Growing Coralline algae in a 10 gallon Nano reef tank

aquariumkeeper2 · 08/09/2010, 01:18 PM

What is the best chemical or way to grow coralline algae in a small 10 gallon nano reef tank and does purple up do a good job of growing it as well.

Reefman29 · 08/09/2010, 01:27 PM

You will need to introduce some into the tank from live rock or perhaps a shell. Good calcium levels and light will help it to grow. Usually coralline will grow in established tanks.

Damsels R Cool · 08/09/2010, 03:36 PM

the best thing is time i had my 10 gallon running for 2 years and now i cant get it to stop and i started with all base rock

Damsels R Cool · 08/09/2010, 03:39 PM

Then

Now

disenchantedone · 08/09/2010, 03:49 PM

Buffer!

Used Purple Up - that stuff was worthless. Someone I bought Mangroves from told me to use Buffer and that did wonders! Seed your tank by scraping off some of the purple coraline from somewhere else and maintain your dKH levels with proper lighting.

musicalrebellion · 08/09/2010, 03:53 PM

wow nice coraline growth!!!!!
i've had my tank running for about 2 months and i had a few specks of coraline.
i used "dead" rock except for one piece of live rock(saving money) and i dose purple up every week.
now my tank is about 1/3 covered in pink coraline.
for a pretty cheap price purple up worked well for me.
although i also used ph buffer.

bizzarro · 08/09/2010, 04:02 PM

I'd kept the current flow to a minimal like that power filter on that tank. I had a strong powerhead and most of the time the coralline would cover up the glass more so than the rocks.

gimme? · 08/09/2010, 04:24 PM

dosing Kent A/B will help as well.

Gill_bucket · 08/09/2010, 07:05 PM

All you need is one really nice piece of live rock a little light and patience. Calcium definitely will help, strontium and iodine wouldn't hurt either. The piece on the left with the whole in it is lava rock so I had to seed it.

aquariumkeeper2 · 08/09/2010, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gill_bucket

All you need is one really nice piece of live rock a little light and patience. Calcium definitely will help, strontium and iodine wouldn't hurt either. The piece on the left with the whole in it is lava rock so I had to seed it.

its looks really nice, I'm having surgery on friday so i wont be in my basement room for a while. I'm hoping tht lots of coralline algae will grow while i'm recovering.

Brett9917 · 08/09/2010, 07:58 PM

Good luck with your surgery and I hope some one keeps up the tank while you are gone!

aquariumkeeper2 · 08/09/2010, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brett9917

Good luck with your surgery and I hope some one keeps up the tank while you are gone!

thanx, I'm teaching my mom how to care for my saltwater aquarium while I'm recovering. Hopefully she wont kill the fish.

Sugar Magnolia · 08/10/2010, 11:56 AM

Keep your calcium, alkalinity and magnesium in the proper range and coraline algae will take off. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

chrishet · 08/10/2010, 12:29 PM

Great link SM...I use that one all the time!

There is nothing special in PurpleUp to actually seed your tank with coraline algae...not that it is bad stuff, just don't expect it to do anything more than keep your Ca and Iodine levels up....Dosing with 2 part solution will work better. I also have found that keeping all other algae minimized will help the pretty purple stuff grow like mad...snails are key to keeping the ugly greens away...My recommendation is Astrea snails, add a nice piece of coraline encrusted LR, dose 2 part, monitor params, good lighting...and get your scraper ready...

MustangCaleb · 08/10/2010, 12:51 PM

my friend had GREAT results with AragaMilk in his 55g. ive never heard of anyone else liking the stuff, but i bought some of his purple rock from him, put it in my tank, and started dosing B-Ionic 2 part solution. my whole tank turned pruple in a few months.

LaurieC · 09/06/2010, 02:35 PM

Everyone mentions lighting--what lighting do you recommend for coralline growth? I'm only doing a FOWLER in a 55g so I don't want to invest in the high tech lights yet. In another year or so I plan to add coral etc., but only want to upgrade once and not until then. So in meantime, what's the best, cheap lighting for coralline in a FOWLER? Thanks!

Musicgirl2222 · 11/07/2011, 03:06 PM

Buying bas rock with coraline already on helps a little i aslo have a 10 gal reef just started and have a little bit. I've been using reef code a and b a two part additive which i have been told helps so we'll see how that goes good luck.

KafudaFish · 11/07/2011, 03:23 PM

I run a 5.5 and I add 70 ml of kalk water to about 16 oz of freshwater each day made from Mrs. Wages pickling lime.

1 tablespoon/gallon of top off.

I also add Mg about once a month from BRS.

Any standard light will grow it and some lights like T5 can stun CA growth.

SF Nano Reefer · 11/24/2011, 08:51 PM

Ooo purple.... (:

iben07 · 11/27/2011, 02:51 PM

I run a 5.5 and it just grows like crazy, add more actinic"blue light" than white light and ur purple coralline will grow grow. i use purple up and buffer. add one rock with it and with proper conditions will grow

cherubfish pair · 11/27/2011, 08:37 PM

I've read Calcium Polygluconate will help with CA. It's a sugar like all nutrients will help plants.

cherubfish pair · 12/23/2011, 05:24 PM

^^Yeah, just ran across the CP. Anthony Calfo recommends it in one of his books. He also said be careful of taking water out of the display. The light is much brighter without water to pass through and will bleach your CA even if exposed to air for a short while. CA is sensitive to abrupt increases of lighting.

08/09/2010, 01:18 PM	#1
aquariumkeeper2 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: massachusetts Posts: 40	Growing Coralline algae in a 10 gallon Nano reef tank What is the best chemical or way to grow coralline algae in a small 10 gallon nano reef tank and does purple up do a good job of growing it as well.

08/09/2010, 03:49 PM	#5
disenchantedone Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Monterey Park, CA Posts: 31	Buffer! Used Purple Up - that stuff was worthless. Someone I bought Mangroves from told me to use Buffer and that did wonders! Seed your tank by scraping off some of the purple coraline from somewhere else and maintain your dKH levels with proper lighting. __________________ I'm never gonna make it to the dreaded 50 posts!! Sigh..... Current Tank Info: 55 Gallon Reef & 34 Gallon Solana

08/09/2010, 03:53 PM	#6
musicalrebellion Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Overland Park, Kansas Posts: 124	wow nice coraline growth!!!!! i've had my tank running for about 2 months and i had a few specks of coraline. i used "dead" rock except for one piece of live rock(saving money) and i dose purple up every week. now my tank is about 1/3 covered in pink coraline. for a pretty cheap price purple up worked well for me. although i also used ph buffer. __________________ Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.-winston churchill Current Tank Info: 20 Gallon Nano- Koralia two (with Koralia Nano propeller), Koralia one (JBJ Pulse Wave Maker), Eshopps PSK-75, 6 T5's, and a Bak-Pak converted into a refugium (in progress... looking for the light [pm me if you know of a good and inexpensive one])

08/10/2010, 11:56 AM	#13
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Keep your calcium, alkalinity and magnesium in the proper range and coraline algae will take off. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

08/10/2010, 12:29 PM	#14
chrishet Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Greensboro, GA Posts: 945	Great link SM...I use that one all the time! There is nothing special in PurpleUp to actually seed your tank with coraline algae...not that it is bad stuff, just don't expect it to do anything more than keep your Ca and Iodine levels up....Dosing with 2 part solution will work better. I also have found that keeping all other algae minimized will help the pretty purple stuff grow like mad...snails are key to keeping the ugly greens away...My recommendation is Astrea snails, add a nice piece of coraline encrusted LR, dose 2 part, monitor params, good lighting...and get your scraper ready... __________________ Regards, Chris * Imaging the Cosmos, Astrophotography by Chris Hetlage * Current Tank Info: 70 Gal Shallow-Rimless Custom Build In-progress, Apex Controller, Canon 5D

08/09/2010, 01:27 PM	#2
Reefman29 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 610	You will need to introduce some into the tank from live rock or perhaps a shell. Good calcium levels and light will help it to grow. Usually coralline will grow in established tanks.

08/09/2010, 03:36 PM	#3
Damsels R Cool Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Lakeworth Posts: 224	the best thing is time i had my 10 gallon running for 2 years and now i cant get it to stop and i started with all base rock

08/09/2010, 03:39 PM	#4
Damsels R Cool Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Lakeworth Posts: 224	Then Now

08/09/2010, 04:02 PM	#7
bizzarro Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North Jersey Posts: 25	I'd kept the current flow to a minimal like that power filter on that tank. I had a strong powerhead and most of the time the coralline would cover up the glass more so than the rocks.

08/09/2010, 04:24 PM	#8
gimme? Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Corona Posts: 267	dosing Kent A/B will help as well.

08/09/2010, 07:05 PM	#9
Gill_bucket Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 547	All you need is one really nice piece of live rock a little light and patience. Calcium definitely will help, strontium and iodine wouldn't hurt either. The piece on the left with the whole in it is lava rock so I had to seed it.

08/09/2010, 07:58 PM	#11
Brett9917 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Richboro, Pa/ York, Pa Posts: 448	Good luck with your surgery and I hope some one keeps up the tank while you are gone!

08/10/2010, 12:51 PM	#15
MustangCaleb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: ATL, GA Posts: 55	my friend had GREAT results with AragaMilk in his 55g. ive never heard of anyone else liking the stuff, but i bought some of his purple rock from him, put it in my tank, and started dosing B-Ionic 2 part solution. my whole tank turned pruple in a few months.

09/06/2010, 02:35 PM	#16
LaurieC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New York Posts: 57	Everyone mentions lighting--what lighting do you recommend for coralline growth? I'm only doing a FOWLER in a 55g so I don't want to invest in the high tech lights yet. In another year or so I plan to add coral etc., but only want to upgrade once and not until then. So in meantime, what's the best, cheap lighting for coralline in a FOWLER? Thanks!

11/07/2011, 03:06 PM	#17
Musicgirl2222 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 44	Buying bas rock with coraline already on helps a little i aslo have a 10 gal reef just started and have a little bit. I've been using reef code a and b a two part additive which i have been told helps so we'll see how that goes good luck.

11/07/2011, 03:23 PM	#18
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	I run a 5.5 and I add 70 ml of kalk water to about 16 oz of freshwater each day made from Mrs. Wages pickling lime. 1 tablespoon/gallon of top off. I also add Mg about once a month from BRS. Any standard light will grow it and some lights like T5 can stun CA growth.

11/24/2011, 08:51 PM	#19
SF Nano Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: San Francisco / San Jose Posts: 83	Ooo purple.... (:

11/27/2011, 02:51 PM	#20
iben07 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 5	I run a 5.5 and it just grows like crazy, add more actinic"blue light" than white light and ur purple coralline will grow grow. i use purple up and buffer. add one rock with it and with proper conditions will grow

11/27/2011, 08:37 PM	#21
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	I've read Calcium Polygluconate will help with CA. It's a sugar like all nutrients will help plants. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

12/23/2011, 05:24 PM	#22
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	^^Yeah, just ran across the CP. Anthony Calfo recommends it in one of his books. He also said be careful of taking water out of the display. The light is much brighter without water to pass through and will bleach your CA even if exposed to air for a short while. CA is sensitive to abrupt increases of lighting. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

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