Unique Coralline Colors - How to Keep? Possible?

[MiddletonMark]

Hi

I got a couple of pieces of incredible Tonga branch rock this weekend at a LFS - bought mainly for the amazing coralline colors on them.

There's a bright orange/flourescent somewhat under actinic, a green [pukey green] color, a peach color, a very light pink kind ... maybe a few colors left out.

Spectacular colors [will add photo when my digicam batteries are charged up]. Presently my purple/pink coralline is going great in my tank, added these to hope that I can keep a couple of them and have them spread.

Do I have a chance? What kind of lighting would colors like this prefer? Any idea where on the reef they'd come from [shallow, deep, high/low flow ...]

Would some of these colors come from deep-water and need more darkness or just actinic? Lots of light?

Presently my ph is 8.1, temp 80, Alk 4.5-5 meg/l, Ca is 465ppm, Nitrates about 2 or 3 ppm ... everything testing great [Alk a bit high, Ca slightly high]. Lots of flow, healthy corals, all in a 58g under 175w MH and 110w Actinic.

I'm providing them all with lots of flow, my present purple/pink/deep blood red all seem to like the higher-light areas of my tank, though the purples are growing everywhere and have noticeable growth [3.5 months established tank, about 70# or pre-cured LR, with this just added, maybe 1# slightly more]

Anyway, if you could give me any advice, I'd really appreciate it. Want to make these colors thrive so I can spread the around. They're so awesome, I'd love to get them going .... get some on
my fragging rocks so I can send them to others w/ frags ... would
be a sweet suprise :)

Thanks!
mark

[R33f3r]

I posted a simliar question. I had bought 90# of kaelini which is deeper water tonga. The colors were pink, gold, orange, mint green, and turquois. I has never seen the colors of coralline before. I added my 6 T5's lights and within a week they all changed color. Now they are purple, green, deep red, and orange. I don't think we can keep the same colors that the rock is shipped, since the lighting where this rock is collected is less intense than our lights. Maybe I am wrong, but I haven't seen anyone's tank with deep water tonga rock still with the original coralline colors.

I have 2 actinics, 2 suns, and 1 blue + and 1 aqua blue.

[AgentSPS]

I have found that most coralline algae does not like intense lighting. I too purchased killer rock with awesome coralline. It looked like someone dumped a bucket of purple paint over the rock. The only parts of the rock which still show good coralline coloring is the shaded parts or undersides. I have found that since I have started using Salifert's Coralline amino acid stuff I have seen a big boost in coralline growth.

But in general I would say that the most awesome live rock displays I have seen were in tanks with lower wattage halides or VHOs.

[MiddletonMark]

Awesome, thank you both for your suggestions.

Glad I might be able to keep the orange stuff, it's really amazing day-glo colored under actinic.

And as I do have 175w MH and coralline on the top of my rocks, maybe I'll get lucky and keep some of these colors. Will also place a branch or two down in a very shaded part as possibly just actinic light might mean keeping more of these colors.

Hopefully the small pieces that were flaked off that I crushed up and distributed in all parts of the tank might find a place they like ... though as they're competing against the fast-expanding purple color and in more shaded spots ... they might not grow as fast. Figured there was a reason why I didn't see them all over - just hope to be the one to break the trend.

[rleechb]

from what i've heard, those colors that you get are a "deepwater" coralline. They eventually fade and you're left with purples and pinks and greens. I had some really nice kaelini and fiji that had all sorts of crazy colors. All gone in 2 weeks.

[justgettinstarted]

the only orange that survived on my rock was on the undersides of the rock where it was much darker... still have a few orange patches... but has not grown for a damn!

my rock is Tonga Ridge (deep water)

[MiddletonMark]

So the more people tell their own stories, the more I think to put this rock down low, almost out of all light to try to keep the colors.

It's really valuable having folks tell me their stories, thank you all!

I don't know if I can somehow avoid losing it, but now I have things to try. As it is deep-water coralline, I'm betting it doesn't grow at the crazy rate the purple/pink high-light varieties do - which probably doesn't help things.

I guess my face will be placed against the glass the next week or two until it probably fades ... that and my camera lens placed against the glass too!

Maybe throw a piece in my sump, it might keep a little color in that very-low light place?

More stories from folks? I'd be glad to hear them ....

[justgettinstarted]

mine even survived on pieces that where burried in the sand... the orange did at least... it was under the sand for 2 months? LOL

[JHardman]

Here is something I can share...

I got some MI LR around the beginning of the year. The box had been abused at some point during shipping and I had a fair amount of rubble. Placed all the small rubble in a old IO bucket, placed the lid on it and put it outside (heavy smell) and intended to deal with it the next day (took delivery 11pm at the airport).

Anyway I forgot the rubble bucket. So this rubble sat in the closed IO bucket outside in the heat (80-95) for several weeks before I remembered...

Here is a picture of the rock fresh out of the bucket.

The picture is not the best, but the LR had all kinds of nice colors, ranging from light pastels to deep purples and maroons. Within a week under "daylight" VHO lights all of the coralline was bleached. None of it has come back.

Now the LR from that same order which also included a fair amount of kaleni has retained the vast majority and diversity of it's coralline under 2x150w DE MH lights. The dark colors are on the tops of the rocks and the lighter pastels are on the faces (less direct light).

So take what you will from the my experiences...

[R33f3r]

Mine looked exactly like yours, except in 3 weeks it faded and changed into the usual purple, red, and green. The pink and golds were gone in 3 days under my lights.

I remember I left a few pieces in a bucket myself. I just check them and they STILL had the pink, gold and turquois colors. Go figure. This rock loves darkness.

[MiddletonMark]

Well, I already have a few pieces in my sump ... into the sump it goes! [at least the best colored piece or two]

At least it's nice shaped .... and I don't have any green coralline ... so maybe I'll get a new color there.

[MiddletonMark]

double post, oops!

[R33f3r]

You'll have those exotic colors until you turn on your halides and then ADIOS!

[Whisperer]

IME the orange coralline is due to low-intensity lighting. I had a rock with pink coralline turned orange when positioned upside down but it reverted back to pink when repositioned. I have pink, green, and maroon which is my favorite but it spreads too slowly.

[^CelticReefer^]

Most of the rock I have was purchased just after curing. Around 120 Lbs. Covered in life. I won't go into the list, though it is impresive . I still have a good amount of color left on them. I think alot of people ( Not neccesarely you ) Buy live rock from the stores thinking that those orange patches, and green patches scattered across the rock, along with pink, blue ect.... are different color coraline. When what your looking at is a type of sponge, the tech. name is not coming to me at the moment, The colors do not stay long with direct light, but it thrives in the shade,like a sponge. Not the common white single stalk, or white intertwining sponge. It lays flat , and is thin. I keep a couple examples of this on my web page, which is under a bit of constuction right now, I don't remember if that page is linked to my main at the moment. But IMO it is a common made mistake.
Though I have seen orangish shades of corraline in other peoples systems. And it soes do better in lower light situations.
Also, IMO halides and more powerfull bulbs (of course depening on tank depth ect...) stunts coralline growth. I have had the best exp. with coralline under PC's, good water flow, and watching your Ca levels. I just stick with a buffer. My halides went and my reef looks better I think with the Pcs, and acintic. My coralline groth went up a noticable difference once the Halides were removed. And since My tank is mostly softies, I don't think the halides are neccesary. For me. Plus it has been AWESOME not having to worry about tank temp due to the MH.
Like I said JMO,
Brian

[MiddletonMark]

I appreciate your opinion and value it. A lot of the color on all the rocks I've gotten has disappeared - though a lot of it came back over time. Similar to what happens when I cleaned my skimmer pump ... the next few days the coralline seemed gone ... only to be quickly re-colonized in fairly short order. Seems like the `history' of coralline on something gives it the chance to re-grow.

I'm sure a few of the colors I've seen on rock aren't coralline ... but given the stony nature of this stuff, it's high similarity to other calcerous coralline I have in my tank ... I'd be suprised if it's not.

If it's a sponge ... all the better. I have pink, tan, and white sponges thriving in my tank now. Given the varied placing of the small pieces I got, I'm sure some will survive if it's not coralline.
But at least 80% of what this is is coralline in every manner I know - but maybe I'm incorrect.

Suprisingly, my 175w MH seems to be good with coralline. At least the pink-purple stuff seems to like it. Have some darker purple more calcerous stuff that likes the low light areas and underneath rocks ... and some deep red stuff that I'm not sure what it likes ... some in higher light areas of the MH and some in the darker areas.

Either way, my Alk and Ca are juiced right now, so maybe I'll get lucky. If not I have one great branching piece and some small pieces that at worst will have interesting coral growth on. Polyps, GSP, Xenia will all look nice on a branch sticking out of my reef structure, IMO.

Thank you everyone for your experiences and ideas. Even those contradicting what I want to happen or want to think are valued. Cross your fingers for me, and I'll be sure to share if it goes well ...

[hwynboy]

Mark, where did you get the pieces from? also if you have no room in your tank I am getting real close to borrowing some sand from you and I could use a few nice pieces of LR too...:D
Good luck and let me know what happens with that.

Rich

[justgettinstarted]

just a side note... and my own opinion...

But you get metal halides to grow corals... and if the corraline algea doesnt like it ooooo well... It grows like i weed in my tank.. but it is far from the most interesting thing in the tank to watch! lol... just my opinion..

I dunno... if someone wants to set up a coraline take.. so be it.. but that would kinda be like in the 70's when people had pet rocks.. and whats the fun in that...? haha