How do I identify Coralline Algae vs Cyano?

[kenman345]

I have been running my tank since April.

It's a 56G FOWLR I started with dry rock and tap water. I am now using RO/DI water to correct my mistakes and using better carbon. I have tried introducing coralline algae in the first few weeks, but did not see it spread. I am now still battling algae blooms, but am noticing small blotches of purple looking stuff on the in-tank refugium I have as well as some other bits of the glass and underneath most of the Green Hair Algae I am currently trying to get rid of.

I can take pictures tonight, but was wondering how I should know if I have cyano or coralline. I have not found much information on this yet, so I was hoping to get some advice. It has been there for a few days now and not noticeably grown.

Thanks for any and all replies.

[RocketEngineer]

Cyano is a film that is easy to wipe off whatever surface its on. Coraline is a hard surface that won't come off without some effort.

[aujosh84]

What Rocket said. Also cyano just looks soft in my experience, you can see it moving a little with the current. Coralline looks more like the lichen you see growing on trees.

[Vinny Kreyling]

Usually coraline is pink, cyano is more like maroon in color.

[kenman345]

Usually coraline is pink, cyano is more like maroon in color.

I shall try to figure out which it is tonight. I do not have enough of it yet to truly get a good sense of what it is, but so far, i've been giving other algae more attention these last few weeks.

I shall report back tonight. Any other advice in helping me figure this out is more than welcomed still.

[kenman345]

BTW, I used some colored epoxy to piece together some dry rock when i started the tank. it was supposed to be the color of coralline algae. It is the precise same shade as the algae I've been noticing. Is it safe to assume its coralline or might it still be cyano? I do not think 'Pink' or 'Maroon' are close to the right color I would consider it to be.

[aujosh84]

Soft + Maroon + easily comes off rock = cyano
Hard + (Just about any color usually pink though) + does not come off unless scraped with a razor blade = coralline

One day your gonna WISH that was cyano growing on your glass....

[coralsnaked]

Just a guess but on a blind bet I'd say Cyano based on information: New tank, tap water to start, pest algae and refugium

[kenman345]

Just a guess but on a blind bet I'd say Cyano based on information: New tank, tap water to start, pest algae and refugium

Yea, that's what worries me, because i've found as I start to control one algae, i face the issue of dealing with a different one. It was diatom, then GHA, now potentially cyano.

I guess I shall find out shortly. I plan to do a small water change this weekend, clean out my canister filter, change out the carbon with higher quality version (got Large particle lignite from BRS) and even through some GFO in a bag and put it in a compartment of my canister filter to see if that will help any.

I also have a dwarf angel in QT that will eventually help a little with the algae (hoping, but that's not the only reason I got the fish)

[richie666]

Cyno isnt all bad as long it maintains in sump not in dt
Cyno will take the nutrients and u can always remove the cyno on your water changes if not try something like bio fuel dose it will clear up that way hope this helps

[inetmug]

I always seem to get the lime green coraline and purple, wish I could grow the pink. a lot has to do with the lights and tank parameters.

[johnc99]

It took several months for coralline to colonize my aquarium. I really didn't really notice it until around 8 months. And it will start on power heads first. Also you should check for phosphates -- there's an article (in ReefKeeping dot com) by Randy Holmes-Farley about coralline not liking high phosphate environments.

[Mrramsey]

My tank is just about 8 months old and I am just now seeing my first speck of coraline.