Green vs. Purple Coraline

[kevjtomy]

Can someone explain to me why I have tons of green coraline growing yet pretty much no purple? It is coraline (blotches on powerheads, etc. Have to scrape off glass etc). 72 gal. 4x96 PC's. (2 10000 K's. 2 7100 K's). This set up has been going for more than a year. Dose kalk and add Kent turbo calcium if required. Calcium in the 400's. My alk has been a little low, around 3ish meg/L if I remember correctly. I have read a lot about B-ionic. Thinking of giving it a try. Any suggestions? What further info do you need? Was at a friends house not long ago who does NOTHING to his tank. No additives, uses city tap water, water level 3" low. Even has a 3 year old yellow tang. His tank is covered in purple. Makes me wonder. He has NO lights is the only thing I can think of... Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Like anything else, it will never be there if it was never introduced. Buy a rock with purple coraline, and it will take hold and eventually cover most of the green. An undesireable result if you ask me, but the purples and pinks just take over. The green will remain longer in darker areas and places with less current. The purple likes current. Aside from that it has no special requirements. I had purple growing for a year before I ever tested for or dosed calcium. I had to purchase a purple rock to get it started though, now there is too much of it!!
Jim

 

[2poor2reef]

In my tank I have light blue, light green and dark purple coralline algae. They are stratified high to low in that order according to lighting. My light blue grows only under the higher intensity light. The green grows under moderate light, and the purple under low light. That is how it has always been in my tanks. If you grow green and your friends grows purple I would guess your lighting is stronger than his. What Jim says is also true. You have to have spores for it to grow.

 

[toptank]

My 180 is covered iwth purple coralline. I had a few LR that had it and now it has spead through out the tank. Check my site.

I have lots of water movement, ca is 460ppm and alk is 10.8 dKh. Use a little reef builder to help with alk. MH lights.

Barry