What do I need to do to get coralline algae to grow like this?

Do you struggle with growing coralline (pink) algae?

  • Yes

    Votes: 248 31.0%
  • No

    Votes: 412 51.6%
  • I don't care either way

    Votes: 139 17.4%

  • Total voters
    799

NY_Caveman

likes words, fish and arbitrary statistics
View Badges
Joined
Sep 8, 2017
Messages
17,009
Reaction score
108,395
Location
New York
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Figured this was as good a place as any to post this. I see people often asking if green algae growth is coralline or not. @Todvod above and @Emmanuel Zamora in another thread.

Our tank is pretty new and was started with live rock. We have several spots where new coralline algae is growing. Much of it is green. In many spots, the green growth is turning purple. Sometimes we also get new pink and purple coralline growth directly. We even get orange occasionally, but sometimes what looks like orange is purple beginning to bleach. Growth is coming in many places while some are bleaching as the new tank matures and approaches stability.

If you are trying to determine if new growth is coralline see if it is hard to scrape off. If that dark red new algae growth comes right off and feels slimy it is probably Cyanobacteria. If it is hard, it is probably coralline. Same thing if it is green or any color. If it is hard, it is probably coralline. Remember coralline algae is calcareous. In the ocean, and our tanks, it is the cement that holds the reef together.


My daughter was asking me about it today and she pointed out some great examples in our tank. These images are not great quality, but you will get the idea.

This area here clearly shows a spot turning purple among his green spotted siblings on the black Starboard
2DE31886-CF90-4BB3-93B4-4F9F58B2C857.jpeg


In this picture, the white spots in the larger blob of coralline are actually very purple in person. Poor photo, but the spot is turning from green to purple
3A0DEF41-B97B-48CE-A59F-1AC2B0872C1E.jpeg


Here is a shot of the rocks. You can see the deep pink to purple coralline that came with the rock. Between the spots of purple on the left, and along the bottom of the spots on the right, you can see new growth coming in in green.
0A0DE777-015C-47D4-BE59-83774FBF9DF4.jpeg


Hope the pictures are decent enough to help folks see.
 
OP
OP
Jeremy Lain

Jeremy Lain

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 29, 2018
Messages
385
Reaction score
96
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have added this rock to my reef tank it has purple and pink coralline algae on it to seed the tank. I have a ph of 7.8 in my reef tank, and my calcium 420, dkh 9.6, and magnesium 1335.
Reef Tank.jpg


I am trying to grow coralline algae and I have read some articles that say that coralline algae needs a ph of 8.1- 8.3 to grow, but I have also read a article that says reef tanks can successfully survive with the parameters of 7.8 - 8.5 but that these other parameters have to be correct:

A dkh of 8.4 - 11.0 dkh, at 3 meq/L or above, but not above 3.9 meq/L.

Calcium 400 -450 ppm

So my question is if calcification can still happen allowing coralline algae growth at a ph at 7.8?
 
OP
OP
Jeremy Lain

Jeremy Lain

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 29, 2018
Messages
385
Reaction score
96
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Let's say I'm making a (pie) and its called a (coralline algae pie), what ingredients do I need to make it?
 

rkpetersen

walked the sand with the crustaceans
View Badges
Joined
Sep 14, 2017
Messages
4,528
Reaction score
8,865
Location
Near Seattle
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One thing I do not have a problem with is growing Coraline I will gladly send people chips or scrapings of mine.

Transferring coralline algae from one tank to another is definitely a big part of jumpstarting the growth process. I transferred coralline-covered overflow combs, return output, and magnetic scrapers from one tank to the next and (along with a bunch of other things done to make the water conditions perfect), had coralline growth within 2 months of startup.
 

rkpetersen

walked the sand with the crustaceans
View Badges
Joined
Sep 14, 2017
Messages
4,528
Reaction score
8,865
Location
Near Seattle
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Let's say I'm making a (pie) and its called a (coralline algae pie), what ingredients do I need to make it?

Coralline algae spores, live rock or treated dry rock to discourage nuisance algae growth, SPS-growing water quality and stability, some light.
 
OP
OP
Jeremy Lain

Jeremy Lain

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 29, 2018
Messages
385
Reaction score
96
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's starting to grow! Water parameters calcium 420, 12 dkh, magnesium 1320, and pH 8.3. The arrow points to the purple growth!

PurpleRocks.jpg
 

sunilnallala

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
9
Reaction score
6
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've had that before. It should go away in its own time
i know its prety old post.. but can you provide an update here ? did that green turn out to be coralline algae ? or did taht green go off after its own time? Please respond. currently my tank is in the same phase and its same pukani rock
 

sunilnallala

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
9
Reaction score
6
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think that the green stuff growing is coralline algae that looks like this. Has someone else has green coralline algae growth that looks like this in there reef tank?
Green Coralline Algae.jpg
I know its prety old post.. but can you provide an update here ? did that green turn out to be coralline algae ? or did that green go off after its own time? Please respond. currently my tank is in the same phase and its same pukani rock..
 

DesertReefT4r

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
Messages
2,457
Reaction score
2,193
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have no problem growing coraline algae in my reef. Scrapped some off a snail shell to seed the tank and it has taken off ever since.
20191221_095434_resized.jpg
20190326_204313_resized_1.jpg
20191221_095434_resized.jpg
20190326_204313_resized_1.jpg
20190326_204302_resized_1.jpg 20190326_204249_resized_1.jpg 20190326_204240_resized_1.jpg
 

When to mix up fish meal: When was the last time you tried a different brand of food for your reef?

  • I regularly change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 20 29.0%
  • I occasionally change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 25 36.2%
  • I rarely change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 19 27.5%
  • I never change the food that I feed to the tank.

    Votes: 4 5.8%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 1.4%
Back
Top