coraline

[tld15]

finally registered after being a guest for about two months now
I have a 75 gal. reef set up with 50 lbs. fiji rock and 45 lbs. base rock corallife compact lights 260 watts, moving 1200gph, seaclone protein skimmer. running the lights 8 hrs. a day. adding bionic #1 and #2 daily (20 ml.) . Is there anything I can do to promote coraline algae. really looking forward to seeing it on powerheads back glass etc.

 

[zanemoseley]

sounds like your doing well, I've heard you can lightly brush the existing coraline on you Fiji with a toothbrush and that will spread the spores

 

[tld15]

thanks for the reply zane I will try that.

 

[bang guy]

Welcome to the board! I'm glad you decided to register.
I agree that scrubbing existing coralline will help. So will good Calcium & Carbonate levels, and time

 

[tld15]

Bang my calcium level is 440 not sure how to check carbonate level.
or what it is?:notsure:

 

[jugger]

when you scrub the rock it will help if you turn off your skimmer for a day or two

 

[tld15]

jugger when I add the b-ionics #1 and #2 is it recommended to turn off the skimmer for awhile?

 

[jugger]

thats a good question....one that im not sure of....part of me says no bc i dont think that much will be skimmed away aslong as you have good water flow (that is if your adding it all at once Vs dripping)....and the other part of me says it wouldnt hurt doing it.... i dont turn it off when i add saliferts buffers (soon switching to ionic).... im sure someone that is more knowledgeable in this subject and uses ionic will answer that....sorry
but when i add other things like marine snow, MG and stronch i will turn them off...and usually add at night

 

[tld15]

THANKS JUGGER

 

[denniss]

Just got finished reading a good article on sea-urchins.It said that the presence of urchins greatly stimulate the growth of coralline algea by three fold.I have 2 in my tank that is only 3 months old and the coralline is everywhere.Im thinking of adding a couple more urchins.

 

[elguapo]

really? did they give a reason? sounds like mumbo jumbo to me.
-gabe

 

[tld15]

Denniss
Besides the urchins are you adding any supplements ? If so what and how often.

 

[jugger]

it might be true to a certain point..... i THINK my snails and hermits spread coraline alot....just because they are crawling and rubbing all over the coraline covered rocks....and their shells are covered in layers of coraline...so when the rub on other parts of the tank they possibly deposit it there or even just break the spors into the water flow to be deposited other places..... but the urchin thing might have little effect....but what do i know

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by elGUAPO
really? did they give a reason? sounds like mumbo jumbo to me.
I believe that 100% and it fits in with my experience with one caveat.
Urchins bite off a LOT of Coralline but they are messy and not all of the Coralline goes in the mouth. A lot of it just falls. I believe this spreads it around pretty quickly.
OTOH - if you don't have a lot of Coralline they can eat all of it before it gets a chance to spread.

 

[reb]

I heard that urchins aren't good in a reef tank, they'll go after certain corals. Is this true?

 

[jbstuart]

I took mine out of my reef not because it ate corals, but because it would wedge itself into areas and turn them over. It as a pencil urchin. This was extremely frustrating to find them turned over or knocked down all the time. I could not believe the strength it had with its spines.

 

[bang guy]

Diadema it the best type for reefs IMO.

 

[new_noob]

i heard that emerald crabs also help spread spores, well i'll be sure to buy some more hermits, an emerald, and maby some other things that rub on the coraline, next time im at my LFS.

 

[denniss]

I have been adding iodine and reef calcium to my tank.I added about 25 more pounds of live rock a week ago and it already has some spots of purple on it.The article I read is SeaScope Volume 20 Issue 4 2003 by Aquarium Systems.It was very interesting.