Coraline Algea Out of Control

[Azgasser]

I have a brief questions, what types of tank conditions make coraline algae growth spiral out of control? I am having a difficult time keeping it off my acrylic tank. What can I do to get it in check? TIA!

[bertoni]

Well, the algae need food, so that's one area to consider. Excess feeding and insufficient filtration are both possibilities. How big is this tank? The 80g? How much live rock is there?

Growing and harvesting a macroalga might help. That worked for me.

[whiteshark]

Well, what we aquarists consider good water params will make it grow. If you wanna make it stop, you can let your nitrate get high, and mag get low. Then the coraline will stop. However, it will be taken over by hair algae or some other nuisance algae. You should be happy you have it everywhere and just deal with cleaning it off. It is a sign of a very healthy tank! :rollface:

[Alaskan Reefer]

Not much you can do but be happy that your tank parameters are all good. To stop it from growing you could start feeding a lot of unrinsed mysis daily to let the phosphate build up in your system.

Just depends if you prefer hair algae or coraline algae. :)

Now get to cleaning.

[jumpincactus]

I want to pipe in concerning coralline algae. When using acrylic tanks I am concerned that even though coralline is the more desirable algae to have in a reef for obvious reasons. How do the acrylic tank owners here clean the viewing panels without scratching the acrylic.

Coralline has a lot of calcium in it and that is going to wreak havoc while cleaning. Any tried and tested ways to clean with out scarring the plastic???

[Blown 346]

The special Kent marine Acrylic scrapers work perfect.

[XeniaMania]

Ok, here's a better question. How do I get it to grow on my rock versus my tank?! :lol: There's plenty on the tank, just not enough on the rocks.

[pitt_prodigy]

When you scrap it from the tank walls rub the coralline scrapings into the rock you want to seed. It doesnt take very much for it to take off on its own. My hermits did a pretty decent job spreading it around for me..... and what they didnt get i seeded with a toothbrush. Now even my baserock has the starts of multi shades of purple and red. good luck.

[piranhaking]

also i have read if you just rub an algae magnet over it it will release spores which will encourage it to spread

[coyoteseven]

Though I don't own an acrylic tank, I've seen on various threads where an old credit card is recommened as an excellent scraper. It seems as most credit cards are made of a softer plastic and usually have rounded edges, the chances of scratching are much less.

The scrapings from the tank sides will eventually settle on the rock and grow.

Just my 2¢

[XeniaMania]

Huh ...ok...I'll try that, thanks!

[kevin2000]

Coralline algae growth on tank walls is pretty std affair in most reef tanks .. the same calcium that you need for coral growth is the same stuff that coralline uses. Sometimes providing high water flow against the front wall of the tank will decrease the amt. of coralline that accumulates there ... perhaps it prevents the algae spoors from settling their. As far as removing coralline from acrylic I use one of those fake promo plastic credit cards we receive in the mail -- works fine w/o scratching the acrylic.

[bwilson60]

Im not sure how this is an issue for anyone? We have lots of coralline in our tank however none on the front or side walls? Why because we have the mag cleaners in our tank. Every day when I get home from work I spend two minunets and clean the walls I have never had to do any more cleaning than that in my 150. I think by cleaning every day I have avoided the need to do major project cleans.

[XeniaMania]

Yeah...cuz you get to remove most of them at the spore level which is alot easier to clean. Gotta get one for my tank..:D

[Alaskan Reefer]

Old credit cards are probably better than the Kent plastic scraper -- I've read where even that can scratch acrylic tanks.

Not that you can use it in an acrylic tank, but my diadema urchin which eats coraline like crazy does a great job of spreading it. Grows back faster than he can eat it...

[jumpincactus]

Yes Xenia that is an old trick I learned from a LFS. After scraping your glass take the coralline scrapings and spread it around your rock.

My LFS even recomends turning off you filtration about 30 minutes to keep it from being blown around and out to your sump or skimmer.

A buddies rock was pretty barren even after 6 mos of cycling and he got about two ounces or there abouts and did this method and walla he had awesome growth a few months later.

I remember reading somewhere that for some reason coralline has a propensity for adhering and preferring acylic tanks over glass.

Thanks all for the input on the credit cards and Kent scraper.

Seems after all the purchases for my reef I have a couple of credit cards that are now useless. :) Well I guess they can still be od service scraping algae.

[XeniaMania]

yes...recycle plastic! :lol:

[mecold]

Yup credit card works very well..

[ZOKU]

I hope when my 120 gets up and running I have the "problem" of having a lot of coralline... :)

[kris6983]

congrats many of us strive for that. you must be doing many things right. I have gotten great growth on rocks but just recently started on my glass. you may have a good water supply that is good for growth. I have had my tank set up for 5 years.