Coraline

[c0mf0rt]

Ok so I'm pretty sure I've got a GOOD amount of green coraline (it's not easy to scrape off, pretty sure it's coraline) growing on my rocks.... the purple doesn't seem to be spreading at all...... what causes the different colors??? Is it the lighting??? I'm running 4x65pc 10000k and actinics 12 hours a day......

I'd just like to have a little more purple and don't know what to do.....

 

[malkore]

color depends on species of coralline. different parts fo the ocean have different species.
you may need to get a scraping of red or purple coralline from a fish store, or another hobbyist. then just put it in your tank to seed it.

having appropriate Calcium and alkalinitiy levels will provide teh coralline with 'food' to grow.

 

[c0mf0rt]

That's the thing.... I have some purple in the tank... but it doesn't seem to be spreading......

 

[BillyZ]

a couple of suggestions I've heard, other than making sure you have good chemistry and malkore stated, is that you can point a PH at or across the coraline you do have. and once and a while scrape that patch of coraline with a knife to release it into the water column. I've heard those two things will help spread the coraline you do have.

 

[Phyl]

My purple is spreading like *mad* (rock went into the tank from LR.com on 11/17). I have several base rocks that are already well speckled with purple growth and my overflow baffles are starting to speckle as well. When I move the rock around I rub it on my base rock a bit, after having read here that scraping the coraline helps it to spread. I also keep watch on my calcium and keep it up around 420, of course, making sure to keep my alk in line as well. There were a couple of spots on my live rock that had faded to white and they are purpling back up now too. I do have some green coraline growing strangely enough on one of my base rocks in spite of the fact that I didn't really get any/much of that with my order of LR. I'm also running 4x65 10k and actinics. I generally light my tank from 2pm to midnight. (2-8 10k/5-12 act).

I started with IO salt and have since switched to Reef Crystals which is what my LFS water is salted with. I'm much happier with the RC salt. The Calcium, PH and Alk are a lot better "out of the barrell" with it.

 

[c0mf0rt]

Yeah I'm switching from IO to Coralife salt which is supposed to have more calcium etc..... we'll see......