• Skip to main content
AlgaeBarn

AlgaeBarn

Marine Aquariums Made Easy!

  • Sign In
  • Cart
    • Shop See All
      • Ultimate Packs See All
      • Ultimate Refugium Starter
      • Clam Keeper Kits
      • Ultimate Ecopack
      • Mandarin Feeder Kit
      • Hair Algae Killer Kit
      • See All Ultimate Packs
      • Live Foods See All
      • Copepods
        • Ecopods
        • 5280 Pods
        • Galaxy Pods
        • Poseidon's Feast
        • Tisbe Pods
        • Tig Pods
      • Food Combos
        • Ecopods & Phyto
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto
        • Poseidon's & Phyto
        • Tig Pods & Phyto
        • Tisbe Pods & Phyto
      • Phytoplankton
        • Oceanmagik
      • Brine Shrimp
        • Simple Brine
        • Nano Brine Shrimp
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Galaxy Pods 5 Species Copepod Blend

          Galaxy Pods

          $66 – $139
          Shop Now
        • Ecopods 4 Pack Special

          $99
          Shop Now
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto Combo

          $80
          Shop Now
        • 5280 Pods

          $45
          Shop Now
      • Macroalgae See All
      • Clean Macro Series
        • Clean Chaeto
        • Clean Sea Lettuce
        • Clean Green Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Spike Sphere
        • Pom Pom
        • Red Ogo
        • Red Spike Sphere
        • Red Spaghetti
        • Red Mangrove
      • Premium Rare Macro
        • Leafy Ogo
        • Blue Hypnea
        • Dragon's Tongue
        • Thick Ogo
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Clean Chaeto

          $40 – $125
          Shop Now
        • Clean Sea Lettuce

          $30 – $95
          Shop Now
        • Red Ogo

          $30 – $80
          Shop Now
        • Red Mangrove

          $13
          Shop Now
      • Captive Bred Fish See All
      • Gobies
        • Green Mandarin
        • Court Jester Goby
        • Watchman Goby
        • White Spotted Goby
      • AngelFish
        • Biota Coral Beauty
        • Maculosus Angel
        • Majestic Angel
        • Swallowtail Angel
      • Tangs
        • Yellow Tang
        • Blue Tang
      • More Species
        • Grammas
        • FileFish
        • Blennies
        • Damsel
        • ClownFish
        • RabbitFish
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Blue Mandarin

          BIOTA Green Mandarin

          $99
          Shop Now
        • ORA Neon Goby

          $35
          Shop Now
        • Captive Bred Yellow Tangs by BIOTA

          BIOTA Yellow Tang

          $239
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • ORA Premium Picasso

          $145 – $300
          Shop Now
      • Captive Bred Invertebrates See All
      • Clams
        • Ora Derasa Clam
        • Squamosa Clam
        • Ora Gigas Clam
        • Ora Maxima Clam
        • Ora Hippopus Clam
      • Shrimp
        • Ora Peppermint Shrimp
        • Harlequin Shrimp
      • Snails
        • Cerith Snails
        • Trochus Snail
        • Nassarius Snails
      • Urchins
        • Ora Tuxedo Urchin
        • Ora Pincushion Urchin
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Animated gif of peppermint shrimp

          Peppermint Shrimp

          $49 – $119
          Shop Now
        • 10 Cerith Snails

          Cerith Snail

          $25 – $39
          Shop Now
        • pincushion urchin lytechinus variegatus reef safe and captive bred by ora for sale at algaebarn

          Pincushion Urchin

          $29 – $55
          Shop Now
        • Gold Maxima Clam Bed

          ORA Maxima Clam

          $80 – $150
          Shop Now
      • Corals See All
      • LPS Corals
        • Biota Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Marshall Island Goniopora
        • ORA Marshall Island Hammer
      • SPS Corals
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Imperial Acropora
        • ORA Turquoise Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Yellow Porites
      • Soft Corals
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool
        • ORA Long Polyp Leather Coral
        • ORA Silver Xenia
        • ORA Pulsing Xenia
      • Frag Packs
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Biota Pearl Bubble Coral

          $65
          Shop Now
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora

          $290
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool

          $65
          Shop Now
      • Additives & Bacteria See All
      • Live Cultures & Bacteria
        • Turbostart 900 Saltwater
        • Aquarium Cycle Kit
        • Coralline Algae
        • PNS Yellosno
        • PNS Probio™
      • Additives & Chemicals
        • Nitrocycle
        • Clarifier
        • Fritz A.C.C.R
        • Fritz RPM Salt
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Mandarin Feeder Kit by Algaebarn

          Mandarin Feeder Kit

          $66
          Shop Now
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Shop Now
        • Coralline Algae in a Bottle, In Pink or Purple!

          Coralline Algae

          $22 – $44
          Shop Now
        • Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack

          $120 – $450
          Shop Now
      • Aquarium Supplies See All
      • Fuge Lighting
        • AI Fuge 16HD Light
        • Kessil A360X Fuge Light
        • Kessil H160
        • Kessil H80
        • Chaetomax
      • Biomedia
        • Marinepure Gems
        • Marinepure Rocks
        • Marinepure Plate
        • Marinepure Cubes
        • Marinepure Spheres
      • Foods
        • Dragon Roe
        • Simple Brine
        • Can'O Cyclops
        • Benereef™
        • Fresco Cyclops
      • Rock & Sand
        • Dry Rock
        • Clam Rocks
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Mandarin Feeder Kit by Algaebarn

          Mandarin Feeder Kit

          $66
          Shop Now
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Shop Now
        • Coralline Algae in a Bottle, In Pink or Purple!

          Coralline Algae

          $22 – $44
          Shop Now
        • Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack

          $120 – $450
          Shop Now
      • CADE Aquariums See All
      • Reef Series
        • CADE REEF 500 S2
        • CADE REEF 600 S2
        • CADE REEF 900 S2
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2
        • CADE REEF 1500 S2
        • CADE REEF 1800 S2
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2
      • Frag Series
        • CADE Frag 600 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1200 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1500 S2/F
      • Peninsula Series
        • CADE Peninsula 1200 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1800 S2/P
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2

          $7,225
          Shop Now
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P

          $5,525
          Shop Now
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2

          $4,125
          Shop Now
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F

          $3,275
          Shop Now
    • Contests Win Free Aquarium Supplies!
      No Purchase Necessary*
    • Top Deals Huge Savings!
    • AlgaeBarn Heroes Discount for Military,
      First Responders and more!
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shipping
You are here: Home / Beginners Education / What are Coralline Algae?
Coralline Algae Encrusted Rcok

What are Coralline Algae?

by Kenneth Wingerter

Coralline Algae Behind a Beautiful CoralThere are all sorts of bad algae–hair, slime, turf–and they are widely recognized by aquarists as a manifest sign of poor water quality. On the other hand, a healthy growth of calcareous algae is regarded as desirable. Calcareous forms are slow-growing yet they compete for space with (and thereby suppress) all the ugly bad forms. Some release chemicals that promote the settlement of certain invertebrate larvae. And, many of them can be quite attractive.

Brown (phaeophyte), green (chlorophyte) and red (rhodophyte) algae each have calcareous representatives. However, there are relatively few calcareous brown algae. There are a good number of calcareous greens, and some of these (e.g. Halimeda) are fairly important in reef building processes. But it is the calcareous reds–the coralline algae–that are arguably the most speciose, are most widely distributed and are indeed the most productive reef builders.

Digits and crusts

Coralline algae make up the order Corallinales. Corallinales is divided into two big families on the basis of reproductive structures. Though the corallines belong to the “red” algae, they are (depending upon species) variously colored in pastel pinks, purples, reds, greens, oranges and sometimes even blues.

These algae form a thallus (i.e. algal body) that is hardened with calcareous deposits from within the cell walls. Just a few species live unattached, forming smooth little spheres called rhodoliths. Attached forms are classified as either geniculate (articulated) or nongeniculate (crustose/nodular). Geniculate types usually look something like rows of small coins connected by thin joints, whereas nongeniculate types are pretty much low-growing, amorphous crusts. Though the nongeniculate corallines all kind of look the same at a glance, they are the most diverse group (over 1,600 described species!).

Aquarists are most familiar with species from the family Corallinaceae. This is the largest family of the order. It is divided into two subfamilies on the basis of growth form; Corallinoideae comprises the geniculate corallines, while Melobesioideae comprises the nongeniculate corallines. The Corallinaceae are typically very calcified and bear reproductive organs in concepticles that open to the exterior through one or more pores. Though pretty much all corallines can reproduce asexually through fragmentation, they are dioecious with distinct differences between male and female conceptacles.

Cultivating the corallines

Reef aquarists prize live rock that is covered in coralline algae, particularly if it is colonized by numerous, differently colored, species. Often, hobbyists pay a premium price for rock that is already well-covered in corallines. However, these beautiful algae can disappear rather quickly if water conditions are poor. So, what constitutes poor water quality for a coralline alga? Just about all the same things that are bad for coral. Even high nutrients. So, why would an alga not like high nutrients? It’s not so much that they don’t; it’s just that under nutrient-rich conditions, they get outcompeted by faster-growing diatoms and green algae.

Old, spent water is bad news for coralline as well. This water tends to be depleted in all the things these algae need most: Calcium, carbonates and trace elements. Crappy water also typically has a low pH value, which Various types and colors of Coralline Algae on this Rockinhibits calcification. This is why those who frequently perform large water changes are so often rewarded with prolific coralline growth.

In order to best promote coralline algae, one must meticulously maintain water parameters as follows:

  • Nitrates <1.0 ppm.
  • Phosphates <0.05 ppm
  • pH values of 8.2-8.3.
  • Alkalinity ~10 dKH.
  • Calcium 415-425 ppm.
  • Magnesium ~1,250 ppm.
  • Potassium ~400 ppm.
  • Total iodine  ~0.06 ppm

Of course, being algae, corallines additionally require light to survive. Many of the Corallinaceae are adapted to low-light areas such as deeper, sublittoral bottoms or shady areas beneath benthic invertebrates such as corals. This is less a chromatic (i.e. spectral) adaptation than it is an ability to conserve metabolic energy through low rates of respiration and growth. Thus, they may be found anywhere from the intertidal zone to 1,000 feet depth. In reef aquaria, moderately bright to very bright light on a naturalistic photoperiod is recommended for best coralline growth.

Aquarists with acrylic tanks might be wondering: Why would I want to have coralline algae? Will I end up scratching my tank trying to keep it off of the panels? Thing is, if you’re tank is healthy, you will end up introducing/growing coralline of one type or another via rock, snail shells, etc. Yes, some will grow on the tank panels, as will other types of algae (some aquarists actually encourage its growth on the back panel). Fortunately, coralline grows pretty slowly, so it is easy to keep it in check. So long as you remove it during its early grow stages, it is pretty easy to avoid scratching even on the softest acrylics. Just don’t wait until you have half dollar-sized patches on the front panel before you finally decide to pull out the little white pad!

Getting started

Thankfully, one may use a bottled product containing coralline algae spores to (1) speed up the seeding/establishment process and (2) promote a wide variety of coralline species (i.e. colors). For this purpose, Coralline Algae in a Bottle stands out boldly. This product was developed in a laboratory and contains coralline algae spores. While some products are nothing more than a mixture of calcium and maybe magnesium (merely supporting coralline algae growth at best), this is an actual live, multispecies product. Heavily inoculated with beneficial microbes, Coralline Algae in a Bottle is an excellent means of seeding fresh base rock.

This product is available in two choices of coralline mixes: Pink Fusion® and Purple Fusion®. The genera featured in Pink Fusion® include Goniolithon, Lithophyllum, Lithoporella, Mesophyllum, Metamastophora and Sporolithon. The genera featured in Purple Fusion® include Hydrolithon, Lithophyllum, Lithoporella, Neogoniolithon, Porolithon and Sporolithon. The two may be added together; as a combo, they produce an extremely beautiful, natural and healthy rock surface with hints of pale lavender, deep maroon, and everything in between.

So long as you already have the right water chemistry and lighting in place, there couldn’t be a simpler way to ensure that you develop the most vividly colored, natural-looking live rock as quickly as possible!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

Bulletproof Refugiums – Biodiversity

Welcome back to our discussion on building bulletproof refugiums! In the last few weeks, we have received a lot of questions here at AlgaeBarn about

Read More about Bulletproof Refugiums – Biodiversity

CADE Aquariums: Reef vs. Peninsula

Are you in the research and comparison stage of choosing a new system? Has your reef outgrown it's current home? If you’re just in the market to for a

Read More about CADE Aquariums: Reef vs. Peninsula

A Beginner’s Guide: How Reef Fish Balance the Ecosystem

Reef fish, whether they are predators or grazers, play a huge part in maintaining the balance of the coral reef ecosystem. Coral reefs that are healthy

Read More about A Beginner’s Guide: How Reef Fish Balance the Ecosystem

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Browse the AlgaeLab by Category

  • Advanced Education
  • Beginners Education
  • CADE Aquariums
  • Captive Bred Fish
  • Clean Up Crew
  • Company News
  • Copepods
  • Corals
  • Freshwater
  • Freshwater Aquariums
  • Intermediate Education
  • Invertebrates
  • Live foods
  • Macroalgae
  • Our Oceans
  • Phytoplankton
  • Product Info
  • Refugium Education
  • Rock and Substrate
  • Saltwater Aquariums
  • Wholesale

Company

  • About Us
  • The AlgaeLab Blog
  • Our Team
  • FAQ

Get in Touch

  • Contact Us
  • AOA Claim Form
  • Press Inquiries
  • Call Us: 772-444-7637

Policies

  • Legendary AOA Guarantee
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Other

  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale & B2B inquired
  • Business Location

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our mission to build a more sustainable aquarium hobby, one tank at a time!

Copyright 2023, AlgaeBarn LLC - Live Copepods and Phytoplankton

0

Your Cart is Empty

adroll_adv_id = "RWFLKG57L5GR7KGYSOEUOK"; adroll_pix_id = "CH2QRUFHXZELLLCMHAB5GI"; adroll_version = "2.0"; adroll_current_page = "other"; adroll_currency = "USD"; adroll_language = "en_US";