk stabile or does it do it on its own?

The proper amount of magnesium will help keep alk and ca stable. Here's a great article on stable chemistry: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.php

Sk8r · 02/10/2016, 04:46 PM

" magnesium 1350; alkalinity 8.3; calcium 420. Dose in that order. Test between doses, because getting them there is gradual and you should wait 8 hours before testing: takes time to dissolve and all that. Dose the mg up all the way to 1350, (may take several days) then start raising the alk, THEN start raising the cal."

TimeConsumer · 02/10/2016, 07:12 PM

My 75g grew coralline for 2 years. Then my linkia died and therefore stopped eating my asterinas. Then my asterinas made sure to never allow any coralline to survive in my tank again. FWIW I ran almost the exact same parameters as what Sk8r listed. I'm not saying asterinas will eat all the coralline in your tank, there are many species. In fact, I don't even know if that's really the reason why my tank gave up on coralline. But I (happily) could not grow it for the life of me.

Your mileage may vary.

Sk8r · 02/10/2016, 10:23 PM

I've always had asterinas and cannot stop the coralline from taking over. But linckias feed predominantly on film and rock scum, which is why they're real hard to keep...never heard of them eating anything but. I kind of wonder if something changed in the tank as both did in the linckia AND the coralline...sometimes cause and effect is real hard to pin down when things go weird in a tank.

TimeConsumer · 02/11/2016, 08:33 AM

There have been hobbyist reports of them eating Asterinas. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1745175

Never saw mine do it though. And you could very well be right. It's more of a hunch than anything.

kcinnick · 02/11/2016, 08:42 AM

The only place I ever had trouble growing coralline was fresh base rock... glass, plastic, live rock that was sparsely covered, shells, dead coral, power heads, PVC, you name it. For some reason it would never grow on my mined florida base rock...

thelawnwrangler · 02/11/2016, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcinnick

The only place I ever had trouble growing coralline was fresh base rock... glass, plastic, live rock that was sparsely covered, shells, dead coral, power heads, PVC, you name it. For some reason it would never grow on my mined florida base rock...

lol my Snail has a sweet purple covering- base rock = green

MidTnMike41 · 02/11/2016, 09:14 AM

I have coralline algae growing all over my rock work but not a single spot on the glass. I want to at least grow on the back glass but no such luck yet. The tank is almost a year old. I dont plan on doing anything about it, I am positive it will take over in time. Just an interesting observation. I did find that it only start appearing after I really got my 2-part dosing dialed in and very stable. I keep my Mg 1350, Ca 420, and Alk 9.

02/08/2016, 12:10 PM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	About coralline: the purple stuff...an FYI. Coralline is a red algae that shows as purple: it binds calcium, and covers rock in a purple coat that many hobbyists find quite pretty. And it does limit where pest algae can grow. It seems to start out as a dark red velvety coat and then starts laying down the calcium-shelled purple/pink stuff right amid it. Do you want coralline? here's how. First, obtain some live coralline. A single tiny spot on one rock will do. You can also buy it ground up in a bottle. But if you have a single spot on a rock that's all you need for a starter. Second, set your parameters as follows: magnesium 1350; alkalinity 8.3; calcium 420. Dose in that order. Test between doses, because getting them there is gradual and you should wait 8 hours before testing: takes time to dissolve and all that. Dose the mg up all the way to 1350, (may take several days) then start raising the alk, THEN start raising the cal. I use Salifert tests, which give you numbers for those things, not colors. Once you've got them there, keep them there with dosing. I use Kent Tech-M, Kent DKH Buffer, and Kent Turbo Calcium for the 3 doses. Whatever gets it to that reading. Your fish and corals will love it. If you have clams or stony coral that sucks up calcium like mad, you may consider adding lime powder (kalk) to your topoff reservoir. But generally a new tank can do this by hand-dosing. Note that some reef salt mixes may come in with mg higher than 1350 and alk a little higher than 8.3. This is ok. But the ratio I gave you is a good balanced relationship that will not be extreme in anything and will work well. Now---just think positive coralline thoughts and get a good glass scraper. I am very fond of the Tunze Care Magnet cleaner, which cleans glass or acrylic (2 different blades) with a fierce magnet and yet avoids picking up sand grains which can scratch glass and particularly acrylic, nastily. Old hands smile a bit when somebody says "Will this [urchin, asterina, snail, crab, etc] eat my coralline?" The answer is---you could only wish. Just keep that chemical balance I've outlined above and keep that algae scraper handy. Seriously. If you have an acrylic tank do not let any tiny pink dot stay on your tank wall AT ALL. Scrape it off. Coralline loves growing on glass/acrylic. It even prefers it to rock. Just keep scraping. The bits will reach the rocks and more and more will grow. It can get so thick on the rock it looks as if somebody dripped purple ice cream on your rocks. When it's actively growing you'll see a scalloped edge of paler color around the edge of the growth. Will it suck up calcium? Oh, yes. Just do those tests and keep that balance up. Do keep your tank temperature under 84 degrees. If it hits 85 under strong lights and stays there, your coralline will bleach white as snow, and take a long time to recover. Keep the balance. Purple is in your future. Just don't let it grow on the glass. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%. Last edited by Sk8r; 02/08/2016 at 01:01 PM.

02/08/2016, 12:18 PM	#2
thelawnwrangler Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 863	Good read thanks for this I have to start testing mg, alk and Calcium Last edited by thelawnwrangler; 02/08/2016 at 12:45 PM.

02/09/2016, 07:13 PM	#4
Indymann99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 2,447	After about 4 yrs of battling to keep the back and side walls clean, I gave up scraping the back and sides of my in-wall.... For all those wishing for Coralline... be careful what you wish for... __________________ 120g DT 100lbs LR / 200 lbs LS, 45g fuge, VectraM1 Return, Herbie drain, 4x RW-8, 2x AI Hydra 26 w AWM, ASM G2, Apex controller, Apex BoB w floats ATO

02/10/2016, 04:46 PM	#9
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	" magnesium 1350; alkalinity 8.3; calcium 420. Dose in that order. Test between doses, because getting them there is gradual and you should wait 8 hours before testing: takes time to dissolve and all that. Dose the mg up all the way to 1350, (may take several days) then start raising the alk, THEN start raising the cal." __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/10/2016, 07:12 PM	#10
TimeConsumer Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, La Posts: 1,919	My 75g grew coralline for 2 years. Then my linkia died and therefore stopped eating my asterinas. Then my asterinas made sure to never allow any coralline to survive in my tank again. FWIW I ran almost the exact same parameters as what Sk8r listed. I'm not saying asterinas will eat all the coralline in your tank, there are many species. In fact, I don't even know if that's really the reason why my tank gave up on coralline. But I (happily) could not grow it for the life of me. Your mileage may vary. __________________ Steve - Retired from reefing, for now.

02/09/2016, 06:02 PM	#3
T Haynes Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 279	My alk is about 8.6-8.9 big deal?

02/10/2016, 09:15 AM	#6
kmcochran0010 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 70	Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

02/10/2016, 10:23 PM	#11
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I've always had asterinas and cannot stop the coralline from taking over. But linckias feed predominantly on film and rock scum, which is why they're real hard to keep...never heard of them eating anything but. I kind of wonder if something changed in the tank as both did in the linckia AND the coralline...sometimes cause and effect is real hard to pin down when things go weird in a tank. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/11/2016, 08:33 AM	#12
TimeConsumer Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, La Posts: 1,919	There have been hobbyist reports of them eating Asterinas. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1745175 Never saw mine do it though. And you could very well be right. It's more of a hunch than anything. __________________ Steve - Retired from reefing, for now.

02/11/2016, 08:42 AM	#13
kcinnick Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 200	The only place I ever had trouble growing coralline was fresh base rock... glass, plastic, live rock that was sparsely covered, shells, dead coral, power heads, PVC, you name it. For some reason it would never grow on my mined florida base rock...

02/11/2016, 09:14 AM	#15
MidTnMike41 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 69	I have coralline algae growing all over my rock work but not a single spot on the glass. I want to at least grow on the back glass but no such luck yet. The tank is almost a year old. I dont plan on doing anything about it, I am positive it will take over in time. Just an interesting observation. I did find that it only start appearing after I really got my 2-part dosing dialed in and very stable. I keep my Mg 1350, Ca 420, and Alk 9. __________________ 90 Gallon corner flow, Synergy 34 sump, Vertex Omega 150, Jeabra DC return pump, Apex,s,2 AI Hydra 26's, Cobalt 250W Heater, WAV Powerheads, DOS, BRS dual reactor. Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon