can i grow coraline algae under these conditions?

[celbrise]

i want to grow coraline algae but i do not have a light fixture. I get a lot of indirect sunlight since my aquarium is next to the window. Also is it possible for the coraline algae to die because of lack of light i mean i hear they like low lighting which my tank gets but i don't want to waste my money just for it to die. And does it need to be scrapped off to spread?

 

[jay0705]

W/o lighting it would be tough. But no u dont have to scrape it

 

[tur4k]

Simple answer....No. Coraline needs a direct light source. It needs calcium. It needs bicarbonates.

 

[pegasus]

As long as there's enough calcium present and adequate light, coralline algae will grow. Disappointed with macro algae withering under LED lights in my fuge, I bought a reflector lamp and 26W spiral fluorescent bulb. Macros grow like crazy, and coralline algae covered everything in no time. Not sure if it'll promote nuisance algae, but it might be a cheap "get by" until you can get the proper lighting.

 

[2quills]

IMO, is has far less to do with lights and more to do with the appropriate levels of calcium and magnesium. Both are necessary for coraline formation and color. You don't necessarily need strong lighting though I've heard it helps.
Red leds are the bomb for growing macro, btw.

 

[pegasus]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/397785/can-i-grow-coraline-algae-under-these-conditions#post_3547141
IMO, is has far less to do with lights and more to do with the appropriate levels of calcium and magnesium. Both are necessary for coraline formation and color. You don't necessarily need strong lighting though I've heard it helps.
Red leds are the bomb for growing macro, btw.
Let's review... the LED lamp over my refugium did NOT grow coralline algae, although the refugium contained the same water as my tank. I switched to fluorescent lighting, and it blossomed. I also had a "reef ready" LED lamp on another tank using the same salt mix, and it bleached the live rocks until there was no coralline algae left. NONE. Coralline is a calcareous algae, and it needs calcium to build it's structure. It also needs adequate lighting in the correct spectrum. Coralline algae doesn't use Magnesium to grow, but Magnesium is necessary (in the correct levels) to keep calcium from bonding with carbonate (forming calcium carbonate) and rendering it useless (precipitation). Low Magnesium results in low Calcium, which causes trouble for the creatures that depend on it for skeletal construction... snails, hard corals, etc., as well as coralline algae.

I've seen red leds on a homemade algae scrubber, and it grew the algae like crazy!

 

[2quills]

Let's review... the LED lamp over my refugium did NOT grow coralline algae, although the refugium contained the same water as my tank. I switched to fluorescent lighting, and it blossomed. I also had a "reef ready" LED lamp on another tank using the same salt mix, and it bleached the live rocks until there was no coralline algae left. NONE. Coralline is  a calcareous algae, and it needs calcium to build it's structure. It also needs adequate lighting in the correct spectrum. Coralline algae doesn't use Magnesium to grow, but Magnesium is necessary (in the correct levels) to keep calcium from bonding with carbonate (forming calcium carbonate) and rendering it useless (precipitation). Low Magnesium results in low Calcium, which causes trouble for the creatures that depend on it for skeletal construction... snails, hard corals, etc., as well as coralline algae.
I've seen red leds on a homemade algae scrubber, and it grew the algae like crazy!  
Interesting. In your opinion what is the proper spectrum?
Coraline covered rock near the top of my tank under my A.I. led fixtures...

 

[pegasus]

I think something in the 6K-8K range works best, but that's just a guess. The LED's I have are 10K with moonlights (460nm). Are yours full spectrum?

 

[acrylic51]

Your missing an important item.....If your parameters aren't inline it doesn't matter what you put over the tank it won't grow.......

 

[2quills]

Pegasus, yes full spectrum fixture. They have neutral whites (4700k I think) but I generally run them very very low. Mostly just use the whites for color blending. The chlorophyll in coraline is the same as corals I believe. The target range for that is around 420nm. I run my royal blue, blue, u.v. and violets at a higher intensity then blend them with the green and red at a lower intensity.
Shawn, agreed. Basically, IMO if you have light hitting wavelengths in the low 400s with balanced calcium, alk and magnesium at reef levels you can grow stony corals and or coraline.

 

[pegasus]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/397785/can-i-grow-coraline-algae-under-these-conditions#post_3547169
Your missing an important item.....If your parameters aren't inline it doesn't matter what you put over the tank it won't grow.......
The coralline algae was growing great in my DT, but not in my refugium under leds. It grows great in the refugium since I switched lighting, and ONLY the lighting. The parameters were actually better in my 24G tank than my main display since it was only used to house a single fish, a couple of hermits and a few snails, but the leds bleached every live rock I put in that tank. The tank was 24" long, 12" deep, and topped with a 24-36" Marineland Reef Capable LED Lighting System - with timer. It had 23 x 10K White 1 Watt LEDs & 4 x 460nm Blue 1 Watt LEDs - 1670 Lumens, which should have been sufficient lighting to grow coralline algae. Perhaps it was too much?

The LED lamp and 24 gallon tank were recently retired. I replaced the tank with a 40B. It will be lit by a 36" six lamp T5HO (IF it ever arrives!), because I know that light will work. I have a larger version on my 125, and you can't tell the difference between the years old rock and the dry rock I put in a couple of months ago. Actually, you can because the new rocks don't have stuff growing out of them yet, but the coralline algae looks the same as what's on the old rocks. It didn't take long to for them to be covered.

My point is... it doesn't matter if your parameters ARE in line if you don't have the proper lighting to promote coralline algae growth. Both are equally as important.

 

[tur4k]

It grows just fine for me under either T5's or AI Hydra LED's. I've always been under the impression that the speed of the growth was dependent on the amount of light and the alkalinity of the water. Just like stoney corals. You need to have "enough" calcium to support growth, but higher levels of calcium aren't going to make it grow faster. Where as higher alk can accelerate calcification.

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tur4k http:///t/397785/can-i-grow-coraline-algae-under-these-conditions#post_3546846
Simple answer....No. Coraline needs a direct light source. It needs calcium. It needs bicarbonates.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pegasus http:///t/397785/can-i-grow-coraline-algae-under-these-conditions#post_3547139
As long as there's enough calcium present and adequate light, coralline algae will grow.

I agree with tur4k - without adequate carbonate, no coraline.

In my experience moderate light grows coralline much faster than intense lighting.

 

[pegasus]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/397785/can-i-grow-coraline-algae-under-these-conditions#post_3547374


I agree with tur4k - without adequate carbonate, no coraline.

In my experience moderate light grows coralline much faster than intense lighting.
I concur.

 

[bang guy]

I was just remembering that coralline seems to grow first in the high flow areas.