How do you promote Coraline Algae?

[SnowboardKid26]

My experience is thst the darker purples and the peachy pink like lower light, the lavander and lighter purples like higher light, and the blood red and yellow, the more the better. The whole top of my reef is COVERED in yellow and blood red, and it fades down into the other colors the further away from my lights you get.
I have a 45g that is 24" tall and I run 400w 20K halide, 96 and 55w PC actinic 03, and a 55w PC 10K

[Maldivan]

I know this probably doesnt mean a thing BUT... I had my 1st SW tank ( 55 gal ) for over 9 months and I never had 1 spot of corraline algae on anything. I upgraded to my 100 gal and switched salts and withen 1 month I had pink/ dark green corraline all over the place. Im sure it had nothing to do with it but I was very pleased that it finnaly started growing! I also drip a gallon of kalk a day. Just started adding Coral-Vite becuase iom trying to get my frags to grow.Im sure that it wont help but Ill try it and see.

[Ti]

I get dark blood red coraline in the dark areas of my tank.

[Navyblue]

Originally posted by Ti
I get dark blood red coraline in the dark areas of my tank.

Same here, and slow growing.

Light purple tend to grow on top, grow much faster.

Bright red grow preety fast too.

[premmas]

Hi there,

Just use limewater (kalkwasser) and plenty of light. Coraline algae will start flourishing if you've got some living rock.

Aditions of magnesium (MgCl2.6HO2) and strontium will boost them.

Pablo.

[reevs]

Limewater absolutely and experience here: remove macroalgae and found the coraline grow up faster.....

[GenWhoop]

Still am having no luck. Stopped trying since before November due to the holidays.
Now I have more time and will try again.

Wish me luck,

Genwhoop

P.S. I purchased an Alienware pc just o play Half-Life 2!
This game rocks! (PC)

[cristhiam]

Hey premmas how much lime are you using per gallon? I just stared dosing lime water at 1/2 teaspon per gallon.

[premmas]

I just pour as much limewater to may tank as evaporation permits. In my case that's about 1 gallon per day in winter and twice this amount in summer.

Be sure the limewater you add to the tank is a saturated solution of calcium hidroxide, and never aereate it because contact with CO2 will turn limewater into calcium carbonate which can not dissolve in water and therefore isn't useful in your tank

Good luck

[cristhiam]

Thanks premmas, that's what I'm doing right now but when you mix the lime with water how much are you using? I'm using only 1/2 teaspoon for now should I add some more? calcium is at 380 - 400 alk, 3.5 - 4.5 I'd like to go up in calcium. I just started adding lime water to the tank.

[dragon_slayer]

Originally posted by premmas
...................In my case that's about 1 gallon per day in winter and twice this amount in summer.

that's odd, while i've never visited Spain, here in the US you'll get more evaporation during the winter due to the lower relative humidity. in summer my 180g system looses 4-5 gallon per day, that jumps to near 7 on the cold dry days of winter. my tank temp remains a constant 82* year round even with winter allowing the inside temp to drop to low 60's.


kc

[dragon_slayer]

Originally posted by cristhiam
Thanks premmas, that's what I'm doing right now but when you mix the lime with water how much are you using? I'm using only 1/2 teaspoon for now should I add some more? calcium is at 380 - 400 alk, 3.5 - 4.5 I'd like to go up in calcium. I just started adding lime water to the tank.

you don't have to add enough to saturate the mixture (about 2 tablespoons per gallon) as long as your tank demands are low. if 1/2 tsp is working for you, keep with that.

kc

[crypto]

water changes seem to work the best for me. i prefer those to dosing since it replenishes everything.

[cristhiam]

It depends of what you are using I guess, I've been using IO and water changes every two weeks 5G and calcium is only 380, alk 3.5, I'll see what my values will be in a few weeks of using it.

[cokeandsmile]

Didnt read all the posts sorry if repeditive but whats worked for me is reef solution by the peeps that make eco refugs and i dose calk and run cal reactor but my system is about 300gals and im aqacultring about 80 types of corals so for growth i over do it but the additive makes my coraline go nuts .But as said parameters as cal,alk,ph have to be there or its a no go also if you have increased your lighting some dont like the bright light and will die back for those that do like the purples ,hope i helped.

[sparkey65]

keep alkalinity at 3.0 ph at 8.2or above and calcium at 400 to 420 and drip kalk.and your coroline will spread mh lighting is perfect for coraline algae 20k lighting seems to be the best for me anyway

[yellowbird]

I have read that coraline algae decreases the filtration capacity of live rock...which makes sense. Don

[Badkharma]

Use Oceanic salt.

[Shonuff]

Pretty much like others have said... Strontium & Magnesium. I suppliment both elements once a week during water top offs. Doing so I have been successful in getting noticable coraline growth within 1 month on several fresh tank startups. Granted the live rock used had some coraline present already, to seed the tank.

As with everything when you plan to introduce additives make sure to test for those additives current levels in the water before hand. I am totally againest adding chem's to any tank unless water tests show a deficincy, even when trying to stimulate activity.

[old95er]

Don't add anything until you measure. . .I stopped dosing b-ionic and everything else. . .water change once a month adds back the right nutrients. . . coraline and caulerpa just exploded two months ago, and the red slime dissappeared and the water clarity is incredible. This is at 10 months.

I do have a small tank(29) and a light bioload, 40 lbs LR, soft corals; however as I mentioned all the good nutrients are replaced by your salt water make up, so unless you have a huge bioload of corals that suck up the nutrients, you should be ok.

[northernreefer]

Hey dragon_slayer, I guess that you are the expert of this thread. I have not seen anyone suggesst pH nor the amount of organics in the water column. What and how do the corals look? What is used for filtration? Most importantly, what is the pH mearured by an electronic monitor throughtout the 24 hour cycle?

[dragon_slayer]

Originally posted by northernreefer
Hey dragon_slayer, I guess that you are the expert of this thread. I have not seen anyone suggesst pH nor the amount of organics in the water column.

with respect to coralline algae, it grows well in all 'normal' pH levels of the marine aquaria systems. if your tank has an overly high or low pH 99.99% of the time, the coralline growth is the least of your current worries.

as for organics in the water they arent as much a henderance on the growth as the other nusiances that they promote such as other unwanted algae growth.

What and how do the corals look?

i dont understand the question here.

What is used for filtration?

in my tank? only the natural biological filtration of the LR/LS and a skimmer.

Most importantly, what is the pH mearured by an electronic monitor throughtout the 24 hour cycle?

on my tank, it's 8.1ish before lights come on, and climbs to 8.35ish before the end of the photo cycle.

kc

[northernreefer]

I should have been more clear as far as level of organics and filtration. When discussing coralline algae, we need to look at the rate of calcification in the aquarium. Calcification has been found to reach its maximum at a pH of 8.35 with very low levels of phosphate, as phosphates actually deter the calcification process.

In regards to filtration, I should have been more specific in asking if any chemical filtration is used. I also follow the natural filtration methods, but supplement this method with the use of both a protein skimmer run part-time and a phosphate remover. The two brands that I prefer are Rowaphos and PhosBan. Be careful in using any phosphate remover on a reef aquarium as these products are very efficient and can cause rapid changes in both alkalinity, pH and nutrient levels in the aquarium. When these products first hit the market, I gave them the test and of course used too much and watched every species of xenia and anthelia in the aquarium literally melt within 2 days.



Kalkwasser is another great tool for maintaining high pH and low levels of phosphate. Of course, be careful not to over dose and to drip the settled solution very slowly. If planning on any of these methods, watch your alkalinity very closely (daily at first) as all of these can drastically lower the alkalinity in a very short time...

[clownlady]

I use Kents Coral Accel, Strontinum & Molybdenum, high water flow, Kents Iodine and Trace Elements, Bionic, lights stay on for 12 hours at least(blue/white) and I do not use Kalkwasser nor do I dose, I add per bottle instruction. I have had my 40 gallon tank up for a year only and have watched my Coraline Algae take off! I have about 50 punds of live rock at least and I have deep deep red colors, pink, light pink, light and dark purples. I have watched so many mushrooms(about 22 huge ones) pop out of my rock, soft corals and just almost everything you can imagine(even aiptasia..but the peppermints got them good!). I just started at this a year ago...so I'm not sure exactly what happened here, but it works for me...lol. I do however try to take very good care of my tank though.

By the way The Coral Accel and Strontinum, I add every four days.

[clownlady]

Sorry, but I forgot to mention I use CoraLife's Reef Stimulator.