Coralline Algae

[mrbee2828]

I got some live rock a bit back and have had my tank set up for a few weeks with it. I've notice this red stuff spreading. You can see it really fuzzy on the upper rock and starting to spread on the lower rock. I wanted to make sure it was something good or find out if it was bad. Is it coralline algae which if I understand correctly is good? I've also notice the diatoms blowing up already like I had in my cichlid tank this fall but I attribute that to the filter sand I'm using. It eventually died off.

 

[mrbee2828]

Any thoughts on this growth?

 

[carey]

can you scrape it off with a fingernail or is it hard and solid?

 

[mrbee2828]

Feels fuzzy but it took a bit of effort to scrape a bit off the rock. What are your thoughts if it were one or the other?

 

[carey]

Well, coralline isnt fuzzy like that. It should be near impossible to scrape coralline off. It looks like algae to me. maybe a toothbrush to it at the next water change? How are your nitrates and phosphates? And do you use ro/di water or tap? Just trying to rule regular ole bad algae out. lol

 

[mrbee2828]

Right now tap water until my new filter arrives next week from our group buy (w00t!!) Like I said, it took some effort to scrap off. Maybe fuzzy wasn't the right word? Slimy? There all kinds of stuff from the previous owner in there