What is this stuff?

Matt Sable · 01/10/2006, 09:27 PM

I bought some LR from a hobbyist selling his tank. It had filamentous algae growing all over it, but it was so I cheap I had to get it {I'm on a pretty tight budget}. I scrubbed the LR with a bristle brush before putting it in the tank to get rid of the filamentous algae. Well, the scrub brush pretty much got rid of all the filamentous algae, but when I put it in the tank there was still some kind of algae on the rock. It's obviously pretty tough stuff to survive the scrubbing. Here's a description: it grows in small patches{about half a centimeter in diameter} all over my LR, it's a maroon purple color, and it's fuzzy{ the "fuzz" stands just a few millimeters tall}. The LR also has small patches of coralline and encrusting coralline. I wanted to know if it was a pest algae or what. All searches for what I've got have been fruitless, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

sumpinhabitant · 01/10/2006, 11:05 PM

Can you post some pics?

TippyToeX · 01/10/2006, 11:43 PM

Pictures would sure help.

Maybe some kind of red turf algae. Is it really rough to the touch?

Matt Sable · 01/11/2006, 07:41 PM

It isn't rough. It feels soft, almost felt-like. Here's the picture{the quality is pathetic}. The Pic is too blurry to see exactly how fuzzy the algae really is.

Matt Sable · 01/12/2006, 02:05 PM

Anbody?

rustyf88 · 01/12/2006, 02:13 PM

Looks like turk algae to me also. Try boiling the rock. There are threads on here(Reef Central) on how to boil it.

rustyf88 · 01/12/2006, 02:14 PM

Sorry, TURF ALGAE!

moses13 · 01/12/2006, 02:36 PM

Got any snails or hermits?

Matt Sable · 01/12/2006, 08:10 PM

The tank only has 1 white-legged hermit, 1 large key-hole limpet, and 1 small key-hole limpet so far. Is turf algae a pest{able to overgrow corals,etc.}? Are their any fish or inverts that would eat this algae? Thanks!

goulding.c · 01/12/2006, 08:25 PM

I would try to starve it. phosphorous removers, maintain 0 nitrates, and add many differant types of snails hermits that might eat it.

Matt Sable · 01/12/2006, 08:46 PM

Starving it won't be hard. I don't have any fish, never tested any nitrates, have several different species of macroalgae, and just got a skimmer today. Looks like luck is shining on me

! If anybody has any more suggestions they would be appreciated!

goulding.c · 01/12/2006, 10:21 PM

be patiente. It took al ong time for my algea blooms to get under control but it eventually all worked out good. Sorry spelling and I don't get along.

KDodds · 01/12/2006, 10:52 PM

Friend of mine has "battled" a very similar (if not the same) algae for quite some time now. Personally, I don't see what the problem is since his doesn't grow in low flow areas (so it can't trap detritus), and it's not really invasive (at least no more than coralline), and doesn't seem to bother corals. The only thing in his tank that eats it is the Emerald Crabs.

Matt Sable · 01/13/2006, 08:32 PM

As long as it doesn't bother corals, and/or totally cover the LR; I won't mind it. After all is isn't ugly or anything. Though, since my tank doesn't have it's first fish, I might get some emerald crabs to mow it down a bit. Then remove them{if they aren't reef-safe and fish-safe} once I get my jawfish quarrantined.

01/10/2006, 09:27 PM	#1
Matt Sable Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 170	What is this stuff? I bought some LR from a hobbyist selling his tank. It had filamentous algae growing all over it, but it was so I cheap I had to get it {I'm on a pretty tight budget}. I scrubbed the LR with a bristle brush before putting it in the tank to get rid of the filamentous algae. Well, the scrub brush pretty much got rid of all the filamentous algae, but when I put it in the tank there was still some kind of algae on the rock. It's obviously pretty tough stuff to survive the scrubbing. Here's a description: it grows in small patches{about half a centimeter in diameter} all over my LR, it's a maroon purple color, and it's fuzzy{ the "fuzz" stands just a few millimeters tall}. The LR also has small patches of coralline and encrusting coralline. I wanted to know if it was a pest algae or what. All searches for what I've got have been fruitless, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks! __________________ Me + 1995 Corvette ZR-1 = Perfection Current Tank Info: 40g FOWLR, planning a 100+G Deep Reef tank

01/10/2006, 11:43 PM	#3
TippyToeX Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 10,711	Pictures would sure help. Maybe some kind of red turf algae. Is it really rough to the touch? __________________ -Amy-

01/11/2006, 07:41 PM	#4
Matt Sable Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 170	It isn't rough. It feels soft, almost felt-like. Here's the picture{the quality is pathetic}. The Pic is too blurry to see exactly how fuzzy the algae really is. __________________ Me + 1995 Corvette ZR-1 = Perfection Current Tank Info: 40g FOWLR, planning a 100+G Deep Reef tank

01/12/2006, 02:05 PM	#5
Matt Sable Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 170	Anbody? __________________ Me + 1995 Corvette ZR-1 = Perfection Current Tank Info: 40g FOWLR, planning a 100+G Deep Reef tank

01/12/2006, 08:10 PM	#9
Matt Sable Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 170	The tank only has 1 white-legged hermit, 1 large key-hole limpet, and 1 small key-hole limpet so far. Is turf algae a pest{able to overgrow corals,etc.}? Are their any fish or inverts that would eat this algae? Thanks! __________________ Me + 1995 Corvette ZR-1 = Perfection Current Tank Info: 40g FOWLR, planning a 100+G Deep Reef tank

01/10/2006, 11:05 PM	#2
sumpinhabitant Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Key West Fl. Posts: 161	Can you post some pics?

01/12/2006, 02:13 PM	#6
rustyf88 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 30	Looks like turk algae to me also. Try boiling the rock. There are threads on here(Reef Central) on how to boil it.

01/12/2006, 02:14 PM	#7
rustyf88 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 30	Sorry, TURF ALGAE!

01/12/2006, 02:36 PM	#8
moses13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: CA Posts: 390	Got any snails or hermits?

01/12/2006, 08:25 PM	#10
goulding.c Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 275	I would try to starve it. phosphorous removers, maintain 0 nitrates, and add many differant types of snails hermits that might eat it.

01/12/2006, 08:46 PM	#11
Matt Sable Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 170	Starving it won't be hard. I don't have any fish, never tested any nitrates, have several different species of macroalgae, and just got a skimmer today. Looks like luck is shining on me! If anybody has any more suggestions they would be appreciated! __________________ Me + 1995 Corvette ZR-1 = Perfection Current Tank Info: 40g FOWLR, planning a 100+G Deep Reef tank

01/12/2006, 10:21 PM	#12
goulding.c Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: pittsburgh Posts: 275	be patiente. It took al ong time for my algea blooms to get under control but it eventually all worked out good. Sorry spelling and I don't get along.

01/12/2006, 10:52 PM	#13
KDodds Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Suffern, NY Posts: 2,731	Friend of mine has "battled" a very similar (if not the same) algae for quite some time now. Personally, I don't see what the problem is since his doesn't grow in low flow areas (so it can't trap detritus), and it's not really invasive (at least no more than coralline), and doesn't seem to bother corals. The only thing in his tank that eats it is the Emerald Crabs. __________________ The sum of my knowledge is great, the sum of my ignorance greater still Kieron Dodds Administrator Inside Aquatics Current Tank Info: 450 Reef/180 FOWLR/125 ARLC/40 Seahorse/12 Planted/12 Planted

01/13/2006, 08:32 PM	#14
Matt Sable Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 170	As long as it doesn't bother corals, and/or totally cover the LR; I won't mind it. After all is isn't ugly or anything. Though, since my tank doesn't have it's first fish, I might get some emerald crabs to mow it down a bit. Then remove them{if they aren't reef-safe and fish-safe} once I get my jawfish quarrantined. __________________ Me + 1995 Corvette ZR-1 = Perfection Current Tank Info: 40g FOWLR, planning a 100+G Deep Reef tank