Is this red slime algae or coralline?

[DI68]

I noticed one of my rocks was changing in colour and I thought it was from the new LEDS and was happy until I felt it - it was slippery but firm. I thought maybe this is the beginning of coralline and then it hardens? Googling coralline I came across another link for red slime algae. Threads on here refer to siphoning it but it appears to be stuck to the rock and has also covered a dead part of a coral recently and quickly. Can someone please ID this for me before I start looking at treatments? Thanks

 

[Moose72]

I'm guessing sponge and I've got some in my tank too, i need to know how to remove it also. It's starting to choke out a head of my frogspawn.

 

[DI68]

Is that an algae too? Will google tomorrow. Thanks

 

[Jtisle506]

Coraline, well it looks like it. Is it hard or soft? Is it hard to scrape off? Coraline comes in many color but purple is the main variety.

 

[DIZZLE808]

3rd pic looks like Cyano to me

 

[DI68]

Coraline, well it looks like it. Is it hard or soft? Is it hard to scrape off? Coraline comes in many color but purple is the main variety.

I could press into it and scraped a section with my nail which exposed the rock

 

[DIZZLE808]

I could press into it and scraped a section with my nail which exposed the rock

It's Cyano

 

[Kimlafeiet]

It looks more like sponge to me. I have a purple sponge growing on one of my rocks that looks pretty much identical to that. Even had my LFS look at pics to be sure, as I was not sure what it was either when it first started growing.
How is the flow in that part of the tank? Any dead spots? Maybe play a little with your flow and dim the lights (if you can) and see what happens. I am definietely no expert, but it looks different than any pics of cyano I have seen.

 

[DI68]

It looks more like sponge to me. I have a purple sponge growing on one of my rocks that looks pretty much identical to that. Even had my LFS look at pics to be sure, as I was not sure what it was either when it first started growing.
How is the flow in that part of the tank? Any dead spots? Maybe play a little with your flow and dim the lights (if you can) and see what happens. I am definietely no expert, but it looks different than any pics of cyano I have seen.

This rock came with the tank I bought in Jan- partly established. It was originally a dirty looking rock with lots of loose substrate on it but then the fish cleaned it and then those purple areas starting going darker. I will move the wavemaker and reduce the lighting- we have had the LEDs on for about 10-12hrs a day. Is a sponge bad? I was concerned that it is on the coral too. It only seems to be in that area and not the other side of the tank.

 

[DI68]

It's Cyano

I showed the pic to my LFS and he thought it was cyano however when he showed me an example on his rock- it's not the same. The cyano he had easily came off by lightly rubbing it. This is firm and would need to be scraped? I can see it forming on other rocks too ( now that I am looking for it ) and had to scratch it off - it came off as a piece- not dusty ?

 

[Gregcoyote]

I have had small outbreaks of the same stuff. It looks just like Cyano but it's much tougher. I have a theory the harder stuff is Cyano that's been left in place for a while. It toughens up. Mine was caused by bio pellet dosing. Excess carbon set the stuff off. Coraline algae starts off pink and I have never seen it try to overgrow corals.

 

[DI68]

I have had small outbreaks of the same stuff. It looks just like Cyano but it's much tougher. I have a theory the harder stuff is Cyano that's been left in place for a while. It toughens up. Mine was caused by bio pellet dosing. Excess carbon set the stuff off. Coraline algae starts off pink and I have never seen it try to overgrow corals.

Thanks- I took some more pics- it's leathery like. What method would you recommend to remove it when it is at this stage?

 

[Gregcoyote]

I use a toothbrush and pick away at it. It's very hard to remove.

 

[DI68]

Thanks...will buy a fresh one today