Review: Pink Fusion & Purple Helix Coralline Algae in a Bottle

[trevorhiller]

Thanks! My apologies for the blurry pics, lol. I now count 11 spots throughout my tank, but 2 are iffy. I should know more in another week or two. The one thing that puzzles me is my alkalinity was low (6-7 dKH) for almost a month, and calcium also (340ppm). I bumped my dKH to 9.5 and it seems to be holding. Still working on the calcium, but it's about 380ppm now. Just funny how those spots all just showed up.

Are you dosing Kalkwasser? Highly recommended for initial alkalinity and calcium dosing. It’ll also make the coralline grow from my experience and it’s a cheap way to stabilize parameters.

 

[Screwby]

Are you dosing Kalkwasser? Highly recommended for initial alkalinity and calcium dosing. It’ll also make the coralline grow from my experience and it’s a cheap way to stabilize parameters.

No, I've been using B-Ionic 2 part system. The LFS recommended it because it's a liquid and easier to control when dosing smaller tanks like mine. I've heard of Kalwasser and know what it is and I will definitely look into the product. I plan to upgrade to something in the 60-90 gal range in the next 2 years. If my 24 gal works out, then I plan to transfer everything over to the new tank so it's less waiting time.

 

[trevorhiller]

No, I've been using B-Ionic 2 part system. The LFS recommended it because it's a liquid and easier to control when dosing smaller tanks like mine. I've heard of Kalwasser and know what it is and I will definitely look into the product. I plan to upgrade to something in the 60-90 gal range in the next 2 years. If my 24 gal works out, then I plan to transfer everything over to the new tank so it's less waiting time.

That works too. I only recommend the Kalk since you seem interested in coralline. The pH boost seemed to help expedite it on my tank and others from what they’ve said.

It’s also cheaper which is likely why LFS didn’t recommend.

Kalk does come as a powder but you mix it with RODI to make a liquid for dosing. The powder doesn’t go into your tank

It’s actually harder to screw up than two part because it isn’t as concentrated IMO but has the higher pH boosting effect than two part (unless you’re using sodium hydroxide for alkalinity).

 

[Screwby]

Thanks for the input and advice all. I'm now counting 28-30 dots of coralline on my rocks. Still nothing on the glass or wavemakers yet. I do have some light coating of green and brown algae in certain areas, but nothing to worry about yet. The tank is still young.

 

[trevorhiller]

Thanks for the input and advice all. I'm now counting 28-30 dots of coralline on my rocks. Still nothing on the glass or wavemakers yet. I do have some light coating of green and brown algae in certain areas, but nothing to worry about yet. The tank is still young.

My system is 10 months old and I still haven’t seen any coralline on the wave makers, return nozzle or glass. I do have it growing on the Marco rocks but it’s slowed down since I moved my rock into the new tank despite having live rock covered in coralline and having using the helix stuff.

I’ve actually just ordered some tropic eden morocca rock because I’m sick of waiting for the stark white rock to go away. Mine is mostly covered with what looks like green coralline with a few pink and purple spots but no significant encrusting since moving into the new tank a few months back. Im convinced the UV sterilizer slows it down along with possibly the urchins (although I never see them eating coralline from the live ocean rock).

 

[Screwby]

My system is 10 months old and I still haven’t seen any coralline on the wave makers, return nozzle or glass. I do have it growing on the Marco rocks but it’s slowed down since I moved my rock into the new tank despite having live rock covered in coralline and having using the helix stuff.

I’ve actually just ordered some tropic eden morocca rock because I’m sick of waiting for the stark white rock to go away. Mine is mostly covered with what looks like green coralline with a few pink and purple spots but no significant encrusting since moving into the new tank a few months back. Im convinced the UV sterilizer slows it down along with possibly the urchins (although I never see them eating coralline from the live ocean rock).

Ah cool. I currently don't have a UV unit on my system. I keep going back and forth on a tuxedo urchin because they seem to stay smaller than the other species. I read they eat coralline.

 

[trevorhiller]

Ah cool. I currently don't have a UV unit on my system. I keep going back and forth on a tuxedo urchin because they seem to stay smaller than the other species. I read they eat coralline.

I have a tuxedo, a pincushion and a long spine urchin and while they eat algae really well, I haven’t noticed any “damage” to the rocks that have it thickly encrusted on them. I suppose it’s possible they are the reason my glass and powerheads are clean, but I find it hard to believe they would eat every little spore from those surfaces.

I honestly think if they did eat it, they would scratch off just as many spores causing it to spread more than they consume. Similar to how people say scraping it off the rocks helps spread it around your tank.

I’d try one if you have algae for them to eat. They are really cool. I think the coralline is a secondary food source for them in my tank.