Red Turf Algae in my Chaetomorpha Refugium

[FlyingFish65]

I am two weeks into cycling a 75 gal tank with 80# LR. Ammonia and Nitrites zero, Nitrates=5, Phos<<.5. Refugium is in a 20 gal sump, Remora skimmer going full blast. Refugium lights on 24/7. I seem to be growing little tuffs of red hairy algae in my softball sized clump of Chaetomorpha. I went to my LFS (who gave me the Chaetomorpha for free....I get what I paid for?) and looked in his tank. Sure enough, his basketball sized wad of Chaetomorpha has golf balled sized clumps of what looks like red turf algae, but the rest of his connecting display tanks are free of it.

Question: Should I get rid of my Chaetomorpha before this red algae spreads everywhere? Or should I let it grow, hoping it will disappear as my tank matures? And, to Mexican Turbo snails really eat red turf algae??

Thanks.

 

[bertoni]

I have had that stuff in at least three tanks, and I never had any problems getting rid of it. IME, the Chaetomorpha will outcompete it nicely with a bit of handpruning. Personally, I would ignore it, but others have had more trouble with it. The safest approach might be to toss the Chaetomorpha or at least remove the red alga from it.

I don't know what snails will eat it reliably. I don't think any of mine ever did.

 

[mjschomer]

If that stuff get's into your main display you will have a hell of a time getting rid of it. Mexican turbo snails do keep it under control though.