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View Full Version : HELP ID UNCOMMON AlGAE

cwschoon
02/01/2006, 07:27 PM
I have asked before but got no answer. Am moving this weekend and if I have to dump rock, I will. Two tanks being taken over by aggressive, hard, red algae, NOT cyano. I have much experience and have seen this in mature tanks but not as wide spread. I can scrub/scrape it but it comes back. It is not nutrient related. It really started about a year ago since Using Oceanic salt. Any ideas? Sorry, no pics. Experienced reefers with mature tanks may have a bit of it and it is not totally ugly but is really taking over. Am back on Tropic Marin.
Thanks.
ACBlinky
02/01/2006, 08:47 PM
Are you sure it's not a type of coraline algae? It comes in many colours, including red. A pic would really help :)
xtrstangx
02/01/2006, 08:49 PM
Sounds like coraline algae to me. FWIW, I have 2 shades of purple, red, and green coraline in my tank. Other people have orange (love to get me a frag of that).
hookdonreefs
02/01/2006, 08:50 PM
Oceanic is garbage I used at first and my calcium was over 600. I only use tropic marin pro now.
cwschoon
02/01/2006, 10:42 PM
not coraline algae. I have just about seen it all, as my job used to be calling on LFS in Ontario and NY. Is is a latent type of growth, small amounts usually in mature systems but is just rampant on the rock in my two tanks. I used Oceanic for over a year and was really happy but this algae has to be caused by something. Am moving this weekend and am setting up my tanks with Tropic Marim Pro. I will probably bleach out most or all of the affected rock, which sucks, as I have had it for 10 years or so. Don't know what else to do, as I can scrope most of it off but it just comes back. Not a nutrient problem...one tank has halides and the other, basic flurescents.
integlikewhoa
02/02/2006, 12:00 AM
What no pics? Hard to ID what we cant see.
Wiskey
02/02/2006, 12:01 AM
Is it the algae discussed in this thread?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=585144

Plenty of pics for id.

That is a red algae that is like short hair algae that is stiff. If so it gives you plenty of info on it.

HTH,
Whiskey
Mike4284m
02/02/2006, 12:45 AM
Could it be Homotrema rubrum, a protist?
cwschoon
02/02/2006, 07:59 PM
Wiskey: I went to that thread and posted...thought it was mine but not any more. I have posted about this several times but this is the first"real" feedback...Thanks. Sorry, no pics but It is very hard, same texture as coraline-no hairs at all. It can be scraped off but impossible to get it all and it has been going nuts over the last few months. As I said, I used to call on LFS's and often saw it in mature tanks but not like in my systems or yours. If you magnify mine, it looks like "pixils", little dots. It only started going crazy when I switched to Oceanic salt a year or so ago and is in 2 tanks with different lights, filtration, etc. Both use carbon and R/O water. I am moving on Sunday and may just bleach out 200LBS to be rid of it
integlikewhoa
02/03/2006, 12:32 AM
Well you got us all woundering what it is. But i think we need some pics. stop holding out on us. Us a camera and tank some pics.
cwschoon
02/03/2006, 07:52 PM
Moving tomorrow....pics later, I hope but I will bleach out most of it, scrub the rest best I can and see. Starting fresh with Tropic Marin Pro and hoping for the best.