Help....No Coraline Algae to Speak Of

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Madreefer

It's not bad. I run a calcium reactor and a kalk reactor, so in my case I'm not too worried about it stripping ca or mg from my tank. To each their own. I like it.

Also, to note, when I had the most coralline in my tank, the corals also grew faster than ever. So agreed, I wouldn't worry about it stripping anything from the tank. and who knows, as an algae, it may bind nutrients and help corals grow.
Any of the bad thoughts on it are indeed just opinion...

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by marie

What everyone forgets is that coralline algae is an ALGAE. It needs what all algae needs plus it sucks up all your calcium, alk and Mg.

If you want coralline algae give it nutrients and light without competition and it will grow. You get darker reds and purples with lower or bluer light and the pale pinks and lavender with brighter yellower light

I have no detectable nutrients in my tank. If it requires all rhe same as hair algae etc then theoretically it should be dead in my tank cause I don't have any other algaes. Funny.

Pretty sure it's more calcium dependent and so on.

I would like to see more than an opinion on this topic since it came up. I have yet to hear anyone call it nuisance algae. Until now.

Any scientists out there. Lol.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by paddyob

I would like to see more than an opinion on this topic since it came up. I have yet to hear anyone call it nuisance algae. Until now.

I was just thinking the same thing. I can't recall ever seeing any articles on the topic.
I'm not sure I'd call it a nuisance algae either. If suddenly all my rocks started turning purple, I wouldn't worry about it.
I may even have some on my rock, I've just never really given it much attention..

[Hustler]

My tank is almost all purple... dont scare me like that LOL
Im not focusing on corals so I was going to keep using the reef crystals just for the coraline lol looks better than white rock to me and thats as far as i think ill think about it lol

[marie]

Ok, I never said it was undesirable lol.

It is the best indicator of a tank that is perfect for sps to grow.....if you have a large amount of nutrients then you get nuisance algae and cyano..... the coralline can't compete with those nutrient suckers but a small amount of nutrients means your sps are being fed and the coralline is picking up the excess

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

I was just thinking the same thing. I can't recall ever seeing any articles on the topic.
I'm not sure I'd call it a nuisance algae either. If suddenly all my rocks started turning purple, I wouldn't worry about it.
I may even have some on my rock, I've just never really given it much attention..

I meant to say putting it in the same category with nuisance algaes.

And Marie I see what you are saying when you put it that way.

[Beverly]

I love coralline algae! To me, it's the sign of a healthy tank, but that's just my opinion.

My 10g has only been up for about 7 weeks. The rock cured quickly and is now starting to colour up. The colours I'm getting are various shades of green (not nuisance algae) and reds, pinks and purples - but only in small amounts in various places throughout the tank. But I'm thrilled to watch it grow and add colour to my tank

I do weekly 20% water changes, siphon out as much detritus from the bare bottom (easy to do with a 10g) and thoroughly clean the filter foam. Water is tapwater treated with Prime. I don't dose anything except for old-fashioned kalk drips (with store-bought RO) at night, but am thinking of dosing iodine and strontium for my zoas, mushrooms, LPS corals - which will probably help with the coralline too.

[marie]

This is the reason I consider coralline algae a nuisance

I bought 2 tunze powerheads at a boxing day sale a few years ago and this pic was taken in march .....3 months later

[daniella3d]

no not really. I had tons of algae in my tank and had 0 detectible nitrates or phosphates. It simply consumed it all before I could even get enough in the water to record.

The caulerpa was growing very fast.

so depending if you have something consumming the nitrates fast, you cannot be sure that there is none just because you see none in your test.

I call it nuisance because it does incrust on pumps and it is hard to remove, plus I think it looks dirty on glass...of course it is an opinion

Originally Posted by paddyob

I have no detectable nutrients in my tank. If it requires all rhe same as hair algae etc then theoretically it should be dead in my tank cause I don't have any other algaes. Funny.

[beginnersluckpg]

Nice to see an actual conversation/discussion started here. My cheato in my refugium grows well. But no hair algae so it's obviously doing it's job, I think it must be calcium related as well. Did another test today 390 so it is a little low, going to slowly bring that up and maintain it at a higher level and see if that has anything to do with it. Also with the new brighter lights and some minor signs of bleaching in a few of the corals I cut my mh back an hour until colors stabilize and then I'll start to increase it again. Keep it going tho maybe well figure this out.