Macro Red Algae ID?

[chammergren]

Disclaimer: This is my first saltwater fish tank

I was hoping to find some help identifying a red macro algae that is growing in my tank. This stuff has started to grow in a few spots on my main piece of live rock and to be honest I don't really mind the appearance but I wanted to make sure that this isn't something that is known to reach plague levels so I can eradicate it early on if it is.

I already have green algae that covers the rock pretty much but it just colors the rock really and hasn't changed for a couple of months. I also have a small diatom bloom that has remained isolated in the sand bed. This tank is only roughly 75 days old so I figured these algae/diatom cycles are normal for a new tank which is why I haven't panicked about them. I also was hoping that the by leaving the green algae alone (as long as it doesn't start growing wildly) and this red algae, they could compete with the diatoms for resources and help naturally remove them more quickly.

I know very little about macro algae but from the research I have done I think the closest thing it looks like is "String of Pearls" algae. The pictures have a hard time showing it but the algae is not flat or blade like. It is more like the shape of balloons used to make balloon animals.

Should I let it go since I sort of like how it looks or try to get rid of it now while it is sparse in the tank?

Sorry for the low quality phone camera photos. If I zoom in further it just gets worse so hopefully the pictures I have attached help.

Edit: Looking through the posts in this forum, it sort of resembles what I imagine the beginning stages of algae from Scinaia might look like early on. There are good quality pictures on phobos2deimos' thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2500395

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Keep it for sure! No plague problem at all. It will compete with undesirable algae. That's actually a great score! Jealous!

For me, knowing the name of an algae is irrelevant. You hit it on the head when you said you didn't mind the appearance. That's the key: do I like it? If yes, it's good algae. If no, bad algae.

 

[chammergren]

Thank you for the reassurance Michael! Like I said, I am new to saltwater aquariums in general and saltwater macro algae seems like an even more specialty niche within the hobby so I appreciate your comment.

I tried to pull out one of the individual growths but the holdfast is very strong and I ended up breaking it in half. I am looking forward to seeing what happens as it continues to grow. I did notice that in the same location that this macro algae seems to be the most prevalent there is also another red algae that is growing. This other algae hugs the live rock but it fluoresces under the actinic light. I really don't think it is coralline algae though because it is a much deeper red color. If it continues to grow to the point where my camera can take a good picture of it I will post one.

When I set this tank up it never crossed my mind that I would be excited about macro algae but I definitely am looking forward to watching this stuff grow!

 

[Michael Hoaster]

That's one of the cool things about live rock - you never know what's going to pop out of it! Enjoy!

 

[chammergren]

I have a Kessil A160WE and I turned it on with the intensity as low as possible and the color as blue as possible and noticed that the fluorescent red algae had spread enough to photograph. It is extremely difficult to see the red through the green algae under normal light, only under the low intensity blue light is it super noticeable. Though I will say even the darkest green algae covered areas of the rock look blood red under the low intensity blue lighting.

It could definitely be normal coralline algae but this stuff has spread all around the rock without being anywhere on the glass.
View attachment 350059






There are veins of this fluorescent red algae all over now. Does it look like normal coralline algae? I guess I was under the impression that coralline algae was more pink than red but I am very much a beginner with saltwater tanks.