Difference between coraline algae and red slime?

[Nepenthes88]

Hey everyone,

I'm totally new to this, and just put my cured live rock into my new 10 gallon and I'm waiting for it to cycle. The rock I bought has alot of purple-ish stuff on it, and I am pretty sure it is coraline algae since the rock had already been cured at my LFS and was sitting in his LR tanks for a while. However, I've seen a couple posts where people are like "what is this stuff"? and they say it is red slime, or cyanobacteria I think it is called, and they say it is a bad thing. So, basically my question is what are the differences between the two and how can I tell them apart? Thanks for any replies!!

Zach

 

[eeorrandy]

Coraline algae is hard and encrusts on surfaces where as Slime algea is actually bacteria not algae. Cyano (red slime) can be siphoned off the rock, coriline would have to be scraped.

 

[Nepenthes88]

So with coraline if I were to rub my finger over it it would not come off, but with red slime it would come off?

 

[eeorrandy]

Yes... can you take a pic?

 

[Nepenthes88]

Ya I will post a pic in around 3 hours...I am at work right now browsing the forums lol

Zach

 

[Nepenthes88]

Here are some pics

 

[tmz]

looks like coraline from the picture . is it hard or slimy? If it's slimy is cyanobacteria(red slime)

 

[Flipper62]

Thats def...coraline. And thats good. You can always tell the Coraline from the red slime.

First the Coraline is hard & is flat and looks like its painted on the rock.

If the red slime..........BY the way....is Cyano Bacteria......It is more like a slime---wayvie red scum.

Cyano Bacteria... is not good.....but not the end of the world. As long as you keep an eye on it.

When I see it......I Puff it off with a turkey baster & then suck it up with the baster....

TRIVIA....... It has been proven that Cyano Bacteria....is the first sign of life on earth. One of the signs of life on other planets by NASA...is Water......& cyano bacteria

IT dates back to Millions of years ago..........when they have tested millions of year old fossils.....there are traces of Cyano Bacteria