?Purple Stuff?

[surfertdr]

First off what is the purple stuff, i guess its algae, that grows on the rocks and on the back of the tank? I have seen it in a couple of tanks and like how it looks on the rocks. I have a new 12g aquapod with 54w pc lighting, what do i need to do to start it growing? is the lighting good? thanks

 

Taylor

[DRoy1124]

coralline algae. its very beneficial to your tank and adds great color. it will naturally grow in your tank, but its process can be sped up with anything with high calcium (calcium supplements or purpleup). Your lighting will be fine.

 

good luck

[supahtim]

the purple stuff is coraline algae.

 

grows mostly under actinic. you will get it in time, as it grows best when your aquarium has been established for a while.

 

how long has your tank been running for?

 

Tim

[surfertdr]

its been running for about 5 days. I am still cycling but this is my first reef tank and i am still trying to learn. how do the tanks develop the different colors of coraline? thanks for the info

[micaaronfl]

its just random the colors

[zachxlutz]

its just random the colors

 

Actually, i'll butt in.

 

The colors that end up popping up in your tank have to be seeded from somewhere. That "somewhere" is your live rock you purchased. Now, purple seems to be the most dominate color, in coralline that is, so that will eventually be the color that forms the most. Although... if you were to put dead base rock in your tank and just one piece of live rock and the only color coralline it had on it was red, then your tank would form red coraline, etc.

[surfertdr]

so would both the purple and red coralline grow if i got live rock with both or would one color take over?

[zachxlutz]

I have both in my tank... it's pretty hit or miss, what I was trying to emphasize is that coralline algae has to be seeded from somewhere, weather it be live rock or just rubble that your coral comes attached to.

[Chupacabras]

You could get lucky like me and have predominantly brown coralline...

[Eole00]

I got alot of green coraline in the lower light areas and purple under high light. the red coraline grows very well in my fuge, under a small pc light. eventually the purple tends to outgrow all the other colors

[DRoy1124]

i got everything!

 

not too much green tho

 

is there such thing as white coralline?

I think i have some of that.

[spanko]

I have red, purple, green and I think white also.

 

http://saltaquarium.about.com/library/blank/bl_coralline.htm

 

This is a pretty good article.

[Withers]

I got alot of green coraline in the lower light areas and purple under high light. the red coraline grows very well in my fuge, under a small pc light. eventually the purple tends to outgrow all the other colors

 

Same here. Purple always ends up winning in my tanks. Now that I've got T5's though, I'm not sure if I'll ever see any (which is a blessing!).

[stallen]

i got everything!

 

not too much green tho

 

is there such thing as white coralline?

I think i have some of that.

 

Yes, there is white coralline. It's dead though.

[adam1121]

Yes, there is white coralline. It's dead though.

 

 

Thats what i thought too

[MJD]

This thread is more benefecial in the beginners forum rather than the adavanced topics section.

 

MJD