Choclate Brown Encrusting Algae???pics

[stricknine]

I am starting to get concerned with this algae. It is a very dark chocolate brown, looks to be coating all of my rock exposed to light and flow like coraline would, but its not coraline. Has a very slimy texture, not too sure if it is being eaten by the CUC, but if it is they are doing a terrible job! I am positive it is NOT coraline or cyano (as I have issues with both of those in another tank!)

Pics below, take a look and let me know if you know what it is, or better yet how to get rid of it!

Top left, looks a touch purple with the flash on, but it appears as a chocolate brown.

Again, all around the frag looking a touch purple

Pics arent the best, all I had in the bucket. Will try to upload full tank pics soon.Also, params are perfect, lights on for 10 hours, 10 blue and 7 daylight.

Thanks

 

[will16]

Hard to tell from the pics but it could be lobophora? Pray that it isn't!

 

[turretdr]

Looks like cyano to me. Cyano can be blue/green, red, brown, purple and other various colors. Try to blow it off with a turkey baster or powerhead.

 

[stricknine]

I am positive it isnt CYANO. It is encrusted on the rocks, it wont blow off, actually it is difficult to scrape!

I did look into Lobophora after your post, but that looks like it grows in a plate like form as monti would so I am ruling that out. (and while googling that I found I am possibly growing Nemacystus decipiens, will have to look into that one a little further!)

Thanks all, hopefully this thread keeps going for a bit. I am STUMPED! It is carpeting over all the rock I have, on the overflow, but not on the sand. I am grabbing the camera now for better pics.

Thanks again!

 

[will16]

Well, lobophora does plate but not that much. Here is what my plague looked like...

Hope that is not what yours looks like.

 

[stricknine]

Uh-oh...my encrusting brown algae looks close to pic#2.

Have new pics on the way in minutes. Uploading into the photobucket now. Hopefully you can all stick around and take a look.

Thanks again.

 

[stricknine]

Whole Tank

Right

Left

Closer up

 

[stricknine]

In the pics above you can see that any surface exposed to light is growing this stuff. I don't know why the flash makes it look purple, but looking at it it's a dark, dark chocolate brown.

Will: If it is lobophora, how did you treat it, or is it treatable.

Thanks all.

 

[2farNorth]

It is kinda hard to tell from the picture, but if it starts to plate out, its Lobophora....... and if it is.....Manual removal, and keep the rocks clean of debris.... I noticed that if you let it plate out, it will pull off easily and expose the rock below..... Get yourself some long curved forceps, and your all set.....

 

[will16]

Still not 100% sure that it is. If it is, it is very difficult to get rid of. Manual removal doesn't work. It is very difficult to get off and impossible to get all of it. If you don't get all of it, it will just grow back. Long spined urchins do eat it but not voraciously enough to stop it. They also get too big and the 2 that I have had eventually started eating corals. I have heard sally lightfoot crabs do eat it but they scare me. The get large as well and questionable with fish. The thing that really worked for me was a small naso tang. Got one around 2-3 inches and he spends all day nipping at it. Amazing job. I had it pretty bad but after a month... can't even see it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of nooks and crannies that the naso can not physically reach so there is still lobo there. As long as the naso is in there, it is garaunteed to not spread. The problem is the naso will eventually outgrow the tank. My plan is to transfer him at that point and possible get another small one to take over. This is the only thing that has worked for me.