coralline

i have introduced many samples of coralline covered rock into my tank...and have scraped at some of them. alot of my base rock is becoming coated in lime green colored growth that is encrusted to the rock. i have heard this is the first stage of the coralline growth. it is lime green on the rock...but i have a few small purple dots of it on the back glass...and some dots on every powerhead. they do not seem to be growing in size over the weeks though. is this normal for coralline and will the growth just suddenly take off some time soon? how long does it take for powerheads and glass to have good coralline growth?

 

Yes the little purple dots are coralline. Just keep your Cal and Alk up and it will spread. It does spread slow, but soon it will be everywhere.

 

Make sure the magnesium level is normal.

 

someone told me on thereeftank to have good coralline you HAVE to test for calcium,alk,dkh,and ph. test kits are alot of money. i know calcium is imperative for coralline, so i ordered a test kit for it. otherwise i just test for ammonia and nitrite...i do water changes every week with instant ocean so im sure my water chemistry is fine....if it wasnt i wouldnt have gotten the little dots of coralline.

 

dont wish for it to grow on your powerheads , youre just gonna have to clean them quite a bit. it will close up the grills. and try to keep it off the main viewing areas as much as possible. it does become a pain

 

Yes, my tank is the same way. Lime green first then coralline pops up. My understanding is having it on the power heads can help spread it a bit faster but when they are completely covered then it is time to take them out and clean them with vinegar.

I notice the fastest spreading of coralline when condition levels are excellent, I turn off white bulbs, I shut off the sump pump/overflow, scrape the walls and let it sit for 48 hours with the power heads going. Great way to spread it and stimulate growth.

 

That reasoning is a recipe for disaster.

Just give it time, it will grow given the right conditions and to determine the right conditions, you need to test for Ca, Alk and Mg. Even if conditions aren't ideal, it will grow, just slower. As mentioned already, you really don't want it on the powerheads, it can build up and cause problems. You can keep them clean by scraping it off and soaking in a water and vinegar solution.