Red Algea?

[saleenpwr88]

Can anyone tell me what kind of algea this is and how to get rid of it. It almost looks like red bubble algea and it is very squishy. I could probably scrub most of it off the rock, but then I fear it will spread. Now, it is just on my GSP, which I'm not too upset about, but don't want it to spread. It is the only algea I have in the tank, other than a little hair algea on my drain pipe.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s175/saleenpwr88/RedBubbleAlgea002.jpg

[JPagliai]

Based on how it's covering the rock and trying to choke out the GSP, I'd say it's red slime. I've seen two different varieties. One forms in very thin sheets while the other is much thicker. This looks like the thicker stuff. I've had good success in removing it with a turkey baster. If you cant suction it off, try gently blowing it off and scooping the algae up quickly with a net. Once gone, take a toothbrush to that area and increase the water flow over that portion of the tank for a few days. A good water change wouldn't hurt to reduce the nutrients and keep it from growing back or spreading in the tank.

[saleenpwr88]

I'll try to scrub it, I don't the think the Turkey baster will do it. Is there anything that eats the stuff?

[Pufferpunk]

Is it hairy or slimy? I have had a really bad problem with red turf algae. It grows like a carpet. The only thing that eats it is Mexican turbos, if that's what you have.

[PSam]

Mexican or Belize (zebra) turbos knocked it out in a week in my tank. I just passed them on to puffer otherwise I'd offer them up. Get one of each, see how they do for you. I was amazed.

[Pufferpunk]

That Belieze turbo is a beauty too! Thanks for the snails & the zoa is doing great too.

[PSam]

Sure thing. So they all ended up making it through the day in a ziploc bag? Good! Let me know how the algae turns out - they were total hogs for me.

[saleenpwr88]

It definately is slimy, not hairy and grows like a carpet. I do have a couple of turbos in there, but they don't seem to be touching it. I actually don't know if they are alive anymore, I can't seem to keep them alive for more than six months. I'll go get a couple more and see if they do the trick. I'll just put them on the algea. Thanks for the help.

[PSam]

What kind of turbos? I see tons of places selling astrea (Astrea tecta) and others as 'turbos'. You need the actual Turbo (turbo fluctuosus), from the Caribbean. There are also some reds that aren't very palatable, like fauchea. Hard to tell from the photo.

[saleenpwr88]

Yeah, I've got the Turbos. At first I was sold Astrea but then I got the real things. I'll just get a couple more and put them right on the algea. Well see what happens. I'll take a good pic tonight.

[JPagliai]

I don't think there's anything that eats red slime. Now, if it's red hair (a.k.a. turf) the snails will eat it. One other method of removal that I didn't mention earlier is to starting a siphon with silicone tube and sort of vacuum it off the rock and into a bucket. Just get down there with a toothbrush afterwards or it will likely come back in the same spot.

[saleenpwr88]

Well I just scrubbed it with a toothbrush, unfortunately I wasn't able to get all of it off, it was really on there. I did get a lot of if off and put some decent flow right on it. We'll see what happens.

[newreefer2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10798111#post10798111 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saleenpwr88
It definately is slimy, not hairy and grows like a carpet. I do have a couple of turbos in there, but they don't seem to be touching it. I actually don't know if they are alive anymore, I can't seem to keep them alive for more than six months. I'll go get a couple more and see if they do the trick. I'll just put them on the algea. Thanks for the help.

I fought off this stuff and it grows fast. I did three things, I don't know which did the trick. First I turned off my lights for three days, second I bought the red slime powder and third I put on a phospate reactor. I ordered the powder from Dr. foster and smilth.
Good luck. I tried the scoop it off and brush it off method but was told it is a bacteria that promotes it.

[PSam]

don't buy a powder. that's not cyano. looks like fauchea or perhaps gracilara textorii or some type of delesseria.

[newreefer2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10810528#post10810528 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PSam
don't buy a powder. that's not cyano. looks like fauchea or perhaps gracilara textorii or some type of delesseria.

Go with what PSam says, I am new and still making too many mistakes of my own to be giving advice.

[Pufferpunk]

I've got 2 kinds I'm battling. One of them looks like fauchea. The other one looks wirey. The turbos love it.

[saleenpwr88]

It's only on one rock and and it was on the rock in my last tank, but I THOUGHT it was gone when I put it in this tank. The rock is covered with a bunch of GSP, Green Palys and some sub-par looking Zoas. I want to ditch the rock but it is on the bottom and is supporting three other rocks. I have the Phosban reactor and I'm going to get a couple of Turbos today.
Thanks for all the advice.