Why isn't coralline growing?

[Guest Amber Nussbaum]

I've had my tank set up for a little over four months. I haven't seen any coralline grow on my glass. I can't really tell if there's any new stuff on my rocks or not.. they were pretty well covered to start with.

 

My calcium had been hovering around 270.. I started using B-Ionic last Saturday, it's up to 300 now. My pH stays at about 8.2.. Alk is 11.

 

I've got (4) 48" 110watt VHO bulbs over my tank (55 gallon).

 

Do I just need to be patient or is it something about my water or what? For some reason I thought it might happen a little faster than this.

 

Thanks,

Amber

[Guest bill33]

it takes a while for it to grow

 

Were did you get you vho lights from

 

Bill

[Guest clownfish4]

B-Ionic will step up the process, but it will still take quite awhile.  I don't think I saw anything on my glass for over 6 months.

[Guest cjm033]

your calcium is a little low, try to raise it to around 400-420.and if you want you can also go over the lr with corraline on it with a toothbrush lightly to help spread the spores. i did thta in my tank in the begining  with a combo of my calc between 400-420, and it skyrocketed and is covering my glass and equiptment and rock.

 

-Chris

[Sph2sail]

My experience tells me these young guys are rather right on this one.  Time, raised calcium/alkalinity levels will both help.  Coraline does not like extremely bright light and tends to get wiped out w/direct MH lighting, so I think your lighting isn't a problem at all.

 

Patience, grasshopper...

 

steve

[Guest Amber Nussbaum]

Thanks dudes. I will wait it out, and see if I can get my Ca levels up with the B ionic.

[michaelg]

Amber- to give the calcium levels a boost, just use the calcium part of the b-ionic for a couple days, checking levels the following day.  On the first day, skip the alk part (this is the one that turns cloudy white when added).  Your alk levels are fine- but you don't want them bumped much higher.  Alk and calcium are a balanced thing, and currently you are out of balance- so you need more calcium than alk to equal it back out.  Make sense?  What test kit are you using for Calcium?

[Guest Amber Nussbaum]

Thanks. That makes sense. I am using Salifert test kits for Ca and Alk.

I think I'm going to test tonight, several tests for each, just to make sure I'm getting consistent results.

But yeah, I'll try just adding the Ca part. Thanks.