donk Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 I have been using "coral vital" for about 1 month and doing 10% water changes weekly. I have noticed a little coraline growth on live rock but none on glass. How long dose this usally take? Link to comment
harbingerofthefish Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 My tanks been up for 5 months or so. Besides the small areas of growth on the rock, I just have the smallest patch growing on my PH intake. You could always add more coraline to your tank from outside scources, or take a toothbrush to the areas you already have. Link to comment
donk Posted January 3, 2003 Author Share Posted January 3, 2003 Thank you, But could you please explain the toothbrush? thanx again Link to comment
kimura Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 I think it scraps off some of the coraline algae spores and spreads it around. That way it will grow else where. I too have the same problem if you will. It's all over the rock, snails, shells and PH. But not on the glass??? My tanks been up for almost 8 months now. But I guess as long as you get growth that's all that should matter for now. Many have told me that once it matures, the stuff grows everywhere. Link to comment
gobies Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Basically, the glass is the last place you'll see coralline growth. Link to comment
tinyreef Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 need a sea urchin? X) (sorry, inside joke if you've seen my display tank) keep your alk/ca high and the coralline will eventually spread. i've found higher flow also helps and higher pH too. the two-part calcium supplements really make a big difference with b-ionic doing better than c-balance or kent's ime. good luck! Link to comment
newreefers Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 My one tank is 3 months old and has coralline on the rock, powerheads, filter intake, magnets, and the glass. mine grows like crazy, purple, green, pink, orange. I use additives and lots of water flow. never scrubed it with a toothbrush, but I have heard this many times. Link to comment
Brianc_4 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Coral vital, will not produce a significant growth of coralline. Tinyreef nailed it with suggesting high alk/Ca levels. My tank has been up for about seven months, and the back wall is a solid crust of purple. I keep the alk at about 11 and the Ca abot 420. I would highly suggest using B-ionic for dosing, I've used both Kents and seachems products in the past, but noticed only significant improvements in growth and stability when I switched to B-Ionic. It is the rolls royce of additives. One more thing to consider with coralline growth that is often overlooked is magnesium. Although your levels of magnesium should be sufficient through regular water changes with a good salt, coralline will not grow without it. So, if you go a couple of months with a good Alk/Ca level but no coralline growth it might be worth testing your magnesium levels. Good Luck;) Link to comment
kimura Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Brianc_4: Thanks for the info. My Alk is at 8 dkh and Ca at 450 using B-ionic. I'm dosing with stro and myo as well. My salt is TM and so far all my parameters are fine. BUT I never thought of magnesium.......So do you suggest bumping it up? I'm also trying to bump up my alk, any suggestions? Link to comment
Xavier Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Test for it first.. I use TM as well, and I tested my Mg just this weekend and it was perfectly fine.. Link to comment
kimura Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Well, I did my weekly w/c a few days ago. I can finnaly see some Coraline growth on the glass:D I figured w/ some patients, it would grow. My only thing is that, I didn't dose for several days after the w/c??? (Lazy and busy studing) I also changed from T.M salt to M.E. salt. I had my wife measure and figure out how much of the blue bottle to use. I'll have her give me the measurements later. I'm wondering if it was just the salt or if I should cut back and do weekly dosings of B-ionic. I'll have to try and experiment on it. Wish me luck! Link to comment
WhiteRat Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Actually, ya know, I have a question about this... What exactly does Coralline Algae LOOK like? I mean, how do I tell it from other stuff on my rocks? I have what I think are some flat, encrusting kinds of sponges, but I also have a lot of purplish and reddish patches that I think are coralline (Red coralline? , Purply coralline? ) but, well...I don't know for sure. I've just sort of been assuming. There's a golden-brown algae growth I've been fighting off lately that I'm pretty darn sure ISN'T coralline, but which of these other things is coralline and which isn't!? Ratty Link to comment
kimura Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 The one you refer to as "Red coraline" algae would be what we're trying to obtain. There are many other types of encrusting algae, but I do believe that the purple stuff is best desired. The others can grow and over take coral if gone out of hand. Me personally, I like the way it looks:) I'm sure their are others here who can give a much more detailed explaination. I'm too tired right now......sorry. Link to comment
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