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Coralline Algae Water Chemistry
While lighting is important, maintaining excellent water quality may actually be the biggest factor in growing a good crop of Coralline. Like hard corals, Coralline Algae is calcareous by nature, requiring many of the same things corals do in order to flourish:
- SG apx 1.024
- Calcium
- 350 to 480 ppm
- Carbonate Alkalinity
- Between 2.5 and 4.0 meq/L (7-12 dKH)
- Strontium
- Low Phosphates (Close to Zero)
- Low Nitrates (5 ppm or lower)
Many aquarists have found that performing regular water changes will keep the phosphate and nitrate levels in check as well as keeping the calcium, alkalinity and strontium at or near their optimum levels. Others have found that using Mangroves in their systems has been a simple and inexpensive method for reducing nitrates and phosphates and that using calcium and strontium additives produces the same or better results without the constant expense of sea salts and RO/DI water required for water changes. Many aquarists have also found that using a good protein skimmer goes a long ways towards controlling nitrates and phosphates.