PLease help identify if this is cyano or what?

[A.VOID]

This reddish stuff is all over the rocks now. I used to have plenty of purple encrusting coraline, but now this. I've had cyano in the past, but it was different than this. I don't have the strands floating, waving etc. It's not in the substrate. Cyano? Some form of algae? Other?

 

[tipmoff]

Have you put a new light fixture in recently? It appears like coraline but there are different colors of it. All of it isn't red. Looks like an encrusting algae but I'm no expert. Also how old are the bulbs in the current fixture? Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

[A.VOID]

Bulbs are 6 months

 

[abaran]

Taging along, I have the same thing.

 

[tipmoff]

The bulbs aren't too old so that rules that out. How long did this take to encrust like this?

 

[A.VOID]

over a couple months. You can see purple encrusting coralline in the 2nd picture with the red stuff over it.

 

[tipmoff]

From what I see and what you describe this is another form of encrusting algae (again I'm no expert). It isn't forming on any of your corals or other live stock in the pics so I wouldn't worry about this. Coralline comes in different colors and typically is changed due to light conditions or calcium. I am assuming your calcium has stayed between 400 - 460.

 

[100%hydrophylic]

i agree its probably something like coraline. doesn't look like any cyano ive ever seen. can you easily wipe it off?

(lol love your quote tipmoff)

 

[Percula9]

It is just another color of coralline algae. If you rub it, it will not come off if it's coralline. Nice Acan though. At least it's not cyano.

 

[A.VOID]

hmmm ... I don't understand how I went from nice purple to this stuff. I prefer the purple. Anything to encourage the purple to come back?

 

[nattarbox]

If it is cyano, you should be able to rub it right off the rock with your finger. Doesn't look like cyano to me. I like the look of it though, I'd trade you all the cyano in my tank for it.

 

[Cheebs]

This is a type of coraline algae, the good stuff. I've got the same stuff. I actually kind of like it.. Makes the corals pop out at you a bit more.