Coraline MIA

[prall]

This is not a troll; I need some real experts to help me out. I have an absolute absence of Coraline algae in my not-new sps tank. I don't use 'mature' bc it's an sps frag tank...with zero coraline. I have a dark
brown velvety algae on some rocks and some GHA in my AIO back compartment that seems to keep it out of the display portion.
The tank and internals- Cobalt 40 AIO, Hydor 5000 lph and 1800 lph (main head and bottom/back wall blower), two return pumps (one stock and one
upgrade), a Red Sea 2-head doser for my 2-part. Filter socks only 12 hours/day max, NO skimmer or reactor or anything else.
My water- pH of 8 +/- right from the tap before going through my RO/DI filter. I use Red Sea Pro, RS Foundation to reach sps levels of...
KH- 10.9-11 dkh (Hanna), Calcium 425-450 (Red Sea), and my neglected Mg dipped to around 1200 from 1360 4 days ago (also RS). I test KH 2x day, calcium
and mag 1-2x/week.
NO3- is between 5-7 ppm, PO3-4 is between 0.1 and 0.2 ppm (both are API tests, which aren't great).
Water changes- 15% every 6 days. I don't get any precipitation worth mentioning; I've got a couple old bumblebee snails encrusted with it and little specs on
the back wall. I don't test pH bc it's unrealistic that it would be below 8 as RS 2-part gives a nice bump to my RS pro salt, frequent water changes, etc.
Inhabitants- an OLD Snowflake Blenny (I got him wild caught, 3" long, six years ago), a Purple-Sided fairy Wrasse, snails and blue-legs
Food- I culture most of my own reef food - Phyto, Tigger pods, Tisbe pods, Brine shrimp. I also feed a small amount of minced table shrimp.
I think my issue is... I get no HELPFUL feedback here; none. I only get guffaws, interruptions, snide comments, and generalized disbelief... I THINK my problem is TOO MUCH LIGHT...
Lights- Two Kessil A360X and four 39watt T5 over a tank measuring 36" x 18" and 14" deep. PAR is around 1,000 at the water's surface compared to 500 at same level with same device at the LFS.
I have only seen specs of coraline on rocks in my back compartment and on the backside of my overflow grates. I bought a piece of rock covered in Coraline and it seemed to bleach starting the next day.
I've included some pics.

 

[blaxsun]

1. How old is your tank? I do see coralline amongst other algae.
2. Invest in some better test kits.
3. If this is a 40 gallon AIO, yeah - 1000 PAR at the surface is way, way too much light. Take some readings in and around your SPS corals.
4. You shouldn't be changing your filter socks out that frequently - unless they're overflowing (2-3 days is overflowing).

 

[prall]

Wow. That is WAY more helpful than anything I’ve heard. About the socks- I take them out overnight so the corals can eat well, give them a little rinse. You suggest not taking them out overnight or just not rinsing them?

 

[Lavey29]

Wow. That is WAY more helpful than anything I’ve heard. About the socks- I take them out overnight so the corals can eat well, give them a little rinse. You suggest not taking them out overnight or just not rinsing them?

I change my socks every 10 days.

 

[Lavey29]

Also agree to much light but here's my thought. When I go to vendors and look at their frag tanks, I don't typically see coraline except maybe on snails. You are trying to grow out all SPS frags so perhaps they are absorbing the nutrients and not allowing the coralline to gain an advantage hence the reason you only see spotty specs. They are both competing for nutrients in the tank particularly calcium. Coraline almost always covers plastic parts like powerheads first long before rocks or glass.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Coralline can be a challenge to get started and cultured and often best established with pre-existing coralline on a rock of other structure from another tankwith coralline already established and would make it geniculate allowing spreading cells called crustose to adhere to rocks, coral, shells (often seen on snails and crabs) and glass. Adding rock with coralline is actually the easiest way to introduce coralline opposed to the magic liquids which rarely work.
There are fifteen hundred classifications of coralline and red algaes and often people identify coralline by color in which is believed to be the first sign of pink.
It is actually purple which is the highest color followed by white and also green which derives from pigments called phycobili-proteins.
Calcium levels play a role with establishment as does light and flow. Each tank will offer its own level of support and ability to grow.
I often chuckle as i see so many praying for coralline and I am the person that wants none in my tank