Purple-up coralline accelerator

[tim_12]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
My tank is seven feet long. On the right half I have 2x150wt HQI 20,000k XM's. (Two poor to buy the other two lights for the left side.. maybe in a month)
Over all the tank I have NO and VHO's. My coralline is growing more under the HQI's.
I have the same results. As soon as I got my MH lighting, my coralline started to grow like crazy. But for the 3 months before that, I saw no noticable growth under NO lights.

 

[hurt]

I saw no noticable growth under NO lights.
Normal Output lights are considered low lighting. You will see little to no growth under low lighting. PC and VHO are considered moderate lighting. From my experience moderate lighting will grow coraline algae the best. MH's seem to bleach out coraline-IMO.

 

[mitzel]

THanks everybody I was actually thinking of how to get this to grow in my tank. now I have a little better idea.

 

[hurt]

The biggest factor IMO is to have proper levels of Ca, Alk, and Mg. Not to mention low phosphates, and a few hermit crabs to scrap the spores to spread it. Finally you need to have at least moderate lighting.

 

[reefnut]

The biggest factor IMO is to have proper levels of Ca, Alk, and Mg... low phosphates... moderate lighting.
Ditto...

 

[mudplayerx]

Originally Posted by ReefNut
mudplayerx, have you tested your phosphates?? Phosphates can have a huge impact on calcification.
Yep! I use the phosphate test kit manufactured by instant ocean. I've never had it turn any sort of color, which means zero phosphate. I have tested it on my tap water and there was phosphate, so the test kit works. I 'm pretty sure the mh lighting is making it grow slowly, because if I take a rock from the shade and put it in the highly lit area, the coraline slowly dies

 

[ezee]

I have actually read on another forum that most coralline tends to not grow quickly in more highly lit areas but also that there may be a species that thrives in the higher light environments and the trick may be to find that type (on lr, of course) and cultivate its growth in your tank.
E

 

[reefnut]

Originally Posted by mudplayerx
I 'm pretty sure the mh lighting is making it grow slowly, because if I take a rock from the shade and put it in the highly lit area, the coraline slowly dies

This is my experience as well.