Coralline Algae

DannyUFKC · 06/24/2006, 11:13 AM

What do I need to do to grow more coralline algae?? I already transferred a few rocks with coralline algae from my old tank and it has spread a little to the rocks in my new tank but only a few spots here and there. I have a 72g tank with ER protein skimmer in sump with chateo algae and 80lbs live sand 100lbs live rock. Tank is about 2 months old.

How do I accelerate the growth? I recently ordered the CaribSea Purple Up Coralline Algae Accelerator from marine depot but it has not arrived yet. Has anyone had any luck with this product or can anyone recommend anything else?

jerehmy · 06/24/2006, 11:28 AM

I use a Marc Wiess product called Coral Vital and it has coraline "enhancers" in it. I have seen LR added stard the coraline after only a few days, LR already with the coraline will help to spread.

-Make sure CA and ALK are stable

Good Luck

cbell · 06/24/2006, 11:32 AM

keep your calcium up
~420ppm ca

purple up seemed to work pretty good.

DannyUFKC · 06/24/2006, 12:00 PM

Thanks for the info. My calcium is usually around 400ppm-420ppm.
I was thinking about buying that coral vitale product but didn't. I might look into that.

epon · 06/24/2006, 12:15 PM

stable tank parameters, high nutrients and calcium levels and low intensity lighting

exacta123 · 06/24/2006, 12:47 PM

dosing daily with B-ionic works well for me

Avast Marine · 06/24/2006, 01:25 PM

Calcium and try increasing your blue spectum lighting for a while. IPSF also sells culture plates of some top notch coraline.

DannyUFKC · 06/24/2006, 01:51 PM

IPSF???

fsa · 06/24/2006, 01:59 PM

www.ipsf.com

sinder255248 · 06/24/2006, 03:00 PM

Purple up is supposed to do the trick although I've never used it. I just keep my parameters up. I did notice however that it started to grow on the glass at first which I didn't like, so I began scraping it, after the first scraping it started to pop up all over the place. Don't know if the scraping spread the stuff.

cbell · 06/24/2006, 03:11 PM

i think the light intensitity has more to do with the color of the coraline.

spmedi · 06/24/2006, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cbell29
i think the light intensitity has more to do with the color of the coraline.

Sorry. Newbie here too. Can you explain this a little more?
More intensity = , less = , etc.

55semireef · 06/24/2006, 07:00 PM

coraline grows rapidly under lower lighting

crustin · 06/24/2006, 07:22 PM

patience, i will become a nuisance algea

IslandCrow · 06/24/2006, 07:39 PM

Even with moderate levels of calcium and alkalinity, if you have a good base of coraline, you should have it all over the place in no time. It took about 4 months for it to really take off in my tank, but once it did, it grew like crazy. At the time, my calcium was never higher than 350, my alkalinity generally hung between 2.5-3.0, and I had 96 watts of PC lighting. I, personally, would shy away from things like purple-up. It probably works, but I've adopted one of the popular mottos around here: "If you don't test for it, don't put it in your tank." I'm not even sure what's in the stuff.

55semireef · 06/24/2006, 10:12 PM

Yeah don't use chemicles to try and make your tank look awsome. when I first started this hobby i was obsessed with Coraline but as your tank ages its not that big of a deal.

Avast Marine · 06/24/2006, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cbell29
i think the light intensitity has more to do with the color of the coraline.

There are many colors of coraline, purple, pink, white etc. The spectrum of the light and the intensity are what determines growth (and nutrients). Some people recommend running nothing but the actinic for the first week of a setup to really boost the coraline.

55semireef · 06/24/2006, 10:54 PM

What kind of conditions do you have to have to have a bright pink. When I bought a rock that was covered in bright pink, it all turned white but all my other purple coraline is doing fine. Any ideas?

littlemannin · 06/25/2006, 06:21 AM

You can scrape the stuff you have and let it spread through the tank. I did this and man is my tank purple.I have found that a proper kH level helps a lot. I keep mine between 9 and 11 using Kent superbuffer-dKH

PatMayo · 06/25/2006, 03:36 PM

I have found that keeping the alk, calk, magnesium and ph at the proper levels are key to making coralline grow. I have added zero additives to my tank and I have coralline out the gazoo. I have also found that low nutrients helps the coralline grow. When you have bad algae on your glass and plastic pieces the coralline will not grow. Typically low nutrients will prevent pest algae from growing.

You can see my tank here and see how the coralline has grown. It took a good 3 months before the coralline started real well.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=7

I hope my experience helps you.

Regards,

Pat

DannyUFKC · 06/25/2006, 08:03 PM

Thanks for all the info on this. If I look real careful I've already started to see spots of coralline here and there.
The thing is that on my first saltwater tank I had, I ordered TBS rock and the coralline algae flourished in like 2 weeks. I moved most of that rock to my new tank but this tank mostly has Haitian Rock from the LFS and it didn't take off like the TBS tank I had.
I guess I got spoiled on my first saltwater tank. That rock just brings so much life including coralline.

06/24/2006, 11:13 AM	#1
DannyUFKC Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 96	Coralline Algae What do I need to do to grow more coralline algae?? I already transferred a few rocks with coralline algae from my old tank and it has spread a little to the rocks in my new tank but only a few spots here and there. I have a 72g tank with ER protein skimmer in sump with chateo algae and 80lbs live sand 100lbs live rock. Tank is about 2 months old. How do I accelerate the growth? I recently ordered the CaribSea Purple Up Coralline Algae Accelerator from marine depot but it has not arrived yet. Has anyone had any luck with this product or can anyone recommend anything else?

06/24/2006, 11:28 AM	#2
jerehmy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: san diego Posts: 511	I use a Marc Wiess product called Coral Vital and it has coraline "enhancers" in it. I have seen LR added stard the coraline after only a few days, LR already with the coraline will help to spread. -Make sure CA and ALK are stable Good Luck __________________ Fish are the best medecine for body and mind Current Tank Info: 55g, 40g, 29gx2, 60g, 10g African Cichlids (Breeders) 40g SW Reef with a 20g sump/refugium 75lbs prime LR Mag 9.5 SCWD and Remora skimmer, 2x96w PC's

06/24/2006, 01:25 PM	#7
Avast Marine RC Sponsor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern VA Posts: 2,446	Calcium and try increasing your blue spectum lighting for a while. IPSF also sells culture plates of some top notch coraline. __________________ Dan Don't rush art, you get bad art.

06/24/2006, 03:00 PM	#10
sinder255248 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: England Posts: 77	Purple up is supposed to do the trick although I've never used it. I just keep my parameters up. I did notice however that it started to grow on the glass at first which I didn't like, so I began scraping it, after the first scraping it started to pop up all over the place. Don't know if the scraping spread the stuff. __________________ 72g Bowfront, 2 x 150w 10k MH and 110w Actinic, Berlin XL Skimmer, 40kg LR, DSB, 2 x Maxi-Jet 900 and 1 x Seio 620, Fluval 300 canister.

06/24/2006, 07:22 PM	#14
crustin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: ga. Posts: 470	patience, i will become a nuisance algea __________________ never give up Current Tank Info: 90g semi- reef

06/24/2006, 11:32 AM	#3
cbell Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: miamisburg, ohio Posts: 73	keep your calcium up ~420ppm ca purple up seemed to work pretty good.

06/24/2006, 12:00 PM	#4
DannyUFKC Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 96	Thanks for the info. My calcium is usually around 400ppm-420ppm. I was thinking about buying that coral vitale product but didn't. I might look into that.

06/24/2006, 12:15 PM	#5
epon Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: High Desert, Az. Posts: 2,146	stable tank parameters, high nutrients and calcium levels and low intensity lighting

06/24/2006, 12:47 PM	#6
exacta123 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 352	dosing daily with B-ionic works well for me

06/24/2006, 01:51 PM	#8
DannyUFKC Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 96	IPSF???

06/24/2006, 01:59 PM	#9
fsa Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Northern Arizona Posts: 412	www.ipsf.com

06/24/2006, 03:11 PM	#11
cbell Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: miamisburg, ohio Posts: 73	i think the light intensitity has more to do with the color of the coraline.

06/24/2006, 07:00 PM	#13
55semireef Moved On Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 5,322	coraline grows rapidly under lower lighting

06/24/2006, 07:39 PM	#15
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	Even with moderate levels of calcium and alkalinity, if you have a good base of coraline, you should have it all over the place in no time. It took about 4 months for it to really take off in my tank, but once it did, it grew like crazy. At the time, my calcium was never higher than 350, my alkalinity generally hung between 2.5-3.0, and I had 96 watts of PC lighting. I, personally, would shy away from things like purple-up. It probably works, but I've adopted one of the popular mottos around here: "If you don't test for it, don't put it in your tank." I'm not even sure what's in the stuff. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?

06/24/2006, 10:12 PM	#16
55semireef Moved On Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 5,322	Yeah don't use chemicles to try and make your tank look awsome. when I first started this hobby i was obsessed with Coraline but as your tank ages its not that big of a deal.

06/24/2006, 10:54 PM	#18
55semireef Moved On Join Date: May 2006 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 5,322	What kind of conditions do you have to have to have a bright pink. When I bought a rock that was covered in bright pink, it all turned white but all my other purple coraline is doing fine. Any ideas?

06/25/2006, 06:21 AM	#19
littlemannin Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Maine Posts: 276	You can scrape the stuff you have and let it spread through the tank. I did this and man is my tank purple.I have found that a proper kH level helps a lot. I keep mine between 9 and 11 using Kent superbuffer-dKH

06/25/2006, 03:36 PM	#20
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	I have found that keeping the alk, calk, magnesium and ph at the proper levels are key to making coralline grow. I have added zero additives to my tank and I have coralline out the gazoo. I have also found that low nutrients helps the coralline grow. When you have bad algae on your glass and plastic pieces the coralline will not grow. Typically low nutrients will prevent pest algae from growing. You can see my tank here and see how the coralline has grown. It took a good 3 months before the coralline started real well. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=7 I hope my experience helps you. 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

06/25/2006, 08:03 PM	#21
DannyUFKC Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 96	Thanks for all the info on this. If I look real careful I've already started to see spots of coralline here and there. The thing is that on my first saltwater tank I had, I ordered TBS rock and the coralline algae flourished in like 2 weeks. I moved most of that rock to my new tank but this tank mostly has Haitian Rock from the LFS and it didn't take off like the TBS tank I had. I guess I got spoiled on my first saltwater tank. That rock just brings so much life including coralline.