Coralline Algae

Yes I keep a close eye on this testing weekly, but Ill take your advice and test my salt. Will post the results once complete.

 

My salt is 1.025. I am starting to think phosphates are a culprit as well?

 

Are you doing water changes. Strontium and a few other trace elements are significant factors in coralline growth. I would check Mag as well.

When there are lighting changes I have lost coralline as well.

m2434 has some interesting information regarding the biofilm, while I have not reviewed it in awhile I do believe that it plays a very important role in the development and maintenance of coralline.

Back in the day even under simple fluorescent lighting we grow lush purple and pink algae.

 

I do 5 gallon weekly changes. Have never missed in the two plus years its been running. I am unable to test magnesium tonight cause I don't have a kit. I will have to check with my lfs. I too will have to check m2434 write up.
I feel like not having much coralline algae is like a missing link, so to speak.

 

Not always.

Not all successful tank sps tanks have coralline.

If all other things are good and the trace elements are being replaced, predators are not eating it faster than it can regrow than I would not focus too much on it.

Having had the same issue I can tell you that I love purple and pink coralline, sometimes my tanks were lush with it and sometimes they never really had much.

Perhaps try some seeding and see if you can get a different type to take hold.

 

Great advice. Ill check up in a couple things. If they check out ill let it be. "If its not broke, why fix it".

 

The darker coralline especially, seems to like lower light levels. for biofilms, I'm can't really say what signals coralline. I could say the following seem to be true.
- microorganisms tend to look for settlement cues before colonizing a surface.
- often this is other microorganisms, or other factors such as certain textures, that signal it will be a good environment.
- Microorganisms can produce chemical cues, that either signal other microorganisms, such as ones who may gain mutual benefit by being in close proximity, or defend the territory from other non-beneficial microorganisms.
- coralline is involved in these microbial ecosystems called biofilms.
- coralline seems to be a cue for coral larva settlement and coral growth.
- I couldn't say what the signals are for coralline though, but they seem to occur only in established tanks, probably with the "right" biofilms, whatever that may be. However, the implication is that just having ca, alk etc.. at the right levels probably isn't entirely sufficient, you also need the right micro ecosystem established.
- If there was coralline, it may be there, or perhaps it is dying off. I'm almost certain that there is no such thing as "green corraline" for example, coralline is a red algae, and is very unlikely to be bright green due to the pigment phycoerythrin. I think more likely this is algae that is weakened and unable to defend itself from green micro-algae overgrowth. Perhaps this is due to micro-ecology.

In this case though, I think that the op said the algae more disappeared than was displaced though.