algae ID please
 

Can someone please let me know if they think this algae is benefical, benign, or harmful.
Over the last month we have seen a slow increase of algae (green and this red), covering our LR (this is a relatively young tank and we were told to expect this to a degree).
There does seem to be quite a bit of the red stuff now (pictured) and we notice that it even grows on the sand.

• We keep our lights on 12-14 hours a day (is that too much?).
• Use RO water
• 10%water change weekly

PH 8.0, Sal 1.024, Am 0 Nitate 0

Any suggestions?

oh boy here we go again

Does this algae blow off the rock when you use a turkey baster on it (or a powerhead or something?).

It looks to me like some really wild colors of coralline algae, I find your photo is a bit dark (and small) for a really good ID though. Can you take another shot of it in a different area (one that isn't so convoluted? ie. flatter area?).

I enlarged your photo and lightened it some, its still kind of hard to tell. I still vote for the purple stuff as coralline but I'd keep an eye on the green, it looks like a green coralline to me but you never know, sometimes it can be tricky.

Ummmmmmmm...........Cyano???

reply
 

I did the same thing as Christy. To me it looks like coraline as well, but i've never seen such a deep redish pink color of coraline.

I have some of that red stuff in my 10g nano. Not cyano, but not coralline, either. I settled on encrusting sponge and stopped thinking about it. It is soft to the touch.

Of course, this analysis is based on the infallible method of: "If it looks somewhat similar in a fuzzy picture, it must be the same reef organism." Never fails, I tell ya.

Ive had that color coraline,down low or in sort of shaded areas.Im with them on the purple stuff

My vote is cyano.

...but I would also add my insight of...

"If it grows slowly, it's good. If it grows rapidly, is bad."

nope was coraline