Coralline algae

Coralline algae is one of the most important things to grow on tank raised live rocks. Coralline algae can not grow in a system until you introduce it by adding live rocks. The more types of Coralline that you introduce the more types you will find growing on your tank raised live rocks. A GOOD WAY TO GET STARTED Ask your reef store if you can help by scraping the front glass on their coralline covered show tank. You can hold a small siphon made from an airline below the razor and collect the coralline that you remove.

This coralline sediment is then added to your reef tank so it falls on all of your aquaculture tank raised live rocks. I am very pleased with how fast coralline spreads if you plant it. The way most people try to grow coralline - by waiting for it appear - is like tilling your garden and waiting for seeds to fall from the sky. They will fall but they will be Dandylions most of the time. When you plant coralline algae then you will grow coralline algae.

CORALLINE ALGAE is a very important thing to have growing on your combination tank grown live rocks.

• Use Instant Ocean^TM
• Use 2 - Triton And 1 - Blue Moon 40 watt bulb per 55 gallons
• Use a phosphate removing filter
• Use carbon
• Use pickeling lime - Calcium hydroxide from grocery store at $1.23 lb. in make up water
• Treat tank with Sea Chem - Reef Plus - 2 times dose, Reef Complete, and Reef Calcium
• Use SeaChem Reef Builder in make up water every 4th time - skip Calcium hydroxide this time
• Add lots of types of coralline to start - Just like putting seeds in the garden

This picture shows tank grown aragonite live rocks that are 8 weeks old. The Coraline algae has started to cover the aragonite. You must keep the Phosphate level in the live rock grow out tank very low. Protein skimming is important in the grow out tanks because it controls phosphate. Make-up water can be a source of phosphate. You may need a reverse osmosis or deionization system if your water source has phosphates. Feeding is the most common source of high phosphate levels. We use a phosphate removing filter in tanks that are not producing coralline algae fast enough.

Lighting the live rock grow out tank with 2 Triton 40 watt bulbs to each Blue Moon 40 watt bulb has produced the fastest growth of Coralline algae. We keep the lights on for 14 hours and the Coralline algae grows on every part of the rock that is exposed to the light. We have found many types of coralline algae that thrive in different types of light. Some colors of coralline grow best in the top section of the grow out tanks while others always grow best in the lowest part of the system. The best way to get good coralline algae growth on your tank raised live rock is to start the systems with a large number of different species of coralline algae.

In our research lab we have experimented with several different methods to speed up the growth of coraline growth. We have noticed that new coralline algae starts to seed itself in the first month and it usually is found on the bottom base rock where the lighting is not so bright. The coralline then spreads to all of the other rocks in the system. This may have something to do with the fact that all our tanks are started by adding GARF Grunge, which has an abundant mixture of small pieces of coralline algae. Several colors of Coralline algae can be grown on the same tank raised live rock.

ALL OF THE OTHER REEF ANIMALS
THRIVE IN THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM
YOU CAN INCREASE THE LIGHTS
AS THE CORALLINE GROWS
THIS REEF NOW HAS 4 VHO
AND 1 TRITON AND 1 BLUE MOON

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• Coralline algae prevents other algae from growing
• The bright colors add value to tank raised live rock
• Coralline covered rocks will seed reef aquariums
• Mixed colors of coralline algae are rare in nature
• Coraline algae sells the live rock

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