What I've figured out about coralline growth...

[Vincerama]

I thought I'd share my experience with coralline growth and that others might share theirs as well.

 

My tank is 3 months old and here is what I've observed...

 

1) The coralline bleaches out during the cycle (d'uh) but don't worry, it's still there

 

2) Dripping kalkwasser appears to speed up coraline growth. IE; you must keep your Ca levels up while it grows. Maybe after the tank is fully encrusted, you can cut down!

 

3) The parts of the tank that receive DIRECT flow from a powerhead seems to be a starting point for coralline growth! I had a powerhead turned such that the flow was aimed at and along the side of the tank. Coralline started growing there, and also on a rock that was in the output flow area! My theory is that the coralline spores (and anything else) will eventually get shot out the powerheads...if the "target" is nice porous LR, then the coralline spores will accumulate there and grow there. Conclusion...aim your PHs at rock!

 

4) Coralline will grow even where it is shaded. I have a rock in the corner of the tank and coralline grows on ALL SIDES of the rock. Some rocks exhibit growth UNDER them.

 

5) Green hair algae prevents coralline growth. Seems like a turf war. When the GHA finally receded and the cleanup crew kept the rock FAIRLY clear of it, the coralline started coming back...but the rocks were almost barren of coralline where the biggest GHA outbreaks were!

 

6) As an experiment, I put a small piece of white PVC in the tank...just to see if coralline like it...we'll see.

 

7) "Coral Vital" is snake oil. Adding it happened to co-incide with a massive GHA outbreak I have. Since it has receded and my crew looks hungy, I am starting to add it again...even if it causes GHA to appear...on the off chance that it DOES do anything, but to be honest I think that the only thing it does is remove $20 from your pocket.

 

Conclusion:

a) Ca levels very important, dose kalk or other stuff

Use water flow to spread coralline, then redirect the flow to another place...so you can seed many points of growth. It's better to have many points of growth, rather than continously redirecting spores to a point where it is already growing.

c) Pateince! Time will take care of the GHA and open up spots for your coralline to grow. Live coralline will prevent GHA from growing!

 

Any other hints or observations?

 

Vince

[Korbin]

Corraline is more likely to grow on acrylic than glass.

 

The real thick, dark purple corraline grows in low-light areas.

 

The thin, pink type grows in higher light areas

 

There is a green type that can take over and dominate

 

The dark purple kind gets pink streaks when you drop salt crystals on itX)

[brandon429]

Id agree on that Vincerama

[T?@7]

i let my tank go 2 weeks without any dosing, just top off and when I returned I noticed ALOT more corraline growth. I was dosing b-ionic