How do you grow coralline algae

It will also cover your pumps and other equipment, reducing flow rates as it covers the various components of your equipment. Coralline algae is one of the main reasons it is important to soak and clean your pumps regularly in an acidic pump cleaner or vinegar bath.

Photo by Robert at Marine Depot. Coralline algae thrive in the same basic lighting and water conditions as reef-building stony corals. If your aquarium is set-up and being maintained to support stony coral growth, you can grow CCA. The only other thing you need to do is SEED the tank with live coralline algae to get it started. CCA reproduce by spores, one of the most efficient ways possible. The spores will settle on the rock and form new coralline algae colonies and so you only need to seed your aquarium with spores one-time.

CCA spores seem to be found in or on almost all wild reef organisms so it is not difficult for the spores to find their way into your tank with no extra effort. All you need to do is stock the tank with typical reef tank inhabitants.

There are, however, a number of ways to intentionally introduce coralline algae which is especially useful when the tank is built using dry or synthetic rock which is certainly becoming the norm over the live rock of days past. Using live rock rubble is certainly better than larger pieces of live rock because you will run less of a risk of nasty hitchhikers getting into your system.

Frags are also another terrific way to introduce live coralline algae to the tank. The CCA growing on frag plugs and mounts will work just fine. You can also add a cleaner snail or hermit crab shell that is encrusted with CCA. Essentially just find something with living coralline algae on it and put it in your tank. There are a few manufactured aquarium products designed to seed your tank with CCA algae. The reviews are mixed and we have yet to test them here at Marine Depot.

If you have experience with something like this, we would love to hear about it. Specific gravity should be somewhere between 1. Are the Calcium levels within the — ppm range? If these parameters are within acceptable parameters, then you might have a creature in your tank that is snacking on your algae.

There are a few common marine species that will depend much on Coralline Algae in your tank. Here are a few of the most likely culprits. If your marine life is responsible for the loss of algae, you have a few choices to deal with this issue. First, you can try to make your Coralline Algae grow faster than the rate at which your aquarium life is eating it. That might be tricky depending on the rate of consumption, but you can follow the tips in the above sections to outpace the critters.

You can also try to supplement the species diet with additional flakes or pellets to make them fuller more often. This will hopefully reduce the number of algae that the creature is eating on average.

Finally, if you are really attached to the look of Coralline Algae, you might consider finding a new home for your Coralline eating critter. If your sump is set up effectively, you might even rehome them there. That means supplying an adequate diet and water quality. Coralline Algae is an alga with a light reddish color and loves to grow on live rock.

Coralline Algae needs to be brought in by you purposefully. However, the color can range from a deep purple to a light red. It helps to bring a different color palette to the aquarium while at the same time removing growing space for other kinds of nuisance algae. In fact, Coralline Algae will out-compete more pesky species of algae for nutrients and space. Not only does this species of algae give your aquarium a makeover, it quietly helps to reduce the abundance of other kinds of nuisance algae.

Now you should have a solid foundation for how Coralline Algae benefits your aquarium. From its ability to control many species of algae from taking over your aquarium to its water chemistry benefits to its aesthetically pleasing colors, Coralline Algae does quite a lot for something that is often labeled as simply a nuisance. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.

Content on Reef Tank Resource is copyrighted. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. All trademarks property of their respective owners. Share on facebook. Share on twitter. Share on linkedin. Share on pinterest. All of our 13 strains of Coralline Algae are tropical species, they will not grow in very cold waters, and their reproductive rate is the fastest between degrees.

We strongly recommend having a heater controller to eliminate fluctuating temperatures, if the temperature fluctuates too much or too often the spores will stay in a dormant like state until this is corrected. This article is actively currently being worked on and will be finished by Monday June 30th, … Thank you for your patience and Happy Reefing!

Coralline Algae Growth Guide. However should you succeed in striking a balance between coral and coralline algae growth, your aquarium will develop the most exquisite backdrop for aquarium corals, a nice purple blanket over most of the aquarium rocks. Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years.

Jake is interested in every facet of the marine aquarium hobby from the concepts to the technology, rare fish to exotic corals, and his interests are well documented through a very prolific career of speaking to reef clubs and marine aquarium events, and writing articles for aquarium publications across the globe.

His primary interest is in corals which Jake pursues in the aquarium hobby as well as diving the coral reefs of the world. Minus the Aiptasia, this plating coralline algae is a beautiful sight in the aquarium. Photo Joseph Knight In the early days of reef building having good and luxurious coralline algae growth on live rock and tank walls was a hallmark of a healthy tank.

Photo Mike Giangrasso Since coralline algae uses calcium, carbonate and magnesium to grow, not to mention many trace elements, explosive growth of CCA can be viewed to be in direct competition with aquarium corals.

Jake Adams Jake Adams has been an avid marine aquarist since the mid 90s and has worked in the retail side of the marine aquarium trade for more than ten years.