Coraline algae

[Coral reefer]

So as a macro algae I assume coraline growth would consume some nitrate and phosphate as well as calcium and carbonates, but is it good at lowering the nutrient levels at all? I use chaeto in my fuge and think that it works well, but I was just wondering about the coraline and wether it was all photosynthetic or if it consumed nutrients much?

 

[GreshamH]

Think of it as being like a coral, rather then a plant. It uptakes CA/ALK/MG etc along with light. It will utilize on a small scale nitrate/phosphate/ammonia, but not much at all. FWIW it's more of a plague of a tank then it is useful. It depletes stuff your corals wants, adds to the bioload and if you loose power, greatly increase the DO demand IME.

 

[Coral reefer]

Hadn't thought of the oxygen thing, but the rest is about what I thought. Thanks!

 

[nudibranch]

I was told it was good at least on the back wall because other algae could not grow on it.

 

[GreshamH]

see my post about it.

Also, as for aesthetics goes, you want your glass clear of it. I hate it on my glass, it's distracting to the eye.

Algae will grow on it, total urban myth.

 

[eastbayreefer2010]

I like coraline covered rock but I HATE when it grows on my tank, back wall is ok, but the front and sides are bad places for it to grow, and it seems to comeback after 3-4 days, scrubbing coraline off a plexi tank is tedious work, scrub to hard and you have a nice scuff across your glass.

my next tanks are all going to be starphire glass tanks.
glass is just so much easier to clean and harder to scratch

 

[GreshamH]

Starphire is easier to scratch then normal glass IME (just a FYI)

 

[nudibranch]

Though they do make glass scrapers that can scrap Coraline Algae off.