Coralline prefers high flow

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As my new tank evolves to grow coralline, it’s clear that a number of factors impact its growth. My live rock came from fairly deep in the Gulf of Mexico, so it is not surprising that it does not like the brightest lit places.

But one thing that I did not expect is that it clearly prefers to grow in high flow locations, regardless of the light level or the nature of the substrate.

The pictures of my overflow help show this. Perhaps this is widely known, but I did not know it.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

Yep. Definitely likes high flow and will clog overflow weirs quick!

 

[Project1004]

I do notice coralline do start around the seam of the glasses where the flow is always hitting.

 

[spsick]

High flow, and plastic haha

 

[exnisstech]

It appears to like certain surfaces better than others also. I've noticed it likes plastic much more than glass. It grows mostly on my seem guards and powerheads but no so much on the glass.

 

[X-37B]

Yep. Definitely likes high flow and will clog overflow weirs quick!

I scrape mine monthly now that the system is 1.5 year.
I have never cleaned the coralline since day one off the powerhead.
Every 6 I clean the inside of them.
Just took this.

 

[X-37B]

It appears to like certain surfaces better than others also. I've noticed it likes plastic much more than glass. It grows mostly on my seem guards and powerheads but no so much on the glass.

It grows quite well on glass just takes longer. Same tank other side. Tank is high flow.
The back is plastic on this system.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It appears to like certain surfaces better than others also. I've noticed it likes plastic much more than glass. It grows mostly on my seem guards and powerheads but no so much on the glass.

Yes, I agree. :)

 

[mcarroll]

Great pics!

Coralline is still slightly mysterious to me as well. (Love it!)

I don't have pics handy, but I've had it grow on only the undersides of rocks but not the tops before. Wasn't even crazy bright light levels.

But I guess that mirrors your theory about the rocks being from deeper depths and/or the coralline just preferring "less" light.

 

[RelaxingWithTheReef]

I have a Halloween Urchin that will not touch my hair algae, but he’s like a locomotive with my coralline. He’s usually hard at work, producing a constant stream of ground up coralline tailings, and does a pretty good job at keeping it under control.

Fortunately he has no interest in the Acros or other corals.

 

[Miami Reef]

Hmm. Maybe that’s why coralline blooms in my tank.

 

[Euphyllia098]

Maybe this is why I have very little after 5 years. I'm pretty low flow because I'm packed with hammers and I can't turn the flow up without blasting something.

 

[Islandbouy]

I have a 220 half moon Acrylic and the coraline grew around the curve. Which takes away from the look of my tank. Unlike glass, once the coraline settles in, its almost impossible to get off the acrylic. I have two urchins and they are doing there best, but it is going to take a very long time.

 

[Islandbouy]

Coraline goes all around the front of the acrylic. It grew so fast that I didnt start noticing until it was too late.

 

[Sean Clark]

From my experience, coralline grows faster on acrylic than it grows on glass. I am not sure why or if that is true for others.

 

[UncommonSense]

I have a 220 half moon Acrylic and the coraline grew around the curve. Which takes away from the look of my tank. Unlike glass, once the coraline settles in, its almost impossible to get off the acrylic. I have two urchins and they are doing there best, but it is going to take a very long time.

Try using an old plastic wallet card, like an expired AAA membership card as a scraper!

I’ve been using one on my acrylic hexagon to successfully clean even the radius corners of coralline for years, with zero scratching!

— the edge of the card does “fray” or dull after some heavy use, just spin the card to another edge and it continues scraping until you use up all four!

— placing a finger in the center of the card, close to the scraping edge slightly bends it, and creates more point pressure there, improving scraping performance!

 

[Baylott224]

Mine grow everywhere. but especially on the top over flow.

 

[Baylott224]

I have to scrape off the top one it blocks flow. That's after I cleaned it.

 

[jdpeters]

High flow, and plastic haha

Nice digi!

 

[matskibanov]

I think, perhaps, high flow gives coraline a "reason" to cling to a certain surface, thus it encrusts