coralline algae looks very pretty, but it benefits you tank by doing.....??

new reefer 03

Active Member
just curious does corraline algae benefit your tank in any way? i think it looks nice and all, and it prevents nuicense algae from growing where it grows, but what does it do besides eat our calcium?

:ponder2: :drool:
 

joephys

Member
The benefits of coraline algae is debatable. It does help prevent nuisance algae by out competing them for nutrients in the water column, but it also plugs up the pores in the live rock where the bacteria live that make the live rock useful to begin with.
 

RockBox

Member
I don't think it really has many benefits besides being purple or some other color. I guess one benefit could be that if you are seeing good growth rates then your big 3 parameters must be stable.
 

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
It's more of an INDICATOR of good tank health and a sign of tank maturity. It doesn't hurt anything except powerheads or any opening that is hampered with reduced opening. Live Rock bacteria will not be harmed from this one way or the over. Grates, overflows, powerheads etc will.
 

joephys

Member
I guess the comment is meaningless without a reference, since I can't remember where I read it, but I have seen it documented that coraline algae does plug up the pores in live rock that house anaerobic bacteria that help break nitrate down into nitrogen gas. It makes sense to me anyway.
 

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
I can see where that idea could make sense but since coralline itself is porous I don't see how it can totally clog up the minute pores in a rock. I spent a few hours last night trying to read all I could about this and granted there are a few other threads out there that make mention of this they all end up just like this one "bantering" back and forth over it. I couldn't find any "Real" data stating that it did indeed inhibit "Anaerobic" (in fact it should increase Anaerobic if it cuts the rock off from the actual main water column no?) or aerobic bacteria growth. Keep in mind that the actual surface of Coralline has been proven to colonize with aerobic bacteria which would lead to indicate increased colonization and enhance biological filtration.

I just can't get my mind to accept coralline would inhibit the natural process like that. Granted it can out-compete/grow corals for real estate and it does keep some of the other algaes from taking hold.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not a HUGE fan of it and I don't sit around all day hoping and praying for it in my tanks. I accept it as part of the "System" I'm trying to maintain and scrape it as often as I can. I'm just saying I find it hard to believe it's completely shutting the rock off from the rest of the world on a micro-level.

I say all of this with utmost respect for you. I'm just more or less debating the idea and don't mean to sound harsh or cruel.
 

joephys

Member
no problem at all, if everyone agreed all the time, the hobby wouldn't advance. The vast majority of us aren't marine biologists so we are just going with experience and second or third hand information.

If I remember correctly I read it in a more reputable place than another forum online, but it was some time ago.

If the coraline algae blocking the pores from the water column, it would cause small amounts of water to become anoxic (no oxygen) as opposed to anaerobic (low oxygen). But like you said, the coraline is porous as well, I just don't know if it is porous to the extent that live rock is to cause the anaerobic conditions. There is also the issue that the coraline is continuously over growing itself.

As far as the natural process of things, Rocks on the reef don't get coraline growth like many people see in their tanks. I see a lot of aquariums that are very purple, and I don't remember ever seeing natural reefs that are dominated with so much purple. It's growth in the wild is usually spotty from what I have seen. Also, as far as I am aware, most of the filtering of sea water is done by non-coraline deep water algae.
 

blue_eyes53813

Well-Known Member
I use to like the looks of coraline algae on my glass. My 1st 2 tank I would let it grow to cover 3 sides of the tank.. I soon realized it makes the tank look dark and dirty. I like it on the rocks but any where else in the tank it has to go.


I ran into problems with my 265 gallon when I scraped ALL coraline off after lettign it grow for months. Both sides of my tank were pretty well covered in coraline. I got in a cleaning mood one day and scraped all of it off. ( It was thick).. With in a week or so I had an outbreak of cyano bacteria algae. I do believe it does control the growth of other algaes.

If yu have a lot of coraline and one day decide to dont want it and scrape tons of it off. I believe other algaes may go rampant.. I will never let it get really thick in my tank again.
 
I guess the comment is meaningless without a reference, since I can't remember where I read it, but I have seen it documented that coraline algae does plug up the pores in live rock that house anaerobic bacteria that help break nitrate down into nitrogen gas. It makes sense to me anyway.

That was a very poorly written article by Dr. Schmuck. Boy that man likes his worms. He's basically trying to say if you don't have the proper quantity and type of worms in your rock, it's doing nothing. I also loved that his article discussed one portion of one reef from a study done by other people in 1955. LOL Talk about having to dig deep to find something that backs up what you've written instead of the other way around. Live Rock As A Biological Filter: Hit or Myth? by Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D.. - Reefkeeping.com

After this article came out, a scientist who actually studies coralline algae basically said Dr. Shimek was wrong on all sorts of levels. Dr. Ron did his normal I'm a doctor so I'm right routine and then the scientist said back, "Big Deal....so am I". Then there about 4 or 5 other doctors who came in and said Dr. Ron was completely wrong. It was a hoot. :yup: There are a lot of technical words but if someone wants to get more data, it's on this thread.
 

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Man that's a LONG read!! I finally completed it and WOW! Talk about incredibly DEEP topics!!! I see some "Density" in there too... LOL! I'm not talking about the ROCK density either!! :)
 

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Most aquarists would agree that coralline typically signifies a healthy system and welcome it with open arms, but most idiots who don't know any better think it's ugly. Our relatives have been in and out for Christmas and my grandmother found it most replusive. Keep in mind she has one of these planted betta jars and hasn't changed the water in literally years, so her overall knowledge about fish husbandry isn't the greatest, but still.
 

new reefer 03

Active Member
i love my corraline algae!
i think the pink/purple color is a great adition to any tank. although i cant stand this ugly green stuff.

i have some purple rocks, and some "new" rocks that are tanish, and next to each other the purple ones blow the tan one away!
 

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Oh I love mine too. The only piece of glass I scrape is my front. I've never been one to care about what other people think, especially those that I know I'm more knowledgeable than :yup:
I'm just saying that the ignorant might find it unsightly or may think it a sign of "lazyness" instead of an indicator of an established environment.
 

joephys

Member
That was a long read, but it didn't really get into the coraline algae issue too much.

I like having it to the extent that it adds some color, but the look of large purple dominating rocks just isn't an appealing look too me. Its just too purple and unnatural. I have never seen that much purple when diving.
 

Varga

Well-Known Member
My tank is a Coraline infestation. Before the purple took over, there was Hair algae and 3 walls were covered with bryopsis. Now there is no trace of HA or Bryopsis. Makes sense that the purple is starving the green out?
 

new reefer 03

Active Member
corraline eats the nitrates, and the phophates thus starving the nuisence algae. aldo nuisence algae cannot grow over corraline, so it has two main plusses, it also feed my royal urchin, and looks very nice in the reef tank IMO.
 
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