Coraline Growth Question

mdisalvo55 · 05/11/2006, 06:47 PM

After 5 months my tank has started to grow some coraline...the most is on the plastic parts (powerheads, overflow box) but there are a couple little spots on the glass. My question is, how long does it take for it to spread once it has started?

alexk3954 · 05/11/2006, 06:57 PM

I have heard that you can scrape it off of the glass and other plastic things and let the flakes float around it your tank, this should help start up growth on the rocks. Might want to get another opinion before you actually do this, as I am new to the hobby.

Mike 1911A1 · 05/11/2006, 07:01 PM

I too have noticed that my coraline has started primarily on the plastic parts in the tank. It's also growing well on the rocks. But only a little on the glass.

Mike

Paintbug · 05/11/2006, 07:31 PM

if your calcium, alkalinity, and Magnesium are all up then it doesnt take very long for it to spread. the piece of coralline that is pictured in my avatar was about the size of a nickel when i took the pic, now its bigger than a 1/2 dollar. its only been about 1 month. once you start seeing it on the glass, it wont take any time until you will be complaining about having to scrape it off every other day

PS its coralline not coraline.

yeame · 05/11/2006, 08:23 PM

coralline not all that good! In my tank it over took all the rock and the glass I use 150 pounds in my 75g as most of my filter with the power heads blowing on it when coralline covers all the rock it covers the holes in the rock stopping most of the filtering in the rock

bjonesjr1 · 05/11/2006, 08:27 PM

scraping it off the glass, and all your pumps, and things is a good idea. I also have a sea urchin in my tank, and give him some credit as he spreads the stuff around also.

Here is a picture of one of my rocks:

Cprowler · 05/11/2006, 08:44 PM

I just set up my tank 5 months ago and used Purple Up and kept my calcium, alkalinity, and Magnesium all up and think it's grown ok.

Jan

And today

bjonesjr1 · 05/11/2006, 08:47 PM

very nice pictures & tank Cprowler..., by the way go redsocks tonight

Cprowler · 05/11/2006, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bjonesjr1
very nice pictures & tank Cprowler..., by the way go redsocks tonight

Thank you and I'm not sure I follow the second part of that.

bjonesjr1 · 05/11/2006, 08:57 PM

redsocks, yankee's game is on right now 4-3 redsocks up bottom of the ninth. don't you follow baseball

Cprowler · 05/11/2006, 09:16 PM

Ok, I wasn't quite sure what you were talking about.

I've seen games in;

Seattle (Kingdome & Safeco)
Minnesota
Cleveland
Chicago (Cubs)
Detroit (Old Tiger Stadium)
Toronto
New York (Yankee's)

and have a California trip booked for next may.

bjonesjr1 · 05/11/2006, 09:35 PM

nice, I'm from seattle mariners are my favorite team. But were getting alittle of topic on this thread. I do like your aquascaping in your tank, has that been like that way since you set up ??? How much LR do you have?

NCreefwannabe · 05/11/2006, 11:14 PM

boooo to baseball lol.. sorry but never did like it, even though I played it for 4 years in school.

I started to get coraline on my rocks after 2 months. Its not gottin to any plastic yet, but from what ive read it usally grows there the most. I have a purple sheet covering one of my rocks and I have neon greens, pink, yellow and deep red in a few spots. The red looks the best, but its only in 2 spots on the rock.

Cprowler · 05/11/2006, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bjonesjr1
nice, I'm from seattle mariners are my favorite team. But were getting alittle of topic on this thread. I do like your aquascaping in your tank, has that been like that way since you set up ??? How much LR do you have?

Yeah I think we are hijacking this thread. You can see all my tank info on my thread, check it out. I just checked out yours, nice.

See you there.

mdisalvo55 · 05/12/2006, 12:20 AM

Hijackers...

Alaskan Reefer · 05/12/2006, 11:51 PM

Here's a progression. Tank started 1/15/06...

3/16...

4/23...

5/12...

It grows on plastic or other porous surfaces best. Live rock can be slower unless you constantly keep it cleaned with a turkey baster or powerhead -- detritus (or any phosphate accumulation of any type) will inhibit growth. It grows first on glass in the highest flow areas -- point a powerhead at your glass and give it a few weeks. My only supplementation on this tank is kalkwasser, and maintaining good CA/ALK parameters (in addition to a lack of phosphate) is key. An urchin REALLY helps spread the stuff -- while it eats coraline it sends spores everywhere.

And be careful what you wish for, I hate the stuff because it's such a PITA to keep off even the front glass alone.

PatMayo · 05/13/2006, 10:20 AM

This was taken several months ago. Notice no coralline.

This was taken last week. You can clearly see the coralline is really taking over.
I keep the calcium right around 425 430, alkalinity about 3.2 meq/l and the magnesium right at 1300 or so.

Here is another view of the drain tower. You can't see any of the black color of the plastic any more. The tank has been up for 110 days now.

Good water parameters is all you need to have this stuff grow like mad. Lots of bad algae and high nutrients and it's difficult to grow.

Regards,

Pat

DitchPlains2 · 05/13/2006, 10:29 AM

If you truly want coraline growth get and urchin or emerald crabs, they eat it like its going out of style but in the process spread it like wildfire. I have it growing everywhere, snails, crab shells, pumps, glass, overflow, and you can tell when you place a bare rock from your cryptic sump thats pure white and it days its purple spotted.

cheers
David

05/11/2006, 06:47 PM	#1
mdisalvo55 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 764	Coraline Growth Question After 5 months my tank has started to grow some coraline...the most is on the plastic parts (powerheads, overflow box) but there are a couple little spots on the glass. My question is, how long does it take for it to spread once it has started?

05/11/2006, 07:31 PM	#4
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	if your calcium, alkalinity, and Magnesium are all up then it doesnt take very long for it to spread. the piece of coralline that is pictured in my avatar was about the size of a nickel when i took the pic, now its bigger than a 1/2 dollar. its only been about 1 month. once you start seeing it on the glass, it wont take any time until you will be complaining about having to scrape it off every other day PS its coralline not coraline. __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

05/11/2006, 08:27 PM	#6
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	scraping it off the glass, and all your pumps, and things is a good idea. I also have a sea urchin in my tank, and give him some credit as he spreads the stuff around also. Here is a picture of one of my rocks: __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

05/11/2006, 08:47 PM	#8
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	very nice pictures & tank Cprowler..., by the way go redsocks tonight __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

05/11/2006, 08:57 PM	#10
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	redsocks, yankee's game is on right now 4-3 redsocks up bottom of the ninth. don't you follow baseball __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

05/11/2006, 06:57 PM	#2
alexk3954 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 374	I have heard that you can scrape it off of the glass and other plastic things and let the flakes float around it your tank, this should help start up growth on the rocks. Might want to get another opinion before you actually do this, as I am new to the hobby.

05/11/2006, 07:01 PM	#3
Mike 1911A1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: North Carolina Posts: 324	I too have noticed that my coraline has started primarily on the plastic parts in the tank. It's also growing well on the rocks. But only a little on the glass. Mike

05/11/2006, 08:23 PM	#5
yeame Moved On Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: maine Posts: 488	coralline not all that good! In my tank it over took all the rock and the glass I use 150 pounds in my 75g as most of my filter with the power heads blowing on it when coralline covers all the rock it covers the holes in the rock stopping most of the filtering in the rock

05/11/2006, 08:44 PM	#7
Cprowler Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,758	I just set up my tank 5 months ago and used Purple Up and kept my calcium, alkalinity, and Magnesium all up and think it's grown ok. Jan And today

05/11/2006, 09:16 PM	#11
Cprowler Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,758	Ok, I wasn't quite sure what you were talking about. I've seen games in; Seattle (Kingdome & Safeco) Minnesota Cleveland Chicago (Cubs) Detroit (Old Tiger Stadium) Toronto New York (Yankee's) and have a California trip booked for next may.

05/11/2006, 09:35 PM	#12
bjonesjr1 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Posts: 1,258	nice, I'm from seattle mariners are my favorite team. But were getting alittle of topic on this thread. I do like your aquascaping in your tank, has that been like that way since you set up ??? How much LR do you have? __________________ Bobby Current Tank Info: 75gal, LifeReef CLF1 Sump & SVS2-24 Skimmer

05/11/2006, 11:14 PM	#13
NCreefwannabe Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 953	boooo to baseball lol.. sorry but never did like it, even though I played it for 4 years in school. I started to get coraline on my rocks after 2 months. Its not gottin to any plastic yet, but from what ive read it usally grows there the most. I have a purple sheet covering one of my rocks and I have neon greens, pink, yellow and deep red in a few spots. The red looks the best, but its only in 2 spots on the rock.

05/12/2006, 12:20 AM	#15
mdisalvo55 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 764	Hijackers...

05/12/2006, 11:51 PM	#16
Alaskan Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Eagle River, Alaska Posts: 2,360	Here's a progression. Tank started 1/15/06... 3/16... 4/23... 5/12... It grows on plastic or other porous surfaces best. Live rock can be slower unless you constantly keep it cleaned with a turkey baster or powerhead -- detritus (or any phosphate accumulation of any type) will inhibit growth. It grows first on glass in the highest flow areas -- point a powerhead at your glass and give it a few weeks. My only supplementation on this tank is kalkwasser, and maintaining good CA/ALK parameters (in addition to a lack of phosphate) is key. An urchin REALLY helps spread the stuff -- while it eats coraline it sends spores everywhere. And be careful what you wish for, I hate the stuff because it's such a PITA to keep off even the front glass alone. __________________ Unattended children will be given double shot espresso and a free puppy. Current Tank Info: 125g FOWLR -- Conversion Back To SPS In Progress

05/13/2006, 10:20 AM	#17
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	Before and After Corolline This was taken several months ago. Notice no coralline. This was taken last week. You can clearly see the coralline is really taking over. I keep the calcium right around 425 430, alkalinity about 3.2 meq/l and the magnesium right at 1300 or so. Here is another view of the drain tower. You can't see any of the black color of the plastic any more. The tank has been up for 110 days now. Good water parameters is all you need to have this stuff grow like mad. Lots of bad algae and high nutrients and it's difficult to grow. Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

05/13/2006, 10:29 AM	#18
DitchPlains2 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: DIRTY JERZ Posts: 586	get an urchin If you truly want coraline growth get and urchin or emerald crabs, they eat it like its going out of style but in the process spread it like wildfire. I have it growing everywhere, snails, crab shells, pumps, glass, overflow, and you can tell when you place a bare rock from your cryptic sump thats pure white and it days its purple spotted. cheers David