The Secrets to great Coraline
- Thread starter wester97
- Start date
007
Active Member
Originally posted by nicky1.8t
the secrets of coraline are mysterious and hidden all i know is that what ever i did in a past life paid off in my reef hobbie well. i have more coralline than i know what to do with and i cant explain why, i dont do anything different from most of you guys.
and you have quite an elegance coral as well . . . lucky lil' s.o.b.
cayman isl
Member
I've had my 55 "reef in training" up since December. I use 240 watts of NO lights (2-10Ks. 2-50/50s, 2-03 Actinics) and now have spots of coraline spreading on my overflow and powerheads. All I add is Kent Essential Elements and drip Kalk on a very speradic (sp) basis.
I reallyt didn't expect to see any growth for quite some time, so am quite pleased that there is any at all. Guess something must be going right in this tank.
I reallyt didn't expect to see any growth for quite some time, so am quite pleased that there is any at all. Guess something must be going right in this tank.
blackomne
Member
Recipe for Coralline Algae
Light 10 hours :
1 Actinic Bulb
2 Tri Phosophor Bulbs
Calcium:
400 mg/l Calcium and it will deplete so check it regularly.
Salinity 1.024
balance Ph, alkalinity, temp, etc.
Most important a seed stock to activate the tank. Live rock, grunge, wonder mud, whatever.
Even more important patience.
Coralline algae travels in the water column until it finds an acceptable place to put down roots and grow. It will grow on just about any surface with a direct path to the light in the tank. It grows and spores off and spreads. But you need a spore source to activate the system. You will not get Orange coralline if nothing you put in the tank has Orange coralline algae on it. The more varied the source the better. I inherited the rock I had and it was mostly dead. Since I have gotten started the algae has spread out and is even on my lace rock now.
Light 10 hours :
1 Actinic Bulb
2 Tri Phosophor Bulbs
Calcium:
400 mg/l Calcium and it will deplete so check it regularly.
Salinity 1.024
balance Ph, alkalinity, temp, etc.
Most important a seed stock to activate the tank. Live rock, grunge, wonder mud, whatever.
Even more important patience.
Coralline algae travels in the water column until it finds an acceptable place to put down roots and grow. It will grow on just about any surface with a direct path to the light in the tank. It grows and spores off and spreads. But you need a spore source to activate the system. You will not get Orange coralline if nothing you put in the tank has Orange coralline algae on it. The more varied the source the better. I inherited the rock I had and it was mostly dead. Since I have gotten started the algae has spread out and is even on my lace rock now.
neowind
Member
I don't know if you can see it well with this picture or not but look at the rock that is kinda in the middle with the cone snail on it. A turquiose algae is starting to take over that rock and the rock it sitting on. It is an AWSOME color IMO I love it i hope it takes over more rocks.
golfish
Active Member
Coraline grew best for me under med. light..4x55 watt PC's Two bulbs were white (6.7K I think) and the other two were the blue bulbs (not actinics) I also had 2x40 watt NO actinc bulbs. The coraline in this old 55 grew so fast it was unreal. I hated it, mostly because it was an acrylic tank.
I added all this coraline covered rock to 150 gal tank running 2x250 watt 10k DE bulbs and a 400 watt Iwaski. In a matter of a few months it was all gone. It just couldn't take the strong light.
I added all this coraline covered rock to 150 gal tank running 2x250 watt 10k DE bulbs and a 400 watt Iwaski. In a matter of a few months it was all gone. It just couldn't take the strong light.
golfish
Active Member
Originally posted by kpk
will mine do tat golfish just added 2x250 halides too
Are you asking if your coraline will grow good under 250 watt MH's?
I don't know....I've never had much luck growing coraline under MH's, but then I've alway ran A LOT of MH lighting. The 250 watt bulbs I ran were DE's, that's a LOT more light then mogul base bulbs.
diddley
Member
mine grows great in moderate lighting ~3 watts per gallon. the key is using good live rock it returns quickly after the cycle. here is some pink, this picture is with tank lights off, just the camera flash. it's a 50/50 bulb, and the actinic makes the pink look purpler that it really is. high alk and calcium a little over 400 work for me. i still have some green to get covered over though.