Red algae on live rock

[TNTCanada]

I'm taking a look at buying some LR in a established tank at a great deal the rock looks alright but it does have a red algea on it. I was told it was do to bad water conditions. Does anyone have any ideas should I buy it or should I not. Will it go away in a tank with good water conditions.

[StirCrazy]

you could always pressure wash it if the price is right.

Steve

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

you could always pressure wash it if the price is right.

Steve

Tyler, if it's slime algae (cyanobacteria), you should be able to clean it easily and if it's a real good deal, I'd buy it.

[BCOrchidGuy]

If it's a macro algae I'll take it, if it's hair algae, just put it in your sump or something with some hermit crabs, lack of light and hermits will clean it up and as a bonus, low light means coraline algae growth... so where is this deal so more of us can get in on it.

Doug

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by BCOrchidGuy

and as a bonus, low light means coraline algae growth...
Doug

So does high light.

if it is a algae and not cyno then you could put it in a bucket of salt water with a power head and a heater for a couple weeks with no light. this should kill of most of the algae. after that you can scrub it and rinse befor putting it in your tank.

Steve

[BCOrchidGuy]

High Light encourages coraline algae to grow?? wow, new news again. Wasn't to long ago that it was recommended to keep base rock in a dark sump etc where coraline would grow quicker.

I guess the old saying, nothing stays the same fits once again.

Doug

[TNTCanada]

Thanks to everyone for your imput I think I'll buy it
Cheers

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by BCOrchidGuy

High Light encourages coraline algae to grow?? wow, new news again. Wasn't to long ago that it was recommended to keep base rock in a dark sump etc where coraline would grow quicker.

I guess the old saying, nothing stays the same fits once again.

Doug

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by BCOrchidGuy

High Light encourages coraline algae to grow?? wow, new news again. Wasn't to long ago that it was recommended to keep base rock in a dark sump etc where coraline would grow quicker.

I guess the old saying, nothing stays the same fits once again.

Doug

not quite that simple. there are different types of coraline and different colors, some types/colors like dimmer light but some like brighter light. I have found no difference in growth in my tank from when I went to MH from PC's except for more pink/blue instead of darker purple.

also in the two tanks I have going right now (both on the same system so conditions except for lighting are identical) the MH lit tank is growing coraline algae like mad where the PC lit tank has yet to grow any at all.

so like everything else the old blanket staitments like "low light is better for coraline growth" are not realy valid after all. I think it depends a lot more on other conditions and such then just your lighting.

Steve

[BCOrchidGuy]

It's all soooo clear