Why isn't my coraline algae growing!

globaldesigns · #1 03-01-2012, 04:42 PM

Too funny, everyone wants coraline, and even buy supplements to encourage its growth. In my world, I want it gone... It is beautiful stuff, but I have a purple/red/pink and even some green, as my tank is one big purple monster. I just have too much

I even have 5 urchins that devour the stuff, as I think so much coraline is smothering my LR. They are doing a great job, but I think I need another 5 urchins.

Timbits · #2 03-01-2012, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

Too funny, everyone wants coraline, and even buy supplements to encourage its growth. In my world, I want it gone... It is beautiful stuff, but I have a purple/red/pink and even some green, as my tank is one big purple monster. I just have too much

I even have 5 urchins that devour the stuff, as I think so much coraline is smothering my LR. They are doing a great job, but I think I need another 5 urchins.

I wish i have this problem LOL

Aquattro · #3 03-01-2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

as I think so much coraline is smothering my LR.

That's my thought on it as well. If it builds up too much on the rock, it blocks all the pores we paid money for. This is where the denitrification takes place, so covering it isn't a great idea.

Timbits · #4 03-01-2012, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquattro

That's my thought on it as well. If it builds up too much on the rock, it blocks all the pores we paid money for. This is where the denitrification takes place, so covering it isn't a great idea.

That makes sense lol, i guess there is a up-side and a down-side

Reefie · #5 03-01-2012, 09:43 PM

I had the same thing in my tank when it was about 4-5 months old.

Purple Up won't really work unless you had a bit of Coralline to begin with.

You need to "seed" the tank with a bit of Coralline to get it going. Try getting a shaving of Coralline from another tank or even your LFS, then chop it up into as small as you can get it and drop it into a high flow area of your tank. This will spread the Coralline throughout your tank, if you have sufficient Calc, Alk, Mag it will grow.

Timbits · #6 03-02-2012, 02:24 AM

OK so i'm pretty sure the rock i got was in a tank that was treated with copper.

I believe this was 2 years ago and the rock has been out of the tank and dry for a year before i put it in my tank.

I have a starfish, cleaner shrimp, and various CUC that are doing well. The cleaner shrimp has molted twice and has trippled in size. They have been in the tank for 5 months. Corals seem to be doing well too got some good growth, polyps extended. Some seem to be not doing as well as others though, like my zoas - i got good growth in the beginning but then now i think they are slowly melting away and some dont seem to open all the way, only half way. not sure if that is the recent change in lights or could be the copper from the rocks. Maybe there is very little trace amount of copper in the rock so not too detrimental to the health of the animals but big enough to stunt their growth overtime and maybe that is why i dont have any coraline growing.... I think that is why i get good growth when i first introduce the coral but then it growth slows down due to the copper over time.

What do you guys think? I really hate to have to shut the tank down and start over... Tank is pretty full now and all my hard work will go down the drain.

If i do start over, is everything contaminated now? Do i have to get rid of everything?? OR can i just throw away the rock?

Timbits · #7 03-02-2012, 02:42 AM

What do you think of my theory "that there may be very little trace amount of copper so when i first add a frag, i get good growth but then it slows down later on?"

OR if copper is a problem, would i not get growth at all right from the beginning and the coral will just die?

I have a paly that started with 1 polyp that has over 100 polyps now that has been in the tank since the beginning...