Red/Pink hair algae?

rainchief · #1 10/06/2005, 03:03 PM

I'm getting alot of bright pink almost purple cotton ball looking algea. Like green hair but pink and fluffy.

Anyone know what it is, what causes it and how to get rid of it?

Any help would be great!

pbarrett · #2 10/06/2005, 08:53 PM

I have something similiar but it is red and fluffy like cotton balls. I wish I knew a way to eradicate it.

SuperNerd · #3 10/06/2005, 09:05 PM

Pink and fluffy?
That sounds like the spray painted family cat next door.
Gotta pic?

waldomas · #4 10/06/2005, 09:21 PM

Thats funny (from a dog lover). But seriously, how do you get rid of it?

SuperNerd · #5 10/06/2005, 09:24 PM

Okay, I THINK I may have had some of the same stuff recently but I'm not sure.

rainchief:

Do you have any pics?

waldomas · #6 10/06/2005, 09:38 PM

Unfortunately my digi crapped out. The stuff is more maroon or fusia colored though.

SuperNerd · #7 10/06/2005, 11:04 PM

Okay well one way is to limit nutrients in the tank.
I had a BIG problem with macroalgae growth a little while back when I was feeding heavily, adding iron, trace elements and iodine to the tank.

Now that I limit my feedings and cut out the additive additions (except for alk, ca, mg, sr) my annoying turf and hair algae growth is minimal at best.

Otherwise...get a pair of long tweezers and start pulling them off the rocks.

waldomas · #8 10/06/2005, 11:43 PM

I guess its time to roll up the sleaves.

rainchief · #9 10/07/2005, 07:00 AM

I'm working on a pic. Took some last night but forgot my cable this morning

Thanks for the help so far.

pbarrett · #10 10/07/2005, 11:11 AM

I will take a picture and post it later.

pbarrett · #11 10/07/2005, 03:55 PM

Okay here is a picture of the algae from hell. The worst part of it is that I know exactley when and where I got it and I did not think it would become a nuisance. And that was over 3 years ago. I just put a Sea Hare in one of my tanks and he started to eat some but then I guess he realized he did not like it so much. If there is anyone who has experience with this algae please help. I am thinking about trying an urchin??????????????

SuperNerd · #12 10/07/2005, 04:26 PM

Yeah, I had a tuft of that on a monti frag.

Nothing really touched it, that I saw, and I have tuxedo urchins, turbo snails, ceriths, nerites, trochus, and astreas. So I just chipped off the piece of rock it was on.

A combination of nutrient control, tweezers...and rolled up sleeves is what you need to do.

Do you have a fuge and skimmer? Both will help prevent the spread of algae in the main tank.

pbarrett · #13 10/07/2005, 05:08 PM

Supernerd if you do not have something nice to say then do not say anything at all! That picture is from my display tank and that is the only place where it is in there. But I have the stuff like crazy in some frag tanks that I am running a fuge on but I could be underskimming. I really hope it is as easy as that. I am reconfiguring my setups so that might help. Someone has to know what type of algae this is and how to eradicate it.

SuperNerd · #14 10/07/2005, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pbarrett
Supernerd if you do not have something nice to say then do not say anything at all!

huh???....

You know what...PM me and tell me what I said here that ruffled your feathers.

Don't turn this into a "he said-she said" thing please.

pbarrett · #15 10/07/2005, 05:36 PM

Supernerd I was totally kidding. I just meant that you had nothing to offer but bad news. And I was really hoping to get some good news. Wait a second, I am still hoping to get some good news! So I apologize for the confusion.

SuperNerd · #16 10/07/2005, 05:42 PM

lol
I didn't get that and I apologize for offering nothing but bad news.

I'll try and be a little more optimistic when giving suggestions on how to beat this hair algae thing.

:group hug:

waldomas · #17 10/07/2005, 07:25 PM

You guys crack me up! So is this stuff algae or a sponge?

pbarrett · #18 10/07/2005, 07:39 PM

And now waldomas wants to put salt on the wound by suggesting it is a sponge. If it was a sponge I could start distrbuting the stuff and retire from my day job.

waldomas · #19 10/07/2005, 08:23 PM

By the way...this stuff is lighter (pinkish) in color closer to the light. The shaded areas are more red to maroon.

greenighs · #20 10/07/2005, 08:49 PM

More like this?

Or like this?

waldomas · #21 10/07/2005, 08:54 PM

LMAO!!! Actually, it is very close. A little more red.

greenighs · #22 10/07/2005, 09:17 PM

Perhaps more like this?

modemfox · #23 10/07/2005, 11:04 PM

No offense but someone is downloading some strange pictures in there spare time. But Molly Miller blennies eat that stuff. I had it on some rock i got from the gulf and the rock had 3 molly miller blennies in it. 1 didn't make it but the other two ate that red algae untill it was gone then learned to eat mysis and brine and evrything else i feed my tank, including trying my finger. (Little bastards)

modemfox · #24 10/07/2005, 11:06 PM

Also, I forgot, a friend of mine got some of my live rock and it started growing it back as well as Green hair algae. He said the lawnmower blenny he got likes the red stuff and eats it instead of the green. Just a thought.

ssheipel · #25 10/09/2005, 03:31 PM

I've got this stuff too. Small patch on a new frag base. Pulled it off, but clearly this stuff needs nothing but the tiniest bit to survive. I spend a LOT of time pulling out balls of this stuff but that breaks off small fragments and it shows up elsewhere... Blah.

My phosphates and nitrates are undetectable.

Any ideas yet on identification and further ideas of what eats the stuff.

I'm off to google "molly miller blenny."

Steve