can I prevent coraline growth?

[knockout]

I am setting up a second tank to use as a refugium https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/320433/75g-dt-adding-75-refugium-opinions-needed-wanted
I will have about 100lbs of live rock in there, but I really only want the rock as natural filtration, I do not want it to deplete my calcium, I will also have chaeto in the tank and I would like to run lighting in this tank when my display tank is off to also help stabilize the pH.
Should I pile up all the rock to one side of the tank, chaeto to the other side and just light up the side of the tank with the chaeto? will this prevent coraline growth?
Thanks.

 

[natclanwy]

This has got to be a first, I'm not sure I have seen a post about preventing coraline algea before

I don't believe that you can prevent it without depriving other inhabitants in your tank of calcium, low calcium or complete darkness are the only ways I know that will inhibit the growth of coraline. I have coraline that like lots of light and then I have other types that grow the best with very little light so not lighting the rock may be enough to slow the growth. I'm not sure that preventing the growth in the sump will have a signifacant impact on your calcium depletion rate, so you may be better suited to look into supplementing calcium since you will probably end up having to do it anyway as you get more coral. Supplementing calcium can be done inexpensivly by using food grade lime instead of calcium supplements that are designed for aquariums and come with a price tag to match.

 

[reefkprz]

24/7 lighting will prevent most coraline growth but not all. I have had 24/7 lighitng over my sump for a long time while my tank is completly covered in coraline my sump has some but not nearly a thourough coating.

 

[knockout]

will 24/7 light over the fuge be ok? only want to keep chaeto and rock in this tank. I already supplement calcium, I have about 100lbs of rock on my DT, adding another 100 on the fuge tank.

 

[natclanwy]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
http:///forum/post/2608938
24/7 lighting will prevent most coraline growth but not all. I have had 24/7 lighitng over my sump for a long time while my tank is completly covered in coraline my sump has some but not nearly a thourough coating.
I have 24/7 lighting on my sump and I have plenty of coraline the only thing slowing it down is it has to compete with all of the other types of algea that are growing in my sump. Once it is established in an area though no other algea will grow on the coraline.

 

[reefkprz]

huh thats weird. because I have no other types of algae in my sump. no hair or other nuiscance just macros well let me take a picture it'll show it better than I can explain. as you can see in the picture the only place there is any coraline is actually below the sand line all the rocks are free of coraline (dont count the bleach white ones those are brand new) even my baffels dont have coraline on them.....

 

[natclanwy]

I get great coraline growth everywhere but where I really want it (on the LR in the DT) I have a fair covering on my rock but it grows way faster on my overflows, pumps, and glass than it does on my LR. My sump has a mixed array of macro and nusance algea, and even cyano but I don't have any in my DT so I don't mind too much even nusance algea is a nitrate exporter. The cyano seems to be the best competitor with the coraline though because wherever there is cyano the coraline can't get a foot hold and the cyano will grow on the coraline and it will die off or at least bleach underneath it. I would share some pics of the coraline in my sump but I just scraped the glass a few days ago so I don't have much yet. The difference may be I get some natural light on my sump for a better part of the day since it sits below a window I don't think it ever gets any direct sun though. I get crazy coraline growth on everything on this side of my tank I can clean my skimmer tube and within a week or two it is completely covered again on the side that faces the window.

 

[knockout]

hah, you just made me realize something, this tank is going to be sitting right next to a window...oops for trying to minimize growth, better get really thick curtain