Corraline

[epaz]

Is there any way to speed up the spread of corraline algae? My params are all spot on it just seems to be growing on certain rocks and not spreading. I would prefer not to dose but if there is something I would try it. Mine is also not very dark purple almost violet in color. I see some members tanks where it's completely encrusted the back side of their tank, what are they doing I'm not?

 

[bribo12]

Keeping calcium and alkalinity in check are the two big things that promote healthy coralline growth. If those are kept constant it will grow

 

[Spechty37]

Keep the rock with the Coraline on it in a high flow area to help it spread. you can seed it to by scraping the Coraline of off the rock you have. I watched a video on YouTube. And like was said in the post before me keep calcium and alk in check. The YouTube video said calcium between 400 to 480 and alk between 7 and 12

 

[epaz]

I don't want to sound ignorant but I'm fairly new to SW how to I control alk ?

 

[Spechty37]

Weekly water changes will help keep everything in check

 

[dmolavi]

I don't want to sound ignorant but I'm fairly new to SW how to I control alk ?

Most salt mixes do this for you, assuming you are using 0 TDS RO/DI water. Do your weekly PWCs and you should be good to go.

 

[epaz]

Thanks for the info people. If i was going to attempt dosing is there something out there that will do both CA and ALK?

 

[bribo12]

There are two part dosing products out there. B-ionic, two little fishes two part, etc.. However unless your tank has a lot of coral and calcium and alkalinity are dropping super fast you don't need to

 

[Mebbid]

Coralline is just something that you have to wait for. It takes time to grow in a system. So just be patient because soon you will be cursing at it as you have to scrape it off the front of your tank constantly.

 

[epaz]

I've been reading on other posts and about corraline in general, is it not true that CAL and ALK have to be just right in order for it to flourish? My corals look wonderful but they are mostly just SPS

 

[bribo12]

If you can grow sps corals you can easily grow coralline. Do you have 0 coralline growth? Are your sps acropora, montipora, seriatopora, etc...? Some are easier to grow than others

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, the only thing coralline and sps have in common is what try consume. Just simply doing water changes will give what coralline and sps needs, but you don't need it to be as high as sps. It takes time for it to grow, but if you gently brush it with a toothbrush it can assist some in spreading it around your tank. Though appealing to the eye, keep in mind some of us have to scrape glass just to see into our tanks and soaking power heads to keep them from seizing up from being encrusted over.