Stop coraline algae?

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greenclaws

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I'm not sure if my tank is just maturing or if my mod to my LED light has created favorable conditions for coraline, but its been growing like crazy in my tank. A few weeks ago, I scraped the colonies off my glass when they were about 0.5-1" across. I turned off all the flow, scraped it off with a razor, and siphoned out the little piles of coraline. A week later, the areas I scraped were covered again except now it looks like purple spray paint. I'm guessing I left behind microscopic algae cells that regrew into tiny colonies.

Anything I can do to slow the growth? My rock is pretty much covered and I can't keep it off the glass. I've never tested my water so I'm not sure what my parameters are. Could more alkalinity offset high calcium? Anything I can scrub the glass with after using the razor to make sure all the algae cells are off?
 
That's a good problem to have. I may be totally wrong so someone with more experience than I correct me if I am, but if coralline is growing you are in good shape. Why don't u want it?
 
+1. Coralline growth is a good sign...

If it's any help, I ran crappy PC lights on my FOWLR for nearly a year, and never had any coralline. Was happy when I replaced them with my LED, T8, MH hybrid system, and saw coralline popping up everywhere...

Why don't you want it, anyway? It looks much better than brown diatoms, and is actually beneficial...
 
Just get an urchin and then you'll miss the purple.

Edit:
CedzAquAddiction;833834 wrote: +1. Coralline growth is a good sign...

If it's any help, I ran crappy PC lights on my FOWLR for nearly a year, and never had any coralline. Was happy when I replaced them with my LED, T8, MH hybrid system, and saw coralline popping up everywhere...

Why don't you want it, anyway? It looks much better than brown diatoms, and is actually beneficial...
Click to expand...

BTW where did you get such lighting fixture? Now that I'll splurge on.:up:
 
saltbubbles;833846 wrote: Just get an urchin and then you'll miss the purple.

Edit:

BTW where did you get such lighting fixture? Now that I'll splurge on.:up:
Click to expand...


Ahhh. Good point about the urchin. That'll work for sure. That's why I got rid of my urchin, in fact. He now resides in my mantis tank...

I actually ended up putting together this hybrid fixture myself when I built my canopy. I have two eshine units right in the middle of of each side of the tank, one 10,000k 48" and one 423 nm 48" flourescent bulb (only 34 watts each. added mainly for coverage and accent, but the corals and clam still respond when only florescents are on), and one 20,000k 150w metal halide right smack in the middle of the top of my canopy. I'll post some pics when I start my build thread. I was more than happy with the LED's alone, but had a dim spot in the middle of my tank. The MH definetely took care of that. LOL. I only run the MH for about 2 hours a day for my viewing pleasure, not so muc for growth. The flourescent bulbs were added for accent only. All together, it is a corraline and reef growing machine. LOL...
 
CedzAquAddiction;833850 wrote: Ahhh. Good point about the urchin. That'll work for sure. That's why I got rid of my urchin, in fact. He now resides in my mantis tank...

I actually ended up putting together this hybrid fixture myself when I built my canopy. I have two eshine units right in the middle of of each side of the tank, one 10,000k 48" and one 423 nm 48" flourescent bulb (only 34 watts each. added mainly for coverage and accent, but the corals and clam still respond when only florescents are on), and one 20,000k 150w metal halide right smack in the middle of the top of my canopy. I'll post some pics when I start my build thread. I was more than happy with the LED's alone, but had a dim spot in the middle of my tank. The MH definetely took care of that. LOL. I only run the MH for about 2 hours a day for my viewing pleasure, not so muc for growth. The flourescent bulbs were added for accent only. All together, it is a corraline and reef growing machine. LOL...
Click to expand...
Ahh that's what I thought:sad: and just to stay on topic yes urchins will do it plus mine is growing like crazy.
 
If you're running a FOWLR tank, I'd say space your water changes by a few months...just keep a good skimmer on the tank. If you have coral, unfortunately it's something you're going to have to deal with. Coraline is a calcium bases algae, so your parms are def favorable to grow it...along with your lights.
 
I been waiting on my tank to see more corraline, all I can see now is a few spots on the rubble that it was first in the tank, parameters are ok, and I run MM dimmable leds, however I really like the corraline covered rock and tank all over, and I think anything that you if change on Ca or Alk or even Mg, will upset the stability in your tank instead of fixing the corralline overgrown. Just my 2 cent. I'm not expertise.
 
That's part of the hobby, Man...

I pretty much make it a habit of mine to walk in the door after work and scrape and feed before I get comfortable. Makes it less of a chore. If I sit down and start relaxing, tank maintenance will probably get ignored that night. I try to scrape every day, but, I do it no less than every other day. Oddly, I kind of enjoy it...
 
I see what you are saying. I can imagine it getting out of hand in a week. If her mom can do it at least every other day, it'd definetely make the weekly cleanings much easier...

Best of luck!!!
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. The past three water changes have been once every three weeks. I don't think I want to go any longer than that. I know the coraline is a good thing but like Barry pointed out, it's an eyesore on the glass. I was hoping someone could suggest a material that would remove all of the residual particles that the razor is missing.

I think I'll try using a razor and then the scrubby side of a new sponge.

I could always spend all my savings on SPS to fill every square inch of the tank and hope it outcompetes the coraline ;)
 
A guitar pick works amazing! I don't even use a razor anymore... try it out
 
The only way I can see preventing the coraline is by using a Magfloat and cleaning your glass no less than every other day... I scrape coraline off my back glass when I do water changes because I can't reach it with a magfloat and I never make an effort to suction out any of the floating debris and it has no effect on more coraline growing on the rock or glass. I think if any of us left town for a week or two we would come back to our glass covered in coraline... And like others have said, if my glass <u>wasn't </u>covered in coraline that's when I'd be worried.
 
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