Please help figure out what this is?? (red weed/algae)

[Cassette87]

When i started my tank, 6 months ago, i put this rock in my tank (you can actually see it in the middle if you click on my 29 gallon reef link in my sig) and it had just a little of this stuff on it. i figured, hey, biodiversity, why not... but now the whole rock is engulfed with it... its pretty ugly, but the mushrooms that come in contact with it dont seem to be affected. There are a few different types growing there... I'm tempted to remove it but I'd like to learn about it first. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Andy

[mps9506]

You have a couple off different things on the rock. First, the little dots are flatworms. The leafy stuff is some type of rhodophyta, try a google search for that and see if anything matches.
The stringy stuff I believe is Polysiphonia which is another type of rhodophyta.
HTH

[Cassette87]

Bump any other input? is it good or bad? should i remove it? I cant find much useful information Calling on Boomer

[dobejazz]

I have the red wiry stuff in my nano's as well It's very hard to remove. My foxface will eat it if I move the rock into the big tank but he isn't very gentle around the Zoas

[Cassette87]

I'm gettin sick of it to be honest, its hard to pick, and it was starting to strangle some of my yellow polyps, so i had to clean their little rock and move em. not sure how to handle this...

[dobejazz]

Originally Posted by Cassette87

I'm gettin sick of it to be honest, its hard to pick, and it was starting to strangle some of my yellow polyps, so i had to clean their little rock and move em. not sure how to handle this...

Same here it's yucky looking

[Boomer]

You can not tell what that stringy stuf is, what I'm assuming is the issue. It could be Polysiphonia sp but there are at least 3 other groups it could be. You need a clear detailed sharp pic to get any closer other than a wild guess. Even a good pic my be a guess. Almost that algae is red alage.

[Cassette87]

Originally Posted by Boomer

You can not tell what that stringy stuf is, what I'm assuming is the issue. It could be Polysiphonia sp but there are at least 3 other groups it could be. You need a clear detailed sharp pic to get any closer other than a wild guess. Even a good pic my be a guess. Almost that algae is red alage.

I'll try to snap a better picture for you later today boomer Thanks

[dobejazz]

I think I have a couple good pics at home I'll try to remember to post them here also if that would help

[LeslieH]

If you can, photograph the stringy stuff with a light shining through it. Polysiphonia & it's relatives have a very distinctive cell structure.

[Seasalt Dreams]

Its algae, and a royal pain in the you know what. That stuff will take over your tank, it grows like crazy!, I had it in my nano and had to wipe the tank to get rid of it. I researched it, and found exactly what it was, but that was a while ago, I forget now, but I do remember its algae.

[Cassette87]

Not Cool... I wonder if there's anything that eats it? or a reasonable way of getting rid of it...

[Seasalt Dreams]

If I remember correctly when I asked around, I was told tangs and foxface would eat it, however, it was in a nano, so no chance on doing that.

[Cassette87]

Same here, I'm not going to put either in a 29g. I guess i'll just continue to pluck it occasionally

[mps9506]

Nutrient control is your other option. It takes a long time to get under control, and it won;t totally go away without manual removal of some type. But, a phosphate remover such as phosban or rowaphos, controlled feeding habits and possibly even live rock "cooking" will help out. Also you could consider a small refugium hooked to the back to grow competitive macro algae that will hopefully out compete the Polysiphonia. In the mean time manual removal is your best bet. I would also invest in some Salifert Flatworm exit to help get rid of those flatworms on oyur rock