can't get coralline algae to grow/flourish

[Dr.Nate]

Well, I've read everything on coralline here that I can find, and I'm still stumped as to why mine isn't spreading faster. I have even been using Purple Up for the last three weeks or so, and it hasn't helped. I know you're gonna ask, so I'll tell you that I check my calcium weekly and I keep it at 420ppm.

My water flow is excellent, too.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hara]

I can do no more than commiserate with you. I have 6 tanks and cannot get coraline to grow in any of them. My calcium and alk levels are at more than acceptable ranges ...I have excellent flow in the majority of the tanks, I have even seeded with coraline encrusted chunks. No banana. I think it is my water in some way, but do not know what.

 

[Dr.Nate]

Well, I guess misery loves company! I'm glad I'm not the only one. I ordered some colony polyps from LiveAquaria and got them in last week.....the piece of rock they came on was so bright purple I could hardly look directly at it! It looks so out of place in my tank, cuz my other rocks have small pink/purple patches here and there (faded ones).

 

[schoeplein]

How much of your lighting is actinic? My tank is finally starting to propagate the purple.. finally -- I've got 220w + 65w of actinic. Supposedly it helps.

I've not used any additives, however.

The 150g we have has purple *everywhere*.... it took about 3-4 months for it to cover everything.

My issue is probably from having to remove some of the rocks when I had my 75g to get rid of my damsels -- and when I moved rocks from my 75g to the 110g.

I guess give it time...................

 

[Dr.Nate]

I've got 260 Watts total, and half of that (130) is actinic. My tank is going on six months now, and very little coralline gains.

 

[pufferman]

well i have that neon green coralline growing and its covering my glass, how long will it take to turn purple?

 

[boardsurfer]

I've had my tank going for over a year, and all I can grow is the neon green coraline. It's spreading everywhere...But the purple just wont! I have my alk and calcium levels in check, plus I heard that plenty of waterchanges will help...but I still can't get it to spread.

I read about coraline all the time and I can't figure out how to get the purple to spread like crazy. I'm in the same boat w/you guys.

 

[zenn]

aparently nobody has a clue why. I had the same problem with my FOWLR. It was set-up for about a 10-12 months an i didn't get squat for coraline growth. Not that i was expecting too but it would have been nice. I'm pretty much come to the conclusion that i really have no idea what i'm doing therefore the reason the coraline didn't grow.

 

[lando]

It takes coraline to make coraline. Hopefully, the addition of the new encrusted rock will help boost your growth. I beleive you an get coraline scrapings at www.garf.org

 

[JohnNLuc]

Green coraline usually means low light. My coraline grows all over my rocks but I have yet to see it take over my glass. I also think my salt has something to do with it. I used to keep a nano using instant ocean and my coraline was on the glass within 3 months now I have a larger reef using oceanic salt and i see very little on my glass. I keep my ca and alk in check using bionic

 

[pufferman]

i m using 130w of PC light on a 29g. It has taken over my glass almost completely. It is not hair or cyano(although i have some of it), when i rub my finger on it, it has a rough texture. The lfs guy told me it would eventually turn purple.

 

[bamaboy2go]

I have the light and dark purple coralline growth on the rocks and glass. I also used the instant ocean salt to start, now use NSW from the Gulf. (love the trip each week and both water and salt are free) also growing on pvc fittings to pumps. Some people say not to use it but for me its the only thing to use.

 

[Hara]

The lfs guy told me it would eventually turn purple

I believe he is incorrect on that..I read in a few places that the color of the coraline is determined by the lighting.

 

[haus]

I had my tank running for about 4 months, then almost overnight I had one piece of LR turn from green to purple. It has both light and dark purple. I also noticed some on the plastic parts in the tank and also on a piece of LR that started as BR. It seems to appear rapidly for me then stop growing for a while.

 

[pearsont74]

curious on this subject cause I get spots of purple coraline all ove the glass but none on my LR
I also am curious cause i have 2 LR with bright orange (look at my gallery)(assuming its a form of coraline) and I havent seen this grow at all
I want to ensure that this orange stays and would like it to spread too...along with some purple.
I just got my RO/DI and will be doing a huge water change and then top offs with this....so hopeful I will see some nice results soon...
I guess I really need to get a reef test kit to test CA

 

[pufferman]

well with my 130w of PC lighting, will it ever go purple, or do i have false hope?

 

[Brodie]

I had the Coralife 130 watt light on my 29 for about 6 months. I started noticing Coraline on the back of the glass at about the 4th month.

 

[seaham358]

I have a NO strip light with 2 40 watt NO bulbs and i have tons on CA on my LR.
It is just something that may take time to grow. Try looking for a piece of Lr with coraline on it already and then rub the LR with a tooth brush in the tank so you get the coraline to come off the LR. You want to see pink in the water... This will help seed the tank.. Its worth a try...

 

[fishman]

I had the same problem with no coraline...then started using B Ionic ESV parts 1 and 2...within a month I had coraline everywhere...and still do 3 months later...just a suggestion

 

[pufferman]

i use Kent Marine nano reef parts A-B. I have the green coralline, just not purple. Maybe when i get some frags, they will come attached to a rcok with coralline.