Coralline Gro (Red Sea) Help!?

[surferjoe86]

I'm trying to get my purple corraline algea to grow I have 2kg of live rock and about 20kg of base rock. My aquarium has been up and running about 4 months now and there has been no spread at all!
here's my what,do,you,me,call,it's...
275 Liters
water temp 24C
1.024SG
nitrate close to 0
nitite 0
Ph 8.2
ammonia 0
phosphates 0.5

I was sold from my LFS Red Sea Coralline Gro
I needed at KH test kit to use this so I bought the test kit too

My KH is

PPM 170
D/KH 9.52
Meq/L 3.4

I really do not understand the vauge instructions!
It reads as follows:

• Doasage Chart : ml/ 100liters (25gal) for 3meq/l 8.4Dkh

Measured level (Meq/l -dKH) Volume
100L 200L 300L 400L
2.0 - 5.6 28 56 167 111
2.1 - 5.9 25 50 150 100
2.2 - 6.2 22 44 133 89
2.3 - 6.5 19 39 117 78
2.4 - 6.8 17 33 100 67
2.5 - 7 14 28 83 56
2.6 - 7.3 11 22 67 44
2.7 - 7.6 8 17 33 22
2.8 - 7.9 6 11 33 22
2.9 - 8.2 5 6 17 11

So i have a Meq/l of 3.4 and Dkh of 9.52... Where does that leave me on this scale? Is it useless for me? Have I been sold a pup?

thanks for your time
Joe

 

[austinsdad]

The 2kg of live rock is the only source you can expect anyting to spread from. Doesn't seem like a lot to start with and expect growth in only 4 months. What kinda lighting are you using?

I'd stay away from additives to get coralline to grow and just do regular water changes. I still think 4 months may be a little too soon to expect any substantial growth.

 

[mr_X]

yep. give it time, and stop adding any snake oil to the tank. is there coralline algae on the live rock you have in the tank? if it's not introduced, it will never show up.

 

[cmor1701d]

I'm with Ray on this. The coralline additives don't add any coralline algae, just the minerals it needs. Guess what. Doing a partial water change does the same thing.

In a 270L tank you should be using 30 - 60 kg of rock. I normally suggest 75% base and 25% Live to start.

It will probably take 6 months to a year before you see any spread. You can try scraping some and let it circulate to see where it lands and starts to spread.

Are you getting any on the glass yet?
What type of lighting do you have and how long is it on every day?

 

[surferjoe86]

thanks for your help
At the moment its fish and live rock with 6500k 100watt
I'm looking to get a 14000k hilide when I have some money
No spread what so ever. Nothing on glass only a very very slight amount of brown algea in the silicone joints
the live rock is covered in purple and red algea with tons of life in it. All sorts crawling about
Should I give in with the addative.?.. Have I been had
thankyou joe

 

[surferjoe86]

thanks for your help
At the moment its fish and live rock with 6500k 100watt
I'm looking to get a 14000k hilide when I have some money
No spread what so ever. Nothing on glass only a very very slight amount of brown algea in the silicone joints
the live rock is covered in purple and red algea with tons of life in it. All sorts crawling about
Should I give in with the addative.?.. Have I been had
thankyou joe

 

[austinsdad]

If "give in" means don't use it, then the answer is yes.

Get yourself a tank sponge to clean around those silicone seals too. Do NOT touch them with scrapers. Good way to start a leak.

 

[Krypt]

I would stop using it as well. Your best bet to get it to spread is to get your phosphates down to 0 and do your weekly pwc's. Phosphates inhibits the calcification process and can really slow your growth if it's not kept in check.

If you don't have a rock with coralline already on it, you'll need to get one to introduce it into your system. If you do have one, then you can do what I did to get it rolling. Get a toothbrush and everyday brush the rock with it to release some of the top layer. In 11 months my entire back wall is almost covered as well as all my rock.

 

[surferjoe86]

thanks. I clean the glass every 4 days anyway. It only builds up in one corner for some strange reason.

 

[jenergizerl]

Hi, I have the same question and would like help understanding the dosing instructions if anyone else has ever used this product I can't figure it out
I have some coralline on my rocks and I want to use this so any help decifering the dosage chart would be appreciated. My KH is at 12dkH