Almost 7 months, and barely any coraline growth

[neuro]

Seriously,

There may be a speck here or there, but it might as well be nothing. And for those specks, they don't seem to have gotten any bigger than a few millimeters.

Anyone have suggestions? Everything else is growing just fine; SPS, zoas, etc.

 

[lattehiatus]

Some might say that the lack of encroaching coralline algae is a blessing.

Have you measured your Mg levels? Researchers found at least one species of coralline algae is largely comprised of dolomite, which is calcium carbonate rich with magnesium.

 

[JAR]

It will come. All at once.

 

[Vincerama2]

Do this, find a rock or piece of aquarium glass that has coralline on it, aim a powerhead at it and blast it. Seriously, blasted spots seem to grow coralline quite well!

For me, it grows all over the glass but NOT the rocks?! Go figure... been like that for a decade

V

 

[neuro]

ahh interesting. i guess it's a combo of waiting even longer and blasting a piece

 

[Coral reefer]

What lighting do you have? I find natural sun grows it like crazy and assume that the white and or red spectrums may be needed to grow it. Some very blue dominant led setups seem to grow less coraline ime.

 

[zeroinverse]

Find someone with coralline algae and grab several flakes. Then crumble then into your tank. This helps seed the coralline algae.

 

[neuro]

What lighting do you have? I find natural sun grows it like crazy and assume that the white and or red spectrums may be needed to grow it. Some very blue dominant led setups seem to grow less coraline ime.

Reply


hmm that's true. I remember having the tank near the window at one point, and I definitely saw some growth, albeit not much. I'm using MH right now.

ZeroI - i think i have an idea of who's got some coraline they want to get rid of...

 

[tr1gger]

Flakes or previously covered rocks are 100% your best option. I got 50% of my rock from an established tank so it seeded very quickly.

 

[Raddogz]

The blue spectrum of the lighting tended to bring out the coraline for me

 

[Vincerama2]

The blue spectrum of the lighting tended to bring out the coraline for me

Yes, I'd have to agree with this, I found bluer lights were more coraline friendly. Honestly, it's a curse when it starts growing all over your glass. Don't be in such a hurry to coraline up your tank.

I've yet to figure out how to get it to grow on my rocks!

My two flow pumps (seieos) were coated in coraline, I mean there were PLATES of coraline growing off them!

My theory is ... high water flow. Next time they plate up, I'll give you some crumbles of it for seeding.

V

 

[neuro]

Yes, I'd have to agree with this, I found bluer lights were more coraline friendly. Honestly, it's a curse when it starts growing all over your glass. Don't be in such a hurry to coraline up your tank.

I've yet to figure out how to get it to grow on my rocks!

My two flow pumps (seieos) were coated in coraline, I mean there were PLATES of coraline growing off them!

My theory is ... high water flow. Next time they plate up, I'll give you some crumbles of it for seeding.

V

that'd be great. yeah, i had a few start growing on my pumps, and no where else. when i moved my tank and exposed the pumps to the air, the coraline ended up dying. strange, but true; they like high flow areas.

 

[Coral reefer]

The blue spectrum of the lighting tended to bring out the coraline for me

How could you tell? What lighting were you using?

 

[Raddogz]

More of the so called actinic range in the old school T-5 and/or PC bulbs. I had the lighting setup as 20k, actinic, and a little bit of 14k in the bulb array. As far as metal halides - aqua connects & radiums also gave a bit of coralline growth.