Seed coralline algae to Real Reef (Manufactured) Rock

[psumms]

Hi all, I've set up my tank using the manufactured Real Reef brand rock - so no live rock. I've cycled using the Red Sea mature kit, I stopped using the coralline grow formulae after the first week, as I understand from my newbie research, this is essentially a feed to boost growth, and currently, I have no coralline algae to grow!?! Is my thinking correct, the Red Sea additive is pointless without live rock and the presence of coralline?

Also, what is generally the best way to introduce coralline to my tank? Add scraping from another tank?

 

[Reefnman2]

Good question, I'm going to follow as I'm in the same situation.

 

[AdamB]

Hi all, I've set up my tank using the manufactured Real Reef brand rock - so no live rock. I've cycled using the Red Sea mature kit, I stopped using the coralline grow formulae after the first week, as I understand from my newbie research, this is essentially a feed to boost growth, and currently, I have no coralline algae to grow!?! Is my thinking correct, the Red Sea additive is pointless without live rock and the presence of coralline?

Also, what is generally the best way to introduce coralline to my tank? Add scraping from another tank?

Add scraping from another tank. Or just buy a piece of 2 of live rock and scrape .

 

[DeepSouth]

I am currently testing a product called Purple Hex/Pink Hex, but it hasnt been long enough to draw a conclusion. My rocks do seem to have a little more color. Got mine off Amazon. It is supposed to contain algae spores.

 

[Retro Reefer]

You don’t need to add anything it will develop in time.. IMO most of those bottled coralline starters/enhancers are just snake oil.

 

[psumms]

You don’t need to add anything it will develop in time.. IMO most of those bottled coralline starters/enhancers are just snake oil.

But surely the coralline algae has to find it's way into the tank first?!?

 

[Jay Z]

I've found large turbo snails with Coraline on the shells work well for me. Usually just smaller than a golf ball, but everyone I got was covered in it.

 

[Retro Reefer]

But surely the coralline algae has to find it's way into the tank first?!?

Believe me it will find it’s way into your system without any help.. adding a small rock covered in coralline would help to jumpstart but absolutely not necessary. I have probably set up a dozen tanks in the last 35 years and never added anything, they all developed lots of coralline in time.

 

[mrpizzaface]

Info pacific sea farms sells a coralline booster. It is two plastic cards covered in coralline algae. You can scrape and add to the tank.

 

[god503]

I just finish setting a up a 160 gallon custom corner tank. I used all of the carib sea "Real Reef" stuff. I also did use the Helix coraline stuff the pink one since the carib sea is all purple. That stuff does work!!!! it took about a month to show up but its starting to cover the rock with the pink. just keep the algae off the rocks and it will work. very important to have no algae on the rock. it competes for space with the coraline algae. Get lots of snails They will be your best friends, trust me.

 

[mfinn]

Also, what is generally the best way to introduce coralline to my tank? Add scraping from another tank?

I started 2 tanks with Real Reef rock. Great stuff.
Scraping it off the glass from another tank works, or adding anything from another tank with coralline algae on it also works to jump start growth.

 

[god503]

I think its a great alternative verses carving up natural reefs. Plus it make a new setup look soooo much nicer than the bleach out fake stuff while you wait for the coraline to grow and not to mention is like half the price of live rock....

 

[ScottR]

Great info given. Basically coralline has to be introduced somehow if you want it to grow. Live rock is the best. Snails that have it on their shell is a great way as well.

 

[melanotaenia]

Old trick: take a couple of snails or hermit crabs with good coralline coverage on their shells; pick up said crab/snail and hold near powerhead; scrape shell with clean razor blade and scrapings will dissipate with the power head circulation; this will help aid in coralline growth; you will most likely start to hate the stuff eventually

 

[Justfebreezeit]

The ARC bottled coralline products do work. I put the purple and pink in my cycled tank and added a fish. A month later it was growing on my barebottom abs sheet. No snails, corals, or anything that could contain coralline, all dry rock at the point it started growing.

I'm not really saying its a better way or anything but it definitely works and is probably faster than getting a snail with it on it.

 

[SDJustin]

I'll endorse the ARC bottled coralline as well. I too started with RealReef Rock and added ARC Purple Helix and Pink Fusion about a week after the initial cycle was complete. you can see the results at reefgeek.tv (videos tab if live stream is offline)

It is absolutely true that the most critical inputs to good coralline growth are 1) time, 2) water quality with sufficient calc/alk/mag, & 3) more time.

Anecdotally, keeping diatoms and other algae at bay with a good clean up crew + a 'dose' of the coralline spores speed up the process. This would be a good 'BRS Investigates' topic! A control + a setup with the introduced coralline spores.