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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

How to Get Coralline Algae to Grow Faster in a Reef Aquarium

Part of the draw to reef aquariums are the colors of the fish,coral and especially the colorful purple live rock that are all found in the typical reef aquarium. That purple color is called coralline algae and it is a calcium based reef building algae.

It comes in many colors that include brown, green purple and even orange but purple is the most common. This algae will also spread to the walls of the reef tank adding to the color and visual impact. But in order to grow it needs the right environment.

While getting fish and coral to be colorful is fairly easy most people seem to struggle with getting their live rocks purple color to spread through their mini reef.

How Do I Get Coralline Algae To Grow Faster

Maintain Low Phosphates- High phosphate levels in a reef tank act like poison and can all but slow the growth of coralline algae. To avoid this make sure that you are using a good salt mix, purified water to make your saltwater and not over stocking or feeding your tank. A good protein skimmer and proper tank upkeep will also help to keep phosphates at low levels.

Keep Calcium Levels Up- The average calcium levels in the ocean is a around 400 PPM and any calcium based algae needs it to grow. The more available calcium the faster it will grow. Maintaining calcium can be accomplished with liquid or powered additives or with calcium reactors.

Maintain Proper Alkalinity Levels- Alkalinity must be maintained at the proper levels in order for coralline algae to grow at a fast rate. If the alkalinity levels get to low your growth will slow or stop. keeping alkalinity up is easy to do with additives or even frequent water changes.

Keep Predators Out- Certain animals like urchins or puffers can eat calcium based algae faster then they can grow. So if your goal is to have purple covered rocks and aquarium walls keep urchins and other coralline eaters out of you reef tank!

Do you want a Stunning Reef Aquarium [http://www.dseventures.com] that is thriving and growing? Then check out our reef guide that will help you regardless of your experience in the hobby. You can learn more about improving your reef aquarium at [http://www.dseventures.com]

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