Why purple?

[Psycho graphic]

Of all the colors of Coralline in nature, what is it about our artificial reefs that promotes the purple rather than the other colors? I would love to see a tank full of colors other than just purple.

 

[steveo32]

Maybe is from what we have on our rocks too. If we had other colors on our rock than would prob have different coraline.

 

[Deanos]

Maybe in nature, purple is the dominant species of coraline.

 

[drperetz]

dean

good point. Or maybe we have not gotten our hands on some other coralline. There is not "just" purple coralline algae.
In my 45 tall reef, I had different types of coralline algae.
This is what always grew in the top middle of the tank:

Photo taken from here

 

[partobe]

I have red and pink( and only small amounts of that) no purple

 

[KathyC]

It may be as Dean said that purple is the more dominant color, or perhaps it's the most prevalent color where the majority of the rock is collected.
Lately I have orange/red coralline growing that I had gotten in on some frags, but I prefer the variety of the purple tones.

 

[Psycho graphic]

I have gotten many pieces with other colors on them, but the purple always has taken over which is why I asked this question, so I feel that rules out the idea that purple is the only color coming in on our rocks. I could be way off base here, but I honestly feel it is something about our tanks that promotes the purple.

BTW I would give anything to have the multitude of colors that have come in on some of my rocks, the diversity was absolutely beautiful. I have had Red, Orange, Green, Pink and Purple, but purple alway wins in the end.

 

[masterswimmer]

I have purple and red. Both have survived for years. No other colors though.

swimmer

 

[tosiek]

last i heard was each color prefers different light/water conditions and flow. You can seed the tank with the different colors but its going to grow where its happiest or get overgrown by other colors.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

i used to have alot of different colors as well but they never really took off like the purple did... i had orange, red, green but the purple was always much more dominant...