Maroon colored algae ID

[DarkXerox]

Well I posted this over in the SPS forum too since it seems to encroach the most on my SPS frags.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=853284

But does anyone have an idea what this red, dense, and tough algae is? I can handle spots of hair alage here and there, but this stuff is really vicious and has started to really grow where it shouldnt.

 

[dalbrecht]

Is it hard? could it be a branching coraline? I throw my echinodorus viridis at anything resembling turf or coraline and it mow's it down with relish so it might be an option for you.

-Don

 

[DarkXerox]

Its a soft algae and isnt calcareous.

 

[Samala]

I dont think coralline.. its looks like one of the many forms of red turf algae that are quite invasive and very much pest species in coral tanks. I think most people use herbivores to control spread.. but I have seen more than one thread with last-resort measures such as trashing the affected live rock (boiling, freshwater, drying it out, etc) to get rid of this type of macro.

Anyone have good pointers on species that will eat this guy?

PS: I had a laugh with the Echinodorus sp. mention. In plants, Echinodorus genus is a freshwater aquatic plant very much a favorite with freshie aquarists!

>Sarah

 

[graveyardworm]

I have some which is very similar in appearance, so far the only herbivores in that tank are some astrea, and cerith snailsand they havent touched it. Next I was going to try a turbo snail, and if that doesnt work I might move the rock to my tank with my foxface rabbitfish to see if it will eat it.

 

[DarkXerox]

I know I really need to find out what kind of herbivores eat this. Astreas, trochus, ceriths, zebra hermits, and stomatellas in my tank don't even go near it.

 

[DarkXerox]

Well I figured it out. Someone (can't remember where) mentioned that Mexican Turbo snails eat this. Well turns out they do. I got a couple last weekend and I've noticed that the patches are clipped real close to the liverock surface now and the newer "redder" growth is gone. I actually had to frag that ponape birdsnest since it was so invasive, but I got two frags to live.

 

[graveyardworm]

I got a turbo snail and its been eating the red hair algae in my tank as well.

 

[Ocean Drive]

I'm not sure, picture is too small
Maybe is Gelidiella acerosa.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=182616