How do i go about finding live rock or coraline algae of various color? I have reddish colored coraline algae but if i understand correctly new algae needs to be introduced from an outside source. Is there anyway i can buy or does anyone know of anyone selling some multiple colored algae scrapings or live rock with it already on it? I would greatly appreciate any help
Help Coraline Algae
- Thread starter Cory F
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Dual40IM
Active Member
Check out this stuff. I bought a bottle for my new tank and started seeing growth in about 2 weeks.
Greybeard
2500 Club Member
Find a local reef club. I'm sure just about anyone would be happy to give you a scraping of whatever they have.
Years ago, I would have recommended Garf Grunge... Garf just isn't the same since LeRoy left us. They still sell products, and their website is still an example of how _not_ to do things.
I would also have recommended Inland Aquatics... they're in the process of closing their doors.
IPSF seems to be about the only source for 'natural' coraline algae samples. I'm sure they're excellent quality.
There are several 'coraline in a bottle' products... I don't use this sort of thing, but many folks like them.
I'd still suggest option 1, find a local reef club. It's good for _way_ more than just getting your tank established.
Years ago, I would have recommended Garf Grunge... Garf just isn't the same since LeRoy left us. They still sell products, and their website is still an example of how _not_ to do things.
I would also have recommended Inland Aquatics... they're in the process of closing their doors.
IPSF seems to be about the only source for 'natural' coraline algae samples. I'm sure they're excellent quality.
There are several 'coraline in a bottle' products... I don't use this sort of thing, but many folks like them.
I'd still suggest option 1, find a local reef club. It's good for _way_ more than just getting your tank established.
XNavyDiver
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+1. I had good coralline growth that came from snail shells, etc. that was all a dark pink. Added two bottles of this and it added a light purple/violet strain of coralline in the mix that has really taken off and added more color. Worked great for me!Check out this stuff. I bought a bottle for my new tank and started seeing growth in about 2 weeks.
Kunkymonkel
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Anyone tried this stuff?
NefTunzReef
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This worked for me as well but as other users have pointed out, the purple/violet strain is what really grew out, not so much of any other new colors in my tank. It looks better than bare rock nonetheless.Check out this stuff. I bought a bottle for my new tank and started seeing growth in about 2 weeks.
Test for and dose for Magnesium...
One thing that sparked Coraline development in my tank was Magnesium. For the first 6 months I wasn't dosing or testing for Mg and tried seeding several times with no success. I got a Salifert Mg. test kit and was amazed that my levels were below 800. I started dosing Mg and kept tabs on the levels. After a couple weeks I finally got it above 1250 ppm and within a few days of hitting that I saw the first signs of Coraline starting to develop on the back glass. I let it go for a few weeks then scrapped it off. After that I saw it on a couple places on the rock. Now 18 months later and its covered most of the rock and snail shells.
One thing that sparked Coraline development in my tank was Magnesium. For the first 6 months I wasn't dosing or testing for Mg and tried seeding several times with no success. I got a Salifert Mg. test kit and was amazed that my levels were below 800. I started dosing Mg and kept tabs on the levels. After a couple weeks I finally got it above 1250 ppm and within a few days of hitting that I saw the first signs of Coraline starting to develop on the back glass. I let it go for a few weeks then scrapped it off. After that I saw it on a couple places on the rock. Now 18 months later and its covered most of the rock and snail shells.
ectoaesthetics
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Not a fan of any product in a bottle that is advertised to help grow coraline!! Please do not add anything in a bottle to help you grow coraline. Just keep your alkalinity and calcium at acceptable levels and the growth will follow. The idea behind most of these products is that iodine, calcium, and alk are needed to grow coraline -you probably already have plenty... adding more will not help.
It is SUPER easy to simply add small pebbles to your tank from a friend's or just pay your LFS a few bucks to pick a handful of little pink pebbles off the bottom of one of their tanks. You would be surprised to see how willing a LFS is to sell you stuff that they don't really sell. Its just junk of the bottom of their tank and money in their pocket. The smaller the pebbles the better. It is very easy to drop pea-sized or small pebbles into divots in your rock work. It will usually take off from there. ...and you can't really overdo it. It's not like you are going to add to many varieties of coraline to the tank. People will also tell you that you are going to regret adding coraline as you will spend the rest of your reefing years trying to clean it off the glass. While this is true, I have never seen anyone opt for bright white rock that can easily be covered in nuance algae over beautiful pink and maroon colored coraline encrusted rock -even the peeps that tell you you are crazy for adding it.
If your tank is newer, lower lighting and higher blues also seem to encourage it. Truthfully I think they give coraline enough light, but starve out the local competitors (but I have no real evidence of that).
The other advantage of small pebbles is that it is highly unlikely that you will introduce pests. That being said I think there is a VERY high likelihood I will add GARF grunge to my next build. The stuff isn't pretty but it gets the job done.
It is SUPER easy to simply add small pebbles to your tank from a friend's or just pay your LFS a few bucks to pick a handful of little pink pebbles off the bottom of one of their tanks. You would be surprised to see how willing a LFS is to sell you stuff that they don't really sell. Its just junk of the bottom of their tank and money in their pocket. The smaller the pebbles the better. It is very easy to drop pea-sized or small pebbles into divots in your rock work. It will usually take off from there. ...and you can't really overdo it. It's not like you are going to add to many varieties of coraline to the tank. People will also tell you that you are going to regret adding coraline as you will spend the rest of your reefing years trying to clean it off the glass. While this is true, I have never seen anyone opt for bright white rock that can easily be covered in nuance algae over beautiful pink and maroon colored coraline encrusted rock -even the peeps that tell you you are crazy for adding it.
If your tank is newer, lower lighting and higher blues also seem to encourage it. Truthfully I think they give coraline enough light, but starve out the local competitors (but I have no real evidence of that).
The other advantage of small pebbles is that it is highly unlikely that you will introduce pests. That being said I think there is a VERY high likelihood I will add GARF grunge to my next build. The stuff isn't pretty but it gets the job done.
I started with man made rock but with enough frags added to the tank I now have coraline algae growing. I currently have red and green coraline algaes growing. I'm not sure what promotes the different colors but I'm confident other colors will begin to emerge.
JMetaxas
Valuable Member
Just an update. Shortly after I posted this, I noticed a few spots of coralline algae growing. The spots are quite numerous now. Nothing larger than 1/8", but it has started.
Purple Helix does say it could take 6 weeks. I judged this product too early.
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