red velvet algae

[freddychin]

All,

My tank is having some major issue. Hope to seek your advise.

There are a lot of red algae that feel like velvet that is covering my live rock and even on the piping.

I cannot even remove it with a tooth brush.

It can grow so thick that I can pull off a lump out of it. Is just like our cotton clothing.

Please advise as how to stop this growth, thanks

regards

[Achilles Tang]

There are a lot of red algae that feel like velvet that is covering my live rock and even on the piping.

I cannot even remove it with a tooth brush.

Hmm... if it's soft and velvety like cyanobacteria, it should easily come off.

It can grow so thick that I can pull off a lump out of it. Is just like our cotton clothing.

It comes out in lumps??? as in hard lumps? I am a little confused.

I dun know if you are talking abt cyanobacteria or coralline algae!

Your statements contradict each other so much! Can you clarify?

[dodo]

maybe a pics will help?

[freddychin]

All,

Just to clarify the "lump"

Is like those little small lumps that you can sometimes pullit from the cotton winter clothing

Is definately not coraline algae.

I believe coraline algae is like sheet of tiny leaves that is attach to Live rock and is looks like in a hard format.

I need to borrow a digital camera in order to show to you guys.

regards

[robe]

Get a tang (yellow/purple) to clear it. They like the stuff so much! I have it in my refugium and in fact I wanted more of it so that I can feed it to my tangs. Its a type of red algae not cyanobacteria.

[UFO]

fred,

does it look something like those green hair algae, furry furry type

[freddychin]

Guys,

Have a couple of picture but still trying to figure how to insert the picture

Any guidelines ?

thanks

[freddychin]

All,

I am sorry that the first picyure is too big, I will try to scale down

sorry again

[BarraCudaTM]

looks like coralline to me

[freddychin]

All,

I repost the first picture again but this time the image is in smaller scale.

regards

[dodo]

it looks real bad and could it be cyano?

[spade]

cyano usually trap air bubbles with them (correct me if i'm wrong )

look more like a coraline ???

[Tanzy]

It's not cyano, it's an irritating kind of short turf algae. I had a bit on my rocks but all gone now. Snails will eat it and I think angels and tangs will too.

How's the pH and alkalinity? This type of algae is not that common. Maybe one of your water parameter is out.

[anakjoh]

Yup, spade, the cyano in my tank have those bubbles like they're breathing.

I starve my tank from MH just relying on actinic only for 1 week and they'r all gone, even the brush algae has died.