Quickly increase/grow coralline algae

[sylviaj]

What's the quickest way to increase/grow coralline algae? Had to disassemble reef tank for 6 months. All LR now looks like base rock. There are a few specks of coralline algae but I'm ready to see everything pink and purple like it used to be. Any suggestions?

[RobG]

I've never used them, but IPSF (www.ipsf.com) sells Corraline Booster Pegs that might help you out.

[icemark]

Just scrape it off of anything that has it. You may need the booster plugs or a small piece of LR from the LFS.

Keep the Ca levels up and use half the lighting that you would normally use.

[FishTechie]

take a piece of lr with coralline on it and scrub it with a toothbush to release spores, this is best done right in front of a power head to spread the spores, as long as your calcium is above 350 it will start to grow...hth

[slash7]

Dosing kalkwasser seems to aid coralline growth immensely. I've run tanks with the 2 part additives and with kalkwasser, kept the cal and alk at the same levels in both, but the kalkwasser tank wins in coralline growth hands down.

[golfish]

Kalkwasser and good water flow will do the trick.

[Bughead]

I take a toothbrush once a week and scrape off the hair algae even though there's not much hair algae any more because the side benefit is a lot of nice coraline growth. I'd put dead tufa rock in with the live rock six months ago, now the coraline growth on it is very nice. I also keep the calcium at 450ppm.

[moler1]

Can anyone tell me how to manage the pink/purple algee? Don't put anything in tank except marine SAT and stress coat on water changes. I can scrap glass and take most of it off the rocks and within a week or less you can not even see in the tank. Please help really would like to watch my fish. Tank setup: 38 gallon. 15lbs live rock, two clown fish (nemo), 1 lawnmower blemy, 2 pepermint shrimp, 3 hermit crabs, 1 snail, 1 sea urchin.

[Reefland]

Hi moler1,

Are you saying that the coralline algae grows so quick that you cannot keep it off the tank walls? The only way to reduce the growth of coralline would be to maintain improper calcium and alkalinity levels but of course, this is not recommended. The only other option you have is to continually scrape it from the walls.

[moler1]

Yes it grows too fast. don't know what the calcium or alkiline levels are because have never tested them. but haven't found a way to take the calcium out alittle to where I can atleast go a week and a half without scraping the tank. Is there anything out there that will eat it?

[Reefland]

Chitons and Urchins will crunch on coralline but if it is growing well, they will not do any damage. I have a hard time imagining coralline growing so quick that you cannot go a day or two without cleaning the glass. It is an algae that requires calcification and therefore should take some time to develop in an area after being cleaned off.

[moler1]

I have the one urchin. And helped out alittle but still has everybody in this area that deals with saltwater puzzled. Have had offers to pay me to put their rocks in my tank for a few days. But really afraid of adding new stuff to my tank. But have been trading out rocks. tring to find some with other colors besides pink. Very tired of seeing pink. Maybe can make it tiedyed. Afraid of adding too much to it afraid it might throw the other levels off. Really don't understand this. Was told that if I put a coral in it it would cut down on it some, but need some other imput before I do anything.

[Reefland]

It could just be the specific species of coralline that you have growing that is different from most. It could be an abundance of calcium and nothing to use it except for the coralline. The recommendation that some have given you to put a coral or two in the tank might help reduce the available calcium if they are stony corals. I don't think it will really make a difference though. It sounds like something your going to have to deal with by the frequent cleanings or by trying to remove the coralline by swapping out rocks (I think I would just deal with it with cleanings).