Coralline algae colors

[chiqui bb]

My 55 has been up for a year now and most of the rock has purple coralline on it. I was hoping for other colors as well. What is the best way to get this? Does the rock that you use to seed your tank designate the color or is the water quality a factor?

I'm setting up a 90 and am ready to order more rock. I would like to see other colors besides purple. Any suggestions?

 

[yote]

I dont know this for a fact.But I think that water parameters,water temp,light,and several other factors all combine to get the different colors of coralline.
My best suggestion to get different colors to grow,is cherry pick live from your LFS,or eve saveral LFSs.

 

[reeffreak]

Everything Yote said and I add that you may have to introduce a rock that has different shades of coralline.I've notice that the red/maroon grows on cliff overhangs and slightly shaded areas,light purple and pinks in open areas,deeper purple in shaded area.Definitely,the amount of light has something to do with what type grows where as well as calcium and all the other stuff.

 

[the reef kid]

I've seen the opposite as reef...The lighter stuff is in the areas with less light and the darker stuff is in more lights...I started out with a lot of yellow green, and now it's starting to become purple, so could it be almost like the other colors grow into purple? just a guess, I'm probably wrong though.

 

[eclipse_001]

Here is a good article on coralline algae and how to achieve maximum growth, with color variation NORM'S CORALLINE ALGAE PROPAGATION

 

[chiqui bb]

Great article eclipse. I'll be ordering some garf grunge!

 

[14 gallon nanocube]

hi hello i always found the best way to get diverse colors.was to vary lighting conditions.a little more on one side of the tank etc.when i get antsy for it i go cherry pick a rock scratch it off and let it settle around the tank.turn off filters and skimmers for about an hour after you scratch it off :sfish:

 

[sen5241b]

People emphsis cal but forget about the importance of Alk. Good levels of alk are crucial to growing coralline.

 

[Piratefish]

Sen5241b I agree completely. When I got my Alk up from 7dkh to 11 the coraline really started to grow all over my tank.