Can't get coralline algae to grow in year old tank

[Bobbofin]

I've been doing this for 25 year and coralline algae would just grow like crazy in my other tanks without even trying. All I got is little purple dots on rocks and hermit/snail shells. Is there a magic bullet I can use to jump start it?

Water parameters:
temp 76°
pH 8.2
alk 9.5
cal 400
mag 1300

 

[dz6t]

what kind of light are you using?

 

[s_kelley]

Lights? They can have a big impact

 

[jokersplayground]

Lights and flow. What i do to get a kick start is anywhere i can remove a rock with it on it, i take it out scrape it into a water mixture of coriline and place it right in front of a pump after about 10min turn all pumps off for 15min. Turn of skimmer for a few hours.

 

[Bobbofin]

what kind of light are you using?

AquaticLife 4x24w T5HO, ATI bulbs - two coral plus and blue plus. All bulbs only a few months old.

 

[daves-reef]

Flow the more the better. Lights too. Sometimes high light is not as good as right light. I have MH and coralline grows must in the lower light and dark purple in under sides of rock. More pink purple in higher light. But not directly under MH.

 

[dcforester1]

I have had the issue in the past. Matt L I think? used to have the most beautiful purple on his rocks. He had a 125 set up in his Somerville apt and I always wanted a reef like that. My last tank was covered but I noticed it changed a lot. It would go from dark purple to a more pale color. I would also notice those small starfish would multiply like crazy when it was abundant in my tank. Sorry I wasn't much help. Someone once told me it was just like any other kind of algae. So it isn't always a good sign when you have it. I don't know how true it is, but figured I would share.

Good luck

 

[reefstarter]

I would say flow has a lot more to do with it , light also plays a part . but I have had coraline grow under a 6500 K standard socket LED like crazy . In my dual 210s I have a ton in my sps tank while the other tank which has less flow and light doesn't have much

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

Are you dosing with calcium? I have a softie tank with a big long spine urchin in it. If I don't dose with a lot of calcium, he runs out of coralline and goes after my corals.

 

[dz6t]

AquaticLife 4x24w T5HO, ATI bulbs - two coral plus and blue plus. All bulbs only a few months old.

Coraline algae is low light animal, I get very little to none under high light area

 

[dz6t]

Coraline algae seals the pores of live rocks and reduce their efficiency as bio filter.

 

[RiverRat]

Coraline algae seals the pores of live rocks and reduce their efficiency as bio filter.

+1

It also consumes the same things that keep our corals happy..
.....boo coralline algae boo....

but, if it is something you like then go for it. To each thier own.

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

+1

It also consumes the same things that keep our corals happy..
.....boo coralline algae boo....

but, if it is something you like then go for it. To each thier own.

So, now coralline algae is a bad thing?

 

[daves-reef]

Everything in this hobby has plus and a minus. IMHO pluses out way minus. Coralline probably not going to cover all pours and surfaces. Some corals incrusted better with coralline. It looks good. Many have rock in sump which probably out preforms any loss to porosity in display. On the minus I hate scraping glass. Especially corners which seems to be the fast to regrow.