coralline algae is a type of encrusting red algae that contains calcareous deposits within its cell
walls. it forms on rocks, pumps and tank glass and although is classified as red algae it's
most commonly purple lilac and pink when it grows on our tanks. some species can also be yellow,
blue or gray green in color. it grows in all the world's oceans and is an important part of the
marine ecosystem. in the wild coralline algae is an important reef builder fusing rocks and
dead coral skeletons together and even forming its own rocks as layer and layer encrust over
the reef over time. creatures eat it too, like parrotfish and sea urchins -- powdering it up
and in turn contributing to coral sand layers and new calcareous base rocks as it gets compressed
down and covered over millennia. when it grows in the right place like on your rock structure
coraline is a desirable algae and a reef tank with lots of coralline growth is also a sign
that it is mature and has good water chemistry for growing corals it also provides surface areas for
beneficial bacterial growth and coral frags take readily to its surface when stuck to it
here are some ways that you can encourage it coraline algae like the same water conditions
that corals do so that includes staple salinity ph alkalinity calcium magnesium as well as the other
important trace elements coraline algae won't grow if dkh calcium and magnesium are too low
so test your water and if your parameters aren't at least as high as natural seawater
use buffers and water changes to bring those levels back up here are the levels that all
reefers should aim for for healthy corals they're also necessary to encourage and maintain coraline
algae growth check your salinity too as it will be difficult to manage chemistry if your water isn't
at the correct levels you can also add supplements that are specifically targeted to boost coralline
algae growth although we recommend that they are combined with the relevant dkh calcium
and magnesium test kits so that you have a better idea of how much to add and when as they contain
buffers too and if you want to give your coralline a turbo boost increase ph and alkalinity using
calc fossa and a calcium reactor and you should see some crazy bright pink coralline in no time
i'll say taking shortcuts always comes with some risks so we only recommend this to experienced
reefers who know how to manage the effects that this can have on their animals phosphate nitrate
can [ __ ] coralline algae growth and encourage fast-growing nuisance algaes which will smother
it and prevent it from finding a clean surface to become established on use a phosphate reactor
algae scrubber refugium or probiotics to keep those nutrients consistently low starving the
new synthology while providing opportunity for coralline algae to take root crows will thank you
for it too coraline algae loves blue and violet light spectrums between 435 and 380 nanometers so
use a combination of blue and violet leds or tinic t5 lamps to really encourage its growth it doesn't
need bright light and will often grow on the back of the tank and in areas that are almost shaded
but it does need the right spectrum of light to truly flourish so treat coralline algae just like
hard coral with good light water chemistry and low nutrients in the tank and it'll grow in no time
encrusting everything in the tank and making your reef tank look more like a slice of nature
and a well-established marine ecosystem do all of these things and should just appear and start
growing on its own but there's nothing better than introducing some coraline algae fragments to start
it growing in your tank and give you a head start use cured live rock that is already encrusted with
pink and purple coralline algae to introduce it to your tank we're deliberately select coral colonies
with pink and purple encrusted bases at your local fish store you can also find a fellow reefer who
has some and scrape some off their glass with a razor blade use coral glue to stick fragments
purple side up to your rocks it should start to spread and colonize in no time and if you want
to achieve maximum unhindered coral line growth we recommend that you leave out the sea urchins
although brilliant algae eaters they also consume coralline algae and will leave a trail of coraline
free new looking rock in their wake and although few tanks are large enough to house them leave
out parrotfish too but if you just want the simple life with purple rocks and no fuss don't worry the
hobby can cater to you too artificial reef rocks are available in pinks and purples to simulate
that reef look they're suitable for fish only or reef tanks and provide that instant coralline
algae look without the hassle but how much is too much you'll soon know that some of the places that
coraline algae appears are on your overflow combs and plastic pump cages it can negatively affect
pump performance if it starts to encrust over the inlets so use pump cleaner to remove it and make
your pumps look and perform like new again and not every reefer likes to have coralline algae growing
on the back glass especially if they have an open minimalist scape with a black or clear background
to remove coralline algae from those areas use a long reach scraper
or use an algae magnet with a blade and it will come off by applying some gentle pressure
with a little bit of regular maintenance you will have this algae in precisely the places that you
want and clear it away from the places you don't we really hope you found this information helpful
if you have any other useful tips please consider dropping them in the comments section below
they may just help someone that is struggling to establish algae in their tank
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