I’m a total failure — can’t grow coralline algae to save my life!

[bakbay]

Many successful reefers can’t grow coralline on the back wall.

Almost no one’s tank looks good with 100% white light; it highlights the browns.

I don’t think I’d lower the par if the corals were enjoying the higher par.

Funny but my back wall is fine — it’s black and got several patches of purple. I’ve never scraped the back wall since I started the tank. The side is a PITA and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to grow coralline so I don’t have to scrape the uglies every month.

The sticks on top have been loving the intensity so perhaps I should keep the par like you said but reduce the photo period from 16hrs to 12hrs?

 

[JulesH]

Thats a fine looking tank, personally I would not be overly bothered by the lack of coraline.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

it appears that you might have more green algae per square inch than me? lol

I recently stopped viewing algae as a bad word. Having a healthy stock of herbivores definitely help. Plus taking action against algae usually does more harm to the tanks balance and seems to be a huge setback to achieving that stability.

 

[bakbay]

I recently stopped viewing algae as a bad word. Having a healthy stock of herbivores definitely help. Plus taking action against algae usually does more harm to the tanks balance and seems to be a huge setback to achieving that stability.

I love my tang gang and they do a decent job of keeping things under control. In fact, they would go bananas when I scraped off the sheets of algae! I can think of it as free food? ha

 

[7of9]

I'm not sure why corralline is such a measure of success if everything else looks great?

 

[bakbay]

I'm not sure why corralline is such a measure of success if everything else looks great?

It's not a measure of success but it's a PITA and unsightly to have to clean the whole side. Hence I'm a quest to grow coralline and fill that whole area to reduce my maintenance work. Again, been doing this for the last 2.5years and it gets old after awhile...

Everything else is great - the tank is super stable and I have not lost any frags/colonies the last 2 years! (knock on wood)

 

[Mattiejay6]

My main tank is 2.5yo with SPS dominated. Acros are growing like weeds but my back wall and sides are full of nuisance algae but not coralline. Rocks are all purple but can’t seem to grow coralline on the sides.

Any suggestions? No, I’m not planning to purchase “Purple Up”! lol

When I started dosing Selenium to my tank with Reef Moonshine.. I tell you what.. it grows like crack now

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Ill gladly give you some, lol. Or at least some trash on the bottom to help you seed as you saw the hellacious coralline on my sps cube.

It got stupid for me when I started dosing TM AFR.

 

[bakbay]

When I started dosing Selenium to my tank with Reef Moonshine.. I tell you what.. it grows like crack now

Glad it’s working for you. I’ve heard of many folks having great success with the method. However, I’m trying to automate everything and reduce maintenance work (I’m super lazy). Regular dosing and sending in ICP test will be very challenging & time consuming for me. I just run a CaRx — set it and forget it!

 

[bakbay]

Ill gladly give you some, lol. Or at least some trash on the bottom to help you seed as you saw the hellacious coralline on my sps cube.

It got stupid for me when I started dosing TM AFR.

Yes, I saw your tank - you’re my coralline hero! lol

I do have coralline on rocks and bottom but just can’t successfully grow them on the sides and back. It’s rather frustrating to have to clean every 2-3 weeks.

 

[Mattiejay6]

Glad it’s working for you. I’ve heard of many folks having great success with the method. However, I’m trying to automate everything and reduce maintenance work (I’m super lazy). Regular dosing and sending in ICP test will be very challenging & time consuming for me. I just run a CaRx — set it and forget it!

selenium is one that I do the daily dose of,,, but its consumed quickly for me.. so its never over..

 

[charlesk]

My main tank is 2.5yo with SPS dominated. Acros are growing like weeds but my back wall and sides are full of nuisance algae but not coralline. Rocks are all purple but can’t seem to grow coralline on the sides.

Any suggestions? No, I’m not planning to purchase “Purple Up”! lol

My tank is the same way. The Purple Up doesn't work. Best thing to do is to scrap some corralline from the rocks, the scrappings will seed new corralline.

 

[bakbay]

My tank is the same way. The Purple Up doesn't work. Best thing to do is to scrap some corralline from the rocks, the scrappings will seed new corralline.

ha - that was my attempt at humor. I know about coralline algae. It grows on this tank and really well on my other tank. However, I just can't get it to propagate and grow well on the side & back glass!

 

[jcmental]

I have so much corralline on my rocks, weir, gyre body and return nozzles that it's creating layers. It's getting to the point where I'll have to start breaking it off so it doesn't impede flow. It also grows on the plastic seam armour (Red Sea) and even on the silicone.
I have none, however, on my back wall!!

Out of interest, what lighting are you running, I switched to LED only lights a few years back and although they were supposed to be the “perfect spectrum “ for coral growth the coral in algae stopped literally with in a week.

 

[flashsmith]

As soon as I see it on anything but rock I scrape it. The only thing it measures is how much money you'll be wasting on dosing. I would rather not have my corals competing with it. My urchins do a great job of eradicating it when it pops ups. Maybe it's just me but I'm very particular about how clean my tanks look. Coraline covered tanks just look neglected to me.

 

[X-37B]

My 5 month old 20g.
No3 <5 useually 1.
Po4 <.1.
This tank is run on A4R at 36ml a day currently with nothing else.
Alk7
Ca 420
Mag 1320

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

My 5 month old 20g.
No3 <5 useually 1.
Po4 <.1.
This tank is run on A4R at 36ml a day currently with nothing else.
Alk7
Ca 420
Mag 1320

For me, this would cause anxiety. Do you think that if the coralline was scraped, that the contrast of the dark background would draw your eyes to the coral? Put the focus on what really matters?

 

[X-37B]

For me, this would cause anxiety. Do you think that if the coralline was scraped, that the contrast of the dark background would draw your eyes to the coral? Put the focus on what really matters?

Well here is the same tank before I broke it down after 10 months.
Running 2 16hds
This grew coralline everywhere but the back wall, lol

 

[TheBear78]

Out of interest, what lighting are you running, I switched to LED only lights a few years back and although they were supposed to be the “perfect spectrum “ for coral growth the coral in algae stopped literally with in a week.

Red Sea Reefled 90's.

 

[iaa12]

Once I started using Kalkwasser coralline just started growing like you wouldn't believe. My back wall is nearly covered now.