Why cant I get coraline algea?

[rebelprettyboy]

Why can I not get coraline algea on any of my rocks or anything? Tank has been set up 4 months and water paraters are
ammonia 0
trites 0
trates 0
phosphate 0
calcium 440
carbonate hardness 11 dKH - 196.9 ppm
Specific gravity 1.027
PH 8.4

 

[zanoshanox]

PH is a lil high, but just having well balanced parameters throughout a long period of time works well.

 

[farslayer]

Your specific gravity is a bit high, your pH is fine, you want to strive for 8.0 - 8.4. Let me ask you this, is there ANY purple corraline in there now? If not, you're going to need to seed your tank with some. Buy some nice purple rocks from the LFS and snuggle them next to some of your bare rocks.

 

[rebelprettyboy]

Its been 8.4 now for a while. And all the purple coraline that came on any of my rocks seem to be going away

 

[farslayer]

It is normal for some corraline to die off in the tank, what type of lighting do you have?

 

[rebelprettyboy]

Yeah i know specgific gravity is high and idk why, but im using a hydrometer so who knows how accurate that is. But ill be working on getting that back down

 

[rebelprettyboy]

260 watts pc

 

[farslayer]

PC is great for corraline. I'd work on getting your SG down (get a refractometer).

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by Farslayer
Your specific gravity is a bit high,
I dont know about that I have kept my SG at 1.027 for about two years now. my coraline growth is excellent, though if I was inattentive it would be easy to slip into the dangerously high range.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by reefkprZ
I dont know about that I have kept my SG at 1.027 for about two years now. my coraline growth is excellent, though if I was inattentive it would be easy to slip into the dangerously high range.
I keep my tank at 1.026 but after evaporation it is usually up to 1.027.

 

[rebelprettyboy]

bumpity bump give me some more info to read when I get home from school

 

[farslayer]

I keep my SG at 1.026, which is the highest I've seen recommended. But if 1.027 works, and if there are no books or studies which say otherwise, it could be alright.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by Farslayer
I keep my SG at 1.026, which is the highest I've seen recommended. But if 1.027 works, and if there are no books or studies which say otherwise, it could be alright.
There are certain seas and parts of oceans that have higher salt concentration than you would think. I aim for 1.026 and don't have an auto top off so it's 1.027 when I get home before I top off.

 

[jerthunter]

Try placing a piece of rock with coraline still on it right near the discharge of a powerhead. With your lighting and alk levels you should start seeing some growth from there. Also coraline seems to grow faster and better on clean rocks, glass, or plastic.