Coraline Algae, Nuisance?

[hotimportknight]

Mine isnt growing on rocks worth a crap, it just grows all over plastic things, I'm almost worried about my overflow box becoming plugged... Gotta pull out the mesh that keeps fish from going down it once in a while to keep it from clogging up... I wouldnt mind my full back glass being covered then it can stop. Does anyone have any issues with koralias or overflows being too covered in coralline?

[cthegame]

Mine grows on Glass 1st, then the plastics, then the rocks...

Its on my overflows too but it hasnt been a problem yet. Even my fuge is being taken over by it.

[cravinmohead22]

your all so lucky. i have scrubbed my rocks to spread the spores and i still dont see it. just the two rocks i bought and my snails. calcium is 420. alk is 11.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by cravinmohead22

your all so lucky. i have scrubbed my rocks to spread the spores and i still dont see it. just the two rocks i bought and my snails. calcium is 420. alk is 11.

Try to increase your calcium. Yote always tells people to try a bit lower heat - like 78 or so. I just have been lucky. All my tanks are coralline playgrounds

-Doc

[fatman]

Most coraline does not like really intense lighting. What are you using for lights? Yor water is already super saturated with calcium with a calcium level of 420 so lack of calcium should not be a problem. If you do regular water changes your trace elements should be good unless your heavy with soft corals which tend to take up a lot of your iodine which coraline need. Coraline only grows in shaded areas and the edges of my tanks. My tanks are near super saturation levels of calcium with daily Kalkwasser ATO water, and halide lights with twice weekly water changes of 5 percent. I have way to many SPS to be able to consistently keep calcium levels any higher than the 400 range.

[cthegame]

Originally Posted by fatman

Most coraline does not like really intense lighting. What are you using for lights? Yor water is already super saturated with calcium with a calcium level of 420 so lack of calcium should not be a problem. If you do regular water changes your trace elements should be good unless your heavy with soft corals which tend to take up a lot of your iodine which coraline need. Coraline only grows in shaded areas and the edges of my tanks. My tanks are near super saturation levels of calcium with daily Kalkwasser ATO water, and halide lights with twice weekly water changes of 5 percent. I have way to many SPS to be able to consistently keep calcium levels any higher than the 400 range.

I really dont think there are specific rules to its growth that we can figure out. Each tank as its own unique growth pattern. For example, in my tank, bright or dark areas dont make any difference. Low lights, it was growing and when i increased my lights, it was also still growing. Its just growing no matter what i do. Even my fuge is being taken over by it now...and i barely have any light there. its extremely hard to pinpoint the cause...

[fatman]

Originally Posted by cthegame

I really dont think there are specific rules to its growth that we can figure out. Each tank as its own unique growth pattern. For example, in my tank, bright or dark areas dont make any difference. Low lights, it was growing and when i increased my lights, it was also still growing. Its just growing no matter what i do. Even my fuge is being taken over by it now...and i barely have any light there. its extremely hard to pinpoint the cause...

Most, nearly all, live rock harvested now is from fairly deep depths where light intensity is low. It is even stated on a lot of the live rock adds that their live rock is being harvested from deep sites. This is because that live rock has much more coraline algae which is a huge selling feature with live rock. There are strains which like intense lights. Unfortunately these shallow sources of live rock are not being regularly harvested and placed on the market. I am sure with more people going to intense lighting from large numbers of closely placed T-5 tubes there are first going to be more complaints about diminishing coraline algae followed by more swapping of bits of live rock having intense light tolerant strains of Coraline algae. I only state this is one potential problem with coraline algae , not the only or even the main reason, however it is becoming more prevalent. The fact that your poorly lit refugium is being overgrown with coraline supports what I am saying, "suppliers are purposely having deep water live rock harvested," I believe this is because most people under light their tanks (especially a lot of the LFS's) and the shallow water coraline will not grow in a dimly lit tank, and coraline sells live rock. Some people think live rock means rock with coraline algae growing on it, rather than rock with proper bacteria for bacterial filtration on and in it. Deep water coraline will not grow well in the brightly lit areas of brightly lit tanks.

[daugherty]

almost all of the coraline in my tank is on the under side of rocks and the back of my tank is white. i do get some that is a pinkish purple but that is it i wish i could find some highlight coraline rocks.

[Altohombre]

The white parts of my rock are now slowly turning purple. It's very fun to watch, but like watching paint dry.

[fatman]

More often than not, white algae is an existibg algae that dis have color but that is breahing down as its being taken back up in the waters nutrientpaerl. Howevwer, there is some coraline taht starts out white and stays white. If that is the case in your tank there relly isn't a strong reason indicating your not being able to grow coraline, at least not with the limited info you have supplied. An answer, guess or opinion can only be as good as allowed by the data supplied to work with in obtaining it. Coraline is an algae which have very basic requirements, however they at times tend to want tank standards lower than what is being supplied through good husbandmanship. It is not a replacement for the coraline you desire, but you can at least probably safely say, because of this situation, that you have a healthy tank.