Snake's Methods for Growing Coralline Algae

florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
IMO the phrase should be. A tank that can fully cycle nitrogen with or without mechanical help
I am just trying to establish if your thread contains completely truthful information. That is ultimately what you want I assume. You are stating that a tank need be at least 3 months old for coralline propagation. I do not believe there is a time line if we control the parameters needed for the growth. Let me give you this scenario.
I am a new hobbyist I just set up my DT and I am in the proses of starting my nitrogen cycle. I want to introduce rocks with coralline algae on it. I am short of money so I buy 4 rocks with good growth and 4 rocks with no algae at all on them. I have a spare ten gallon tank. I set up that tank as a grow tank. All it contains is salt water of optimal parameters a power head, heater and light fixture. Now you are stating in your thread that it the hobbyist must have a tank that is at least three months old. I on the other hand think my grow tank will have coralline growth on the previously coralline free rocks long before that.
now as far as growing it in a newly established DT if we use your thread as a guideline there is nothing in that guideline that needs to have a 3 month time line for the growth . or am I missing something.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
As a nube I don’t expect you to judge every line just stay in the shallow end of the pool
But then again you are in the hobby for 15 months so you should have an opinion on the need for a tank to be in operation for 3 months to grow coralline so please enlighten me
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaws1279 http:///t/388860/snakes-methods-for-growing-coralline-algae/20#post_3438992
Thanks snake! I'm glad you help out us newbies, instead of judging every line.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///t/388860/snakes-methods-for-growing-coralline-algae/20#post_3439181
hahahahaaaaa.
It took my system a good 6 month or so to start up with some good coralline algae. but then again,..... started with all new stuff. Tank, sand, l/r, oh well.
I think it took 4 or 5 months for me too; I started with mostly dry rock. First was green from a piece of LR, then purple and pink from I *think* a frag plug. Now I have mostly deep red from the last piece of LR I bought. The coralline really took off when I changed to AquaVitro. Funny that the red only grows on rock and the pink grows on the glass and plastic. The red is also the slowest to spread of the four colors I have.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
The second tank I started, it was my priority to grow coralline. But, it didn't take off for 2 years. But, I was just using a macro fuge. No skimming or scrubbers. It could have taken off much quicker with cleaner water.
 
slice

slice

Active Member
Truth be told, I would just as soon not have it. I have plenty of color from the coral and most of the rock will be either covered up or hidden soon anyway.
With all the scraping and vinegar soaking of parts, it is not worth having.
I went from "Will it ever spread?" to "MAKE IT STOP!!" in short order.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///t/388860/snakes-methods-for-growing-coralline-algae/20#post_3439185
some people never get a good growth of coralline. what do you think happened after six months to add in the growth
After reading a link Spanko sent me a few years back, I can only state that coralline algae can not grow in a system until you introduce it by adding live rocks or a "slice" of coralline sheath, which is a layer of cells that may be attched to a base rock.(pic below). The more types of Coralline that you introduce the more types you will find growing on your tank raised live rocks. I've noticed that new coralline algae starts to seed itself in the first month and it usually is found on the bottom base rock where the lighting is not so bright. This may have something to do with me adding "Ions" by Aquavitro which raises magnesium and maintains strontium and boron. Boron, in my research may play an unimportant factor but I am unable to locate a significant source to prove other wise.
Some studies indicate that by adding or dosing additives in the system may also jump start the spread and growth coralline, but in my personal opinion, buying a good piece of live rock and seeding the system is the most natural and safe way to seed or cultivate a system with good coralline.
Coralline is a living oraganism, a group of cells, but that may be safer in another thread.

I think Green algae grows first then the formation of the red/purple grows over this and crusts over...(see below)
this is green coralline algae.
These are my experiences and findings Joe and what I had noticed with my system over the last couple of years. With or without additives, if you merely get a good piece of L/R, you will get a good growth of C.A. but typically, not in 1 month.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/388860/snakes-methods-for-growing-coralline-algae/20#post_3439337
The big question is always "How long will it take to cover my rocks and glass??"
Just to add here as a discussion point. Coralline is the glue of the reef, anchoring rocks to each other etc. Part of the problem with old tank syndrome is actually coralline growth. As it covers the rock work it is also covering all of the interstices of the rock effectively reducing the amount of anaerobic space in the rock and the flow to it. So this limits the amount of space available to anaerobic bacteria that converts nitrate to nitrogen gas. In our tanks we do not have the value of nature and its continuous change via waves, storms, critters to move our rock work around to open up these spaces. (not saying here that it matters in the ocean with the vast volume of water and rock) However it does matter in our tanks.
And as just a question why would one want it to cover the glass?
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Getting back to my original point. The time frame involved in growing coralline algae is predicated on the conditions presented and the type and amount of coralline introduced NOT how long a tank has been set up
 
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