Coralline growth rate

[Anonymous]

After my new tank has been up for about 2 months or maybe 3...most of the rockwork is 80% covered in coraline (from a third to the top down). The thing that REALLY made a difference in my CA lvls was a product put out by Kent called TURBO CALCIUM. I only add a LITTTTTLLLLEE every week, but it seems to have really kicked in. Other than that little bit I do dose B-Ionic at least every other day if not every day.

Thanks Snow. I will get some of that.

 

[bleedingthought]

I have 2 48" blue actinic VHO & 2 48" white actinic VHO. The lights are on from 7 am until 9 pm. I dose Aragamilk (calcium) every other day.

Am I doing something wrong?

Crissy, I have the same lighting setup except that I run mine for 8 hours. Not sure why you run them for 14 hours.

And two things you might also want to check out, on top of Guy's suggestion, are B-Ionic 2 part supplement by the gallon: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_searchsta ... uct=EV1115 or you can make your own two part supplement with this recipe: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php


My 8-hour lighting period and the periodic dosing of b-ionic is working very well for my corals! Coralline is very abundant but I agree with Guy that it can be a pain. I like it but it's annoying on the glass since you have to scrape it off often. At the beginning of the year, I am going to make my own two part since I found Calcium Chloride at a local concrete mixing company.

Good luck!

I need to set my timer back up. I leave at around 7:30am to go to work and when it's time for bed is when I end up turning my lights off. I will get that darn time back up and running tonight.

Thanks for your suggestions!

I usually leave for work around 7AM and get back home around 7PM. So I have my lights on from 3PM to 11PM. I get to enjoy it at its peak! My nano is on from 2PM to 10PM because it is in my room, so if I decide to go to bed early, it's off by then. :wink:

 

[bleedingthought]

After my new tank has been up for about 2 months or maybe 3...most of the rockwork is 80% covered in coraline (from a third to the top down). The thing that REALLY made a difference in my CA lvls was a product put out by Kent called TURBO CALCIUM. I only add a LITTTTTLLLLEE every week, but it seems to have really kicked in. Other than that little bit I do dose B-Ionic at least every other day if not every day.

All Kent's Turbo Calcium is is anhydrous calcium chloride. It's basically the same as your Calcium part of B-Ionic disolved in water. :?

 

[Anonymous]

Pretty much anything out there is better than aragmilk.

Use a magnet cleaner to clean the front, and one of those tub worm thing get caught in it. I move it across like 2 feet before I realized what noise what that, and now there is a long line across the front of the acrylic tank :x

 

[Anonymous]

Pretty much anything out there is better than aragmilk.

Use a magnet cleaner to clean the front, and one of those tub worm thing get caught in it. I move it across like 2 feet before I realized what noise what that, and now there is a long line across the front of the acrylic tank :x

Damn, LFS.

 

[Anonymous]

In my experience coralline growth rate is fastest with high or very high waterflow, low to medium lighting, and stable Alkalinity levels.

I also believe that herbivorous Urchins help spread it around once there is a fair amount of coralline coverage.

Ditto, ditto, ditto. I wish I had a picture of a spraybar hitting a side wall in this one tank and the resulting coralline growth. It's like a perfect bell shaped curve.

 

[Anonymous]

I need to do some modifications to my intake. Mine sucks right now. I need more flow.

Anyone ever try AragaMight as an additive/buffer? It came with my tank and I am leary of using it. I also have some type of buffer by "Reef Solutions". I don't know or want to use it either without getting some info on it.

 

[Anonymous]

>...Anyone ever try AragaMight as an additive/buffer?

Now, I don't want to be too explicit, but is it sufficient to say that it is the very same company that make the AragaMILK?

 

[Anonymous]

>...Anyone ever try AragaMight as an additive/buffer?

Now, I don't want to be too explicit, but is it sufficient to say that it is the very same company that make the AragaMILK?

It's powder form? It came with the tank when I bought it. I have something by SeaChem too.

I'm still trying to understand the ALK, Calc side of things.

 

[SnowManSnow]

The Kent Turbo Calcuim (Expert Series) may be the same.. I donno, but it works My corals are growing fast and my I don't have a problem with coraline not growing.

B

 

[Anonymous]

All these brand name solutions are wastes of money. All you need to add to your tank is CaOH, aka pickling lime/kalkwasser. Mrs. Wages and Balls are two suffcient brands. If you need to adjust your alkalinity, Na(CO3)2 works. It's also known as baking soda. If you need to adjust your calcium, CaCl works. It's not sold under any common names to my knowledge, but you can buy it from chemical supply houses. Add, test, adjust accordingly. You can buy enough for a 100 g tank for years with about $20.

Aragamilk/Kent Turbo whatsamagig my foot.

 

[bleedingthought]

Aragamilk/Kent Turbo whatsamagig my foot.

:lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Aragamilk/Kent Turbo whatsamagig my foot.

:lol:

Seriously though. I have enough kalk to fill up two 1 gallon jugs. It was only $6 I think. Meanwhile, Kent brand kalkwasser is like $15 for a coffee mug sized jar. As far as I (and a lot of other reefkeepers) can tell the only difference is the label.

 

[bleedingthought]

That's what I thought. That's why I'm making my own two part soon, since my tank's calcium demands don't seem to justify kalk dripping... Or at least that's what I keep trying to convince myself, since I don't know how much work it would be with my limited space and top-off conditions. Oh, and limited knowledge of it.

 

[Anonymous]

All these brand name solutions are wastes of money. All you need to add to your tank is CaOH, aka pickling lime/kalkwasser. Mrs. Wages and Balls are two suffcient brands. If you need to adjust your alkalinity, Na(CO3)2 works. It's also known as baking soda. If you need to adjust your calcium, CaCl works. It's not sold under any common names to my knowledge, but you can buy it from chemical supply houses. Add, test, adjust accordingly. You can buy enough for a 100 g tank for years with about $20.

Aragamilk/Kent Turbo whatsamagig my foot.

Thanks Matt!! The 2 brands you mentioned (Mrs. Wages and Balls), is that from LFS or chemical supply house?

 

[Anonymous]

Sometimes Balls can be found at walmart (Pickling Lime). I just ordered a case of Mrs. Wages from the online website --- http://mrswages.stores.yahoo.net/mrswagpiclim.html

 

[Anonymous]

Sometimes Balls can be found at walmart (Pickling Lime). I just ordered a case of Mrs. Wages from the online website --- http://mrswages.stores.yahoo.net/mrswagpiclim.html

Wow, it's actually gone up in price quite a bit. Used to be a dollar something for those jars.

 

[Anonymous]

Cool, thanks Peeps!!