Algae Growth

Algae are simple organisms that typically produce their own food through photo-synthesis. They are similar to higher plants, but they lack many of the distinct organs that you will find in a higher plant. The higher plants are believed to have evolved from algae, and algae are believed to have gotten their capacity for photosynthesis from cyanobacteria. Algae can be unicellular as well as multi-cellular. Large and complex forms found in the ocean are commonly referred to as seaweed and can look very similar to higher plants. Algae are voluntarily and involuntarily kept by many aquarists. Some species are very beautiful and well-liked, while others are shunned and meticulously exterminated from the aquarium. There are also many types of algae that can help you keep the water quality up in the aquarium by binding substances known to be harmful to fish and other aquatic animals and exude oxygen in exchange. Algae can turn the aquarium into a better functioning ecosystem and allow the animals to carry out more of their natural behaviors’ in captivity.
Coralline algae are calcifying red algae, which have a hard skeleton resulting from the precipitation of calcium carbonate within their cell walls. Coralline algae are abundant and widespread in coastal areas throughout the world, from polar regions to the tropics. They grow from the surface to depths of more than 100 meters; some under intense illumination, others with very dim lighting.
Coralline algae belong to the family Corallinaceae and are divided into two general types based on their morphology: geniculate corallines and non-geniculate corallines. The geniculate or articulated corallines are branched and flexible due to the presence of flexible uncalcified joints called genicula, between calcified segments. They grow as individual plants on rocks or granular substrates, but can also grow as epiphytes on shells or other algae. They primarily occupy intertidal and subtidal coastal areas.
The non-geniculate or