Coralline Algae Photosynthetic?

[gabbagabbawill]

Pardon my ignorance, but it's something that I haven't figured out yet: is coralline algae photosynthetic? And, does it require a certain amount of light to grow?

[HighlandReefer]

Coralline algae is photosynthetic. Some grows in my refugium with 2 power compact 18 watt bulbs. Some coralline requires more light to grow, similar to what you have on a mixed reef tank.

[PRDubois]

Will be different colors baised on light levels

[johnmaloney]

yes, it depends on the species of coralline. Species like Neogoniolithon for example tend to need more light than titanoderma sp. in general, you are more likely to succeed in growing coralline with more light. other factors like calcium, alk, mag, lack of nuisance algae, also determine how well you will grow coralline algae.

[Mentat]

Yes, the light amount required will vary with the species based on light characteristics at their natural habitat.

[surferboi2113]

there must be non photo types also, because when i used to dive for live rock, the most coralline would be found on the bottom of the rocks...anyone?

[gabbagabbawill]

what color was the stuff you found on the bottom of the rock?

[surferboi2113]

mostly purple and reddish...it was definitely corraline. ther would be more on the bottom than the top. now im really confused...if you ever went diving in the tropics and flipped rocks you would see all the coralline on the bottom of the rocks. the tops are mainly dusty with detritus

[evsalty]

Sounds like there might have been either too much light or that the sand and detris was blocking the light. If I have no coraline on the bottom of a rock and I flip it it will be covered in a couple of weeks.

[surferboi2113]

but how i it growing on the bottom??/ i understand there being too much light on top but why is it growing where there is no light?

[ant1k]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15309780#post15309780 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by surferboi2113
there must be non photo types also, because when i used to dive for live rock, the most coralline would be found on the bottom of the rocks...anyone?

i noticed that too, the rocks would be covered with detritus on the top, but when you flip them over the bottom would be covered in red/purple/green/orange coralline. my tank does that too, for some reason the coralline covers the underside of the rock but when i flip them over it dies off and covers the bottom again.

[johnmaloney]

low light coralline grows on the underside of rocks because of sun/tank light reflection - you also might be mistaking encrusting sponges for coralline, they can look very similar to the naked eye. I bet it is a bit of both. Those species of coralline that are this way tend to blech pretty quickly I have noticed too. I have a watermelon colored bit of coralline that dies off when exposed to light, (it grows just under the sand, but it does get some light...)