Red Algae?

[Flake]

My diatoms disappeared as expected, but they're being replaced with bright red and little bits bright green stuff. The green stuff seems to have toned down. I'm fairly certain its not slime algae (i dont really think it feels particularly slimey), I can brush it off, there's no pungent odor, It looks like my snails are eating it. (theres a slight pink residue after they go over it)

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Sharkbait430]

I have something like this too. Im pretty sure its coraline algae and nothing bad.

 

[Speakerman]

possibly cyanobacteria, if that is the case I would siphon the bulk of it out as often as you can and replace with clean saltwater.

Have you tried brushing it off? if so, is it hard, like calcified algae like coraline? or is it soft and easy to brush off like diatoms

 

[Flake]

It feels and looks EXACTLY like diatoms except for the color. Almost dusty. Doesn't qualify for anything i've seen on cyanobactera except for its speed of growth, but it's growing exactly like the diatoms.

 

[Speakerman]

is it growing in sort of a stringy manner? like cloth or something woven.

 

[Flake]

nope. just sort of...spreading. It's not growing off the rocks, just kinda moving around the tank. I really hate repeating myself, but it looks, feels and acts like diatoms. That's whats blowing my mind.

 

[thominil]

I have something like it in my tank, except in my tank it only grows on the underside of the rocks and not to fast either.

 

[Flake]

it doesn't seem to be hurting anything... just all over.

 

[Flake]

siphoning won't pick it up except off the sand, but it'll brush off the rocks

 

[Speakerman]

regaurdless what it is, you need to suck it out and make sure you keep water conditions right.

Use a siphon or a turkey baster, then replace water with pre-mixed saltwater

 

[Flake]

I got most of it off the sand and a lot off the rocks and did a decent water change. we'll see. hopefully it'll disappear as fast as it came.

 

[Flake]

After cleaning and siphoning constantly, the red dusting on my tank has finally turned slimey. It looks like it's starting to disappear but i'm sure it will come back. I think the underlying cause is silicates from tap water (i've been looking into ROs and will probably get one when the rest of my order comes in at my lfs) It only seems to be present where the filter isn't blowing on it. I moved the filter into that area and will be scraping down and cleaning. I'm upgrading my tank to a 46g so I can theoretically just move all my livestock and corals (assuming my xenia isn't attatched to the icky rock) once it's cycled. All the medications for it seems to kill it and all the other bacteria which would cause a cycle and kill everything anyways.

Not sure what the best way to go is on this.