Dry Rock Coralline Seeding Experiment

[twentyleagues]

This is good timing on this thread. I'm just getting back in after 12 years, and I've been checking out this product. Thanks for doing this. When I saw your last pic before I read the message I thought diatoms. Watching.

 

[Red_Beard]

The bottles are not pure coralline - there is other algae in those systems that they bottle. I think ARC mentions that coralline shows up after a green or brown phase fades.

That is a good point. I imagine it would be much much harder and less cost effective to cultivate a clincally isolated coralline culture, especially one containing multiple strains of coralline and nothing else. Algae and diatome spores are quite prevalent. That said, i love their product either way. The last time i used it, the coloration and variety of coralline it produced, even at my novice hand, was astounding.

A quick re-read of their site, i dont see that mentioned that it will show signs of coralline growth after the green/brown phase. But, i would also assume that it should not be a surprise that algae and diatomes appear first as their cellular structure leads to much more rapid construction/ division, whereas the coralline would be a little more complex and slower growing.

It is kinda tough to manage a good balance of scientific neutrality (even given the very loose structure of this "experiment") with the aggressive optimism/anticipation of wanting to see these rocks covered in beautiful coralline!

 

[taricha]

A quick re-read of their site, i dont see that mentioned that it will show signs of coralline growth after the green/brown phase. But, i would also assume that it should not be a surprise that algae and diatomes appear first as their cellular structure leads to much more rapid construction/ division, whereas the coralline would be a little more complex and slower growing.

all good points.

"ARC Reef’s Coralline Algae is a very slow but steady grower. You will not see growth overnight. If all your tank parameters are in check then you will see what looks like small chickenpox on your rocks and on plastics like powerheads within 8 weeks and on glass it can take longer. Coralline spores will not grow in poor water quality. If you have high ammonia, nitrites or phosphates, then the algae spores will remain in a dormant state until these levels are corrected and then it will be 4-8 weeks after that when you will first see your chickenpox. After this stage you will notice these small spots double in size every 14 days until they cover much of your rocks. Green hard algae is also a good sign that you will very shortly start to see purple coralline growing."

That was what I was recalling, my memory was a bit fuzzy.

 

[slythy]

My first aquarium I had as a kid. I never got 1 speck of coraline. This new tank I didnt seed it started with dry rock and i think it got brought in on a frag. My whole tank is annoyingly covered in coraline lol.

my parameters at the time

ph: 7.8 ( now 8.1 with line outside)
Alk: 8.0
Cal 430
Mag 1400

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I seeded my Aquarium with the Bottle Coraline. After Dumping the Bottle in, I cut the top off, weighted it with some dry rock, and left it in the Aquarium for a few weeks. My results, no timeline. My most recent build, I used Astraea Snails, with Coraline, on them

 

[albano]

My results, no timeline

I assume that autocorrect prefers timeline to coralline!

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

No, the rest of the message wasn’t posted. I don’t know how long it took to get that much Coraline, but it was under a year. I don’t have that much Coraline on the back now, Two Urchins have eaten a lot of it. BTW, I have Coraline in my 65 Gallons Sump, which has little to no light??

 

[Makara23]

@Red_Beard Is there a reason you're dosing phosphate and nitrate? Diatoms and hair algae needs these to survive, but I haven't seen anywhere that mentions coralline needs these (neither does nitrifying bacteria). My understanding is that coralline only need alkalinity and calcium.

Since you might be getting diatoms already, the next progression would be nuisance algae before coralline takes hold. Adding phosphate and nitrate will only further propagate the bad stuff.

 

[Red_Beard]

No, the rest of the message wasn’t posted. I don’t know how long it took to get that much Coraline, but it was under a year. I don’t have that much Coraline on the back now, Two Urchins have eaten a lot of it. BTW, I have Coraline in my 65 Gallons Sump, which has little to no light??

There are some strains of coralline that prefer low light actually. I was poking around the other day reading around and found this article:

https://reefbuilders.com/2017/01/26/coralline-algae-the-best-ways-to-grow-it/

"
If conditions are right CCA (Crustose Coralline Algae) will blanket even the brightest parts of warm reef aquariums. But as a whole, CCA grows better and more colorful in dim light and in cooler aquariums. You may have already noticed that caves in the reefscape or the undersides of rocks, corals and in-tank equipment usually grows more CCA on the shaded parts. In some cases sumps with a small amount of stray light might grow more and better CCA then the display tank itself.
"

 

[Freddie83]

That coralline algae product did kill an SPS of colony in a matter of hours but did give me different color coralline within a few weeks.

 

[Red_Beard]

@Red_Beard Is there a reason you're dosing phosphate and nitrate? Diatoms and hair algae needs these to survive, but I haven't seen anywhere that mentions coralline needs these. My understanding is that they only need alkalinity and calcium.

Since you might be getting diatoms already, the next progression would be nuisance algae before coralline takes hold. Adding phosphate and nitrate will only further propagate the bad stuff.

There certainly is. Coralline algae's metabolic process is similar to stony coral and does uptake some N+P. So rather than a ghost feeding i figured i could directly control how much was in the system.

 

[Red_Beard]

Definitely something starting to take off, it has quadrupled today:

On an interesting side note, some of you may wonder why my morar joints are exposed. The following pic explains my rationale:

I did start covering the mortar with super glue and sand, but wanted to see what kind of color shift it would have when wet. I splashed some water on it and it was almost 100% water repellant. I couldnt get it soaked without submerging it completely. This pic confirms what i thought when it wouldn't absorb water, that beneficial benthics would have a hard time getting a foothold, and that the liquid super glue would reduce surface area. As you can see, there is a clear line where the growth just stops where the liquid glue and rock dust was applied.

 

[Red_Beard]

Stuff is progressing, hopefully well.

Nutrient testing showed me that Po4 had bottomed out, so I dosed it back up to .01, N is still at 3ppm. The other elements tested previously have not changed.

Starting to get a little bit of brownish algal growth on the glass, and a few greenish looking spots on the rock.

 

[Makara23]

If algae grows rampant in a few weeks, how are you going to remove it? Adding CuC or herbivores would "contaminate" this tank and experiment.

 

[Red_Beard]

If algae grows rampant in a few weeks, how are you going to remove it? Adding CuC or herbivores would "contaminate" this tank and experiment.

handy-dandy toothbrush...

 

[Red_Beard]

Starting to get some light green!

 

[Red_Beard]

Weekly update:
Not a lot has changed. I am going to run the gamut of tests tomorrow. Hopefully my 'trates n 'phates are still inline but i am betting i need to add more phosphate.
There is a little spindly bit of filamentous algae that has developed in a few isolated spots, but so far nothing terribly ugly has popped up.

Pics: lowerish right in the first pic is that algae blob.

 

[shcrimps]

honestly have no experience using “bottled coralline” in that commercial sense but i have bought chips and liquids from various people that have seeded my tanks very well
i actually just got a bottle in of red/plating coralline “seeds” that looked really good
so following this along with my own experiment

 

[Red_Beard]

honestly have no experience using “bottled coralline” in that commercial sense but i have bought chips and liquids from various people that have seeded my tanks very well
i actually just got a bottle in of red/plating coralline “seeds” that looked really good
so following this along with my own experiment

Nice! Some of that plating coralline looks really cool!

 

[Red_Beard]

Well, i am glad i didnt guess. Po4 was at .01 still, but nitrate had bottomed out. I doesed it back up to 2ppm
Alk: 9.1
Cal:430
Mg: 1340
pH: 8.2
Steady as she goes...