I just don't understand. I see so many beautiful tanks covered in purple but I just can't get it going. (I do have some, in darkest areas, and it does grow but hardley noticable). All parameters good, (including calcium and alk). Everything in the tank is thriving, from shrooms to xenia to a maxima clam to fish. 72gal, 4x96 PC's. Started B-ionic a week or two ago. Tried everything else. Example: Bought a leather coral last weekend. The rock it is on was 100% covered in deep purple cor. One week later it appears very light purple.. Is the amount of light a possibility? Not sure what other info you will need...Thanks.
I give up waiting for coraline...
- Thread starter kevjtomy
- Start date
Tank has been going for close to two years (roughly). But, had NO lights until 1 year ago, and during that time I didn't watch calcium levels. So...Has been a year since upgraded lights and calcium checks... My newest theory is to get a couple nice sized rocks with good growth, place them in shaded areas to see what happens. Not sure how many lbs LR I have, but a lot. Thing is I bought it when I knew nothing and thought all of that "pretty green wavy stuff" was normal. (Hair algea). All of the corraline I have now is from adding corals.. Wish I read before starting, but I still think I have enough in my tank for seeding...O'well. If it wants to grow it will. Can't wait to start a new tank (way down the road) and do things right the first time.. Thanks again.
A watched pot never boils.
Now that you have given up it will most certainly start to grow.
Matt is correct in his time estimates.
The other condition that might inhibit coraline grotwh are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated levels of either will slow coraline growth.
Now that you have given up it will most certainly start to grow.
Matt is correct in his time estimates.
The other condition that might inhibit coraline grotwh are nitrate and phosphate. Elevated levels of either will slow coraline growth.
You mentioned thinking all that wavy green stuff was normal at one point.. so had you gone through a phase of tap water using in the beginning? As mentioned, phosphate will really slow down coralline growth, and once you get a po4 loaded tank from something like tap water, it can take a very long time to get the system back to growing coralline again. It definitely becomes an excercise in patience.
I have the same situation like you and i can not wait to see purple coralline algae. My 58g with 120w NO has been set up for 2 years. one local reefkeeper told me that raise cal over 600 and dose pro/super buffer (kent). it will produce purple coralline algae. but i am affraid to try that.
Just wait. Coraline does grow faster in dark areas. In my tank the coraline grow fast on the glass. It will cover the entire tank in only one month. But the purple stuff only grew in the shadows and on the glass. I purchased a mushroom colony with some orange coraline and now it is spreading all over faster than the purple ever did. If you have good conditions you will eventually introduce a species that will thrive in you conditions.
Would be interested to hear if you use tap or RO water for your changes. It didn't take long for coraline togrow in my tank when I moved to the bigger one. Couple three months at the most. Now I have spots growing all over the back. With a black backing it looks like stars in the horizon, kinda cool.
A couple of things:
1st: watts per gallon means nothing. What matters is type of lighting, intensity (watts) and depth of tank. Excuse me if I rant as this is a pet peeve of mine.
2nd: How are you dosing calcium? I dose kalkwasser and have had good coraline growth after 1 month. My tank is now 3 months old and there is coraline algae everywhere. FWIW- I have (2) 400W 6500K metal halide bulbs on a PFO ballast, 2 96W PC Actinics over a 180G tank w/ a 50 gallon sump.
On my 55G I had the same experience. No coraline algae until I started dosing kalkwasser.
Ernie
1st: watts per gallon means nothing. What matters is type of lighting, intensity (watts) and depth of tank. Excuse me if I rant as this is a pet peeve of mine.
2nd: How are you dosing calcium? I dose kalkwasser and have had good coraline growth after 1 month. My tank is now 3 months old and there is coraline algae everywhere. FWIW- I have (2) 400W 6500K metal halide bulbs on a PFO ballast, 2 96W PC Actinics over a 180G tank w/ a 50 gallon sump.
On my 55G I had the same experience. No coraline algae until I started dosing kalkwasser.
Ernie
Yes, I do use RO water. As for watts per gallon that was my way of saying that my tank is very bright compared to friends who have NO lights with tons of cor. I dose B-ionic daily and drip kalk, but probably not as often as I should (kalk). What I'm really stumped about is that I am dosing B-ionic and I do drip calk and have very little growth. So why does the guy up the street who uses city water straight out of the faucet have a purple tank? On my back glass I have a bunch of white spots also, which I assumed was the start of some growth. It just hasn't "expanded"yet. Like mentioned, I will wait it out. Thanks for the suggestions all.
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