Never Been Able to Grow Coraline Algae

[SmolGoby]

I've been keeping marine tanks for 6 years now and I've never had as much as a spec of Coraline algae grow in my systems. I started my first reef tank in January, and I thought the additional ca/alk/mg & etc would finally result in Coraline growth, but still 0. The only way I've introduced it is via rock/shells. Tank is a 30g AIO, light is an AI prime 16hd with par around 80-130 trhoughout, only using RODI water & changed the filters before setting up this tank. Any idea why it isn't spreading?

 

[splunty]

I'm a bit of a newbie, but I'll offer 2 cents based on experience. My first (and only) tank is now 9 months old. It's only been in the last month that Coraline started growing. One of the frags had some pink and purple on it, and there's also bright green that probably came in on snails. Everywhere one color grows, the others also grow in patches.

I didn't see a speck until I got pH up above 8.1, Alkalinity up above 8 (aka ~125ppm), and both of them stable. Within a couple of weeks of meeting those criteria, Coraline patches started appearing all over the rocks. Low light, high light, low flow, high flow -- everywhere on the rocks. Curiously there's zero on the glass or plastic parts, probably because I clean them weekly.

Unfortunately, I've also introduced bryopsis somehow, and that's growing just as well. ;(

 

[SmolGoby]

I'm a bit of a newbie, but I'll offer 2 cents based on experience. My first (and only) tank is now 9 months old. It's only been in the last month that Coraline started growing. One of the frags had some pink and purple on it, and there's also bright green that probably came in on snails. Everywhere one color grows, the others also grow in patches.

I didn't see a speck until I got pH up above 8.1, Alkalinity up above 8 (aka ~125ppm), and both of them stable. Within a couple of weeks of meeting those criteria, Coraline patches started appearing all over the rocks. Low light, high light, low flow, high flow -- everywhere on the rocks. Curiously there's zero on the glass or plastic parts, probably because I clean them weekly.

Unfortunately, I've also introduced bryopsis somehow, and that's growing just as well. ;(

My alk & ph are very consistent, usually within 110-125 for alk & always at 7.7 for ph.

 

[splunty]

My alk & ph are very consistent but my ph has never been above 7.7

I don't want to sound like an expert, because I'm not. :) But I would suggest this is going to be prohibitive to coralline growth.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coralline-algae’s-effect-on-alkalinity.492248/
Randy's post in this thread also suggests coralline is an Alkalinity sink. And magnesium, which mine has started to drop right at the same time the coralline started growing. Go figure!

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Calcium and p04 are elevated as well. Not sure if that's actionable though.

 

[SmolGoby]

I don't want to sound like an expert, because I'm not. :) But I would suggest this is going to be prohibitive to coralline growth.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/coralline-algae’s-effect-on-alkalinity.492248/
Randy's post in this thread also suggests coralline is an Alkalinity sink. And magnesium, which mine has started to drop right at the same time the coralline started growing. Go figure!

Good read. Seems like I might be complaining about the lucky avoidance of a possible headache. I've just always heard "you know you're doing it right when you get Coraline." A bit defeating after all this time, but if my corals are happy, I'm happy.

 

[Garf]

My alk & ph are very consistent, usually within 110-125 for alk & always at 7.7 for ph.

So your Alk goes down to 6.2dkh with a pH of 7.7?

 

[SmolGoby]

So your Alk goes down to 6.2dkh with a pH of 7.7?

Yes, it’ll fluctuate between 6.2-6.9 but ph always stays at 7.7-7.8

 

[Garf]

Yes, it’ll fluctuate between 6.2-6.9 but ph always stays at 7.7-7.8

Any particular reason you keep Alk that low?

 

[SmolGoby]

Any particular reason you keep Alk that low?

Only because all I’ve got in the tank asides from livestock is softies & they don’t seem to mind. Not going to try raising it if the tank is doing fine

 

[Jekyl]

I would firstly get a second opinion on testing that isn't from API brand.

 

[Happy Clam]

I'm a bit of a newbie, but I'll offer 2 cents based on experience. My first (and only) tank is now 9 months old. It's only been in the last month that Coraline started growing. One of the frags had some pink and purple on it, and there's also bright green that probably came in on snails. Everywhere one color grows, the others also grow in patches.

I didn't see a speck until I got pH up above 8.1, Alkalinity up above 8 (aka ~125ppm), and both of them stable. Within a couple of weeks of meeting those criteria, Coraline patches started appearing all over the rocks. Low light, high light, low flow, high flow -- everywhere on the rocks. Curiously there's zero on the glass or plastic parts, probably because I clean them weekly.

Unfortunately, I've also introduced bryopsis somehow, and that's growing just as well. ;(

Grew up in Golden, LOL I have the twin tank, Reef flux worked.

 

[agentxcell]

Grew up in Golden, LOL I have the twin tank, Reef flux worked.

That's awesome. I currently live in Golden and love it.