Is this Coralline?

[jpitts4304]

Hey there. I was wondering if this red stuff spreading throughout one of my small tanks is coralline. The tank has been up and running for about 4 months. I have not been dosing with anything special. I put some copepods in the tank about 2 weeks ago. There are 4 fish, a scarlet skunk shrimp, and a blenny currently in the tank. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[fijisrfr]

Nope, Cyanobacteria


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[jpitts4304]

Ok. So what can I do to stop it or get rid of it? Also, how is it possible to have cyanobacteria if there are hardly any fish? Thanks

 

[HBtank]

The green might actually be the beginnings of coraline, but the reddish does appear to be cyano. just an FYI, If you want coraline you will need to be maintaining proper parameters, specifically alk/ca/mg.

What is your water-change schedule? Flow? Parameters?

That is where I would start on a new tank with cyano, but this is something that can effect almost any tank and is fairly common. It does not look bad so I personally would just start with some maintenance and see how it is after a few weeks.

 

[JUNBUG361]

Doesn’t look like cyano

 

[homer1475]

Doesn't look like the typical "mat", or stringy type of cyano to me either.

OP,
Does the red come off the rock easily with a wipe from your finger, or is it more attached and requires some effort to remove it? If it wipes off easily, more then likely it's cyano. If it has to be scraped off, it very well could be the start of coralline.

Coralline can come in a variety of colors, it doesn't have to be the typical purple we see in every tank.

 

[RobZilla04]

Looks like normal curing rock to me.

Assume this was placed into the tank as dry base rock? Test your phosphate level. Likely that the rock is leaching PO4 and you're going through normal tank "ugly" stages. This being one of those.

Keep up with bi-weekly water changes to continue removing those nutrients in order to prevent them from creating terrible algae outbreaks.

 

[mcgyvr]

It does seem to be cyano (early stages of it or minor issue)..

This should 100% be expected in a new tank and just the final "ugly stage" (diatoms..then green hair/film algae then cyano)

You simply siphon it out if you can during water changes and keep up with normal tank maintenance.. And it will usually just go away on its own..
Since you don't seem to have any corals or other tank inhabitants that require light you can also just turn the light off for a week or so..

 

[Reefiez]

i'm going for cyano over coraline.

since it is a new tank, i wouldn't do anything about it, just accept that it is the ugly phase of the tank. however, this is given that your parameters are fine, feeding appropriately, proper light schedule and having decent flow throughout the tank.

i've had some cyano for the first 8 months, it comes and goes and comes and goes. i got fed up and went out to buy some chemicals (red cyano RX), got home, decided to give it another week. it dissapeared by itself and hasn't returned.

 

[jpitts4304]

Thanks all - Quick follow up. Although the tank has been up for four months or so, it was originally setup as a hospital tank. The water was taken from my 125 that has been cycled for sometime. Some of the rock (large pieces) was placed in the tank from BRS within the past 4 months. However, other pieces were taken from the 125 along with the water. At the time the rock was taken from the 125, it was exhibiting some purplish/ red color but not to this extent. The larger of the rocks in the first picture (on the right) actually came from a friend who had picked it up a long time ago. It has not been in a tank prior to him bring it home from the Caribbean years ago. The red points on that rock have always been prevalent, even when it was stored in a box for those years. My water parameters are consistent with acceptable levels as far as the phosphate and calcium go. I have not checked the alkalinity lately and the nitrates were slightly elevated on last check two weeks ago. The purple has slowly spread from the 125 rock and the mystery rock from my friends across the substrate and to the new larger rock but I have not noticed any on the glass. The green algae was much more noticeable up until about a month and half ago. Now, it is almost completely gone. This is completely the opposite of my 125, where the green algae remains a constant (overfeeding and phosphates) and the purple has completely disappeared. Thanks again for the help!