Are you tired of seeing plain white Live Rock and just want coralline algae to grow? Coralline Algae is an encrusting algae and the most common colors are purple, pink, green and orange. One advantage of Coralline Algae is it makes it difficult for Green Hair Algae to grow on the live rock. Some aquarists love Coralline Algae, others hate it because it is difficult to remove from the aquarium walls, especially in acrylic tanks. Be sure to have a good algae scraper.
Make Coralline Algae Grow Faster
1. There are many competing theories, but you will need some live rock with Coralline Algae growing on it to seed your aquarium. This can be bought online or from your local fish store.
2. One method of spreading Coralline Algae is to scrub the algae with a toothbrush. This will release spores into the water that will attach on live rock and aquarium walls.
3. Many hobbyists swear that Coralline Algae grows better in low light and under Actinic Blue Bulbs. These are typically labelled as Actinic 03, 420nm, 260nm or 20k bulbs.
4. Elevated Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium levels really make Coralline Algae take off. These chemicals are increased through dosing, but remember to Test Your Water to make these elements remain balanced. Alkalinity seems to be especially important.
Coralline Algae Growth
Within a few weeks or even several days, Coralline Algae should begin to appear on the aquarium walls and live rock. It will typically grow where you dose the alkalinity supplement. Coralline Algae is also attracted to black acrylic or plastic. So you may see coralline algae growing on your overflow box or aquarium algae magnet.