Red Turfy Algae?

[gil716]

I have this stuff slowly spreading throughout my tank. Anyone have success battling it? I have 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates, according to Salifert.

I'm thinking of staking down a mat of chaeto on top of it. Wonder if that's been tried.

I've pulled it, but the roots are so strong that I actually end up lifting the rock that it's on. The best I can do is pull off the top portion of it while siphoning.

if it helps, here's a closeup of it next to my candycanes.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a193/gil716/_ICT6836.jpg

 

[Samala]

Oh boy. The following threads should help, even though they may not be battling precisely the same species you have going on here.. which kinda looks like Gelidium to me.

Nightmare Red Cotton Candy Algae

Tough Red Algae..

Need help identifying nuisance red algae

There are quite a few more just in this forum alone. Let me know if you need help pulling up older threads for info should search not work for you.

Unfortunately, from a practical side, I have no experience with these guys. The general consensus is either to A) pray that a biological control will help you keep up with it (typically inverts are used for smaller tanks like yours) or B) tear down the rocks that are affected, if possible, and scrub or burn the problem areas. Pretty drastic, but nutrient control alone doesnt often alleviate the issues.

Good luck!
>Sarah

 

[slow_leak]

I got a yellow tang for that stuff and it is now gone. I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

[gil716]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7609432#post7609432 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Samala
The general consensus is either to A) pray that a biological control will help you keep up with it (typically inverts are used for smaller tanks like yours) or B) tear down the rocks that are affected, if possible, and scrub or burn the problem areas. Pretty drastic, but nutrient control alone doesnt often alleviate the issues.

Good luck!
>Sarah

Since this devil algae is invading my base rocks as well as my starboard, scrubbing/burning isn't an option.

Slow leak, unfortunately my 65g doesn't have any more room for a yellow tang. Looks like I'm headed to the LFS to get me some mehicano snails. :T

Thanks for the links. Misery loves company.

 

[cw150]

I suggest some kind of bristletooth tang. I have a nasso and he completely eliminates that kind of algae. yellows and purples aren't likely to touch it unless they see an aggressive herbivore like a nasso demolish it.

 

[jimmyray]

I used mexican turbo snails and they mopped it up pretty good. Just a few spots left. The turbos I got were the huge (almost 2") ones.

 

[piercho]

Mexican turbos are effective against Asparagopsis - "red candy tuff" - a very brittle bright red algae. This is either red wire algae (Gelidium) or a red turf algae that I don't recognize. Gelidium is palatable and controllable by at least Siganus Rabbitfish and Diadema urchins, IME. Diadema will graze many reds and is the best bet for tough turf algaes IME. Diadema does grow fast and a baby Diadema will need to be removed from a 65G-sized tank after a year or so, IME. IMO Bristletooth tangs won't be effective against an algae of this type.