Coraline, Cyano, or something else?

[reefbud]

I thought and was hoping this was Coraline in my 3 month old tank. It first appeared in my Refug where I assume it came from Chaeto grass onto my Pulkani Dry Rock. Shortly, I placed it in my DT thinking it was a good thing to have.

I should have got your input first. Well, what's the verdict? What is this growth?

I can say that at the same exact time I introduced it to my DT, I also began noticing very small spots on the glass which required a scrapper to remove. Prior to moving this algae to my DT via this particular rock, I only had light green algae.

Lastly, I noticed in my Refug this purple would also grow on the sand alot. I only have sand in the Refug, not the DT.

 

[darkart82]

It looks like coraline algea to me. Congrats:bounce2::bounce1::ape:

 

[ItzJustinN]

if your talking about the purple on the bottom right of that rock then it looks like cyano algae to me.is it slimy or hard to the touch? if its slimy then its cyano. if its hard then its likely coraline. although i have not really seen much cases of coraline growing across the sand alot or even at all. coralline takes months to build up.

^cyano on sand



btw, did you test your pukani for phosphate?

 

[Dapg8gt]

Kinda looks like cyano to me.Does it wipe off? I never heard of corraline on sand. Only cyano. I have a red type of hard algae on my rocks in my 24 gal. Came on a LR piece and it is like corraline. Pretty much if it is stringy and gel like its cyano. If its hard and requires a good scraping to get it off of objects it's not. My red algae produces a lot faster than my coralline it literally is on powerheads glass and other rocks. I like it it's almost like a dark red/burgandy corraline. I wonder if mine is a type of corraline?

 

[reefbud]

I have not measured phosphate. The purple on the rock kinda all looks the same, but yes more is on right side. Touching it removes some of it, but the portion nearest the rock remains. Perhaps I have some of both coraline and cyano.

My Refug is more suspect of cyano since this purple is on the sand there. I'll post closer pics of both...asap.

 

[TX..r33f]

looks like cyano. If it starts to grow outward and gets wavy its cyno. Coraline is hard and often times it is pretty hard to remove.

 

[reefbud]

Mostly, its just a fine furry growth...but the furr is very short, so I would not describe it as slime. Of course, my tang nibbles at it...

 

[Dapg8gt]

Def cyano on the sand. If that's what's on your rocks it is also red slime algae. Time for some testing, flow improvement and water changes. Good luck best to get on it before it gets out of hand.

 

[SushiGirl]

Corraline usually starts out bright green before turning pink or purple. If even just some of it wipes off then it's cyano. Some will stick to the rock embedded in the pores and seem to not come off.

 

[reef4life07]

Looks like it's definitely cyano, I never seen coralline grow on the sand bed...

 

[reefbud]

Here, I have a better pic of it from the rock:

I am convinced it is NOT coraline now because this stuff has a velvet (or furry) surface whereas coraline has a hard surface. I just have a hard time determining if it is cyano, red turf algae, or what?

I actually kinda like the look of it and my tang sure likes it Is it harmful?

Is it true that it, along with the green algae in my new tank will eventually disappear?

 

[jasin401]

+1 on cyano. i had a bloom of this as well. then dissapeared after i syphoned it all out daily. i also added chemi-pure elite, and purigen. i havnt had it since.

 

[SushiGirl]

Definitely cyano. As long as you keep your water parameters up & stable, then the algae cycles you go through should pass.

 

[cwinn]

It is definitely cyano. Try sucking up as much as possible with a turkey baster. Also try water changes and just watching how much you feed. Cyano normally indicates phosphates. What size is your tank? Have a refuge?

 

[reefbud]

Am I ever a rookie...I thought it was coraline...I need to pay closer attention in class

The fish only tank is 120g about 3 months old with Sump/Refug. The DT is bare bottom installed with 60lbs dry rock, the Refug was installed with live sand, 1 dry rock, and chaeto. At this point I have a small CUC (4 shrimp, 4 turbo snails, 4 hermits) and 9 fish.

I have a sailfin tang who is doing a pretty good job nibbling the cyano...is that safe for him to eat? He at least is keeping it trimmed...but I'll need to help manage it.

So, what all parameters will help cure this? Naturally, I monitor the basics...they are:

temp 79
pH 8.2
amonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10-20
salinity 1.023

I am begining to wonder if I really want coraline or not. It seems that stuff gets out of control too.

I have small spots on the glass already. Would that also be cyano or is it coraline? It can only be removed by scraping...

 

[TX..r33f]

you want coraline it means your doing things rite. You can scrap coraline off the glass but its flat, never ever fuzzy/hairy.

 

[rps3]

looks like cyano and with it having been in the sump which has lower light par as well as flow, this could be why its got cyano on it. coralline algae is easy if you have your cal, alk, amd mag in line.

 

[reefbud]

Thanks for the help. I decided to drop some bags of ChemPure Elite and Purigen to clear nitrates and phosphates to choke this stuff out.

 

[KCombs]

My red algae produces a lot faster than my coralline it literally is on powerheads glass and other rocks. I like it it's almost like a dark red/burgandy corraline. I wonder if mine is a type of corraline?

nothing to do with this thread (but yeah ditto, thats cyano) but I think I know what you are talking about... well actually there are two "red" kinds of "hard" algae looking stuff:
-one type you see in dimmer spots; not sure what it actually is exactly, but it grows in small circles...it remains on the rock even after its dried

-another type grows in a irregular shape similar to corraline but never seems to make large "colonies"...biggest spots I see are about 1-2 sq/in ...maybe its just a red shaded coraline, I dunno

 

[worm5406]

OK then... just to make sure I was not dupped by my LFS...

What do you call this:

http://youtu.be/a_Vdz2ycnp8