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Which of these is the coralline algae?


Newms118

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Just a simple ID question.  Here are two pics of whats in my tank right now:

 

Bluish Algae?

Blue algae

 
Purple Algae?

Purple algae

 
I think the purple algae is really coralline algae because its more hard in appearance, and when Ive left my LEDs on for too long, it became a little lighter which seemed like  a bleaching event.  The bluish algae is more like a mucus in appearance, and I have other rocks where the mucus is more white/opaque with little color.  What you guys think?

 

 

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I'm not much familiar with bluish algae.  What color lights do you have?  On my computer the whole picture looks blue.  Generally coralline is pink or light purple, so you are probably correct.  It is also hard because of it's calcium makeup.  If you have blue algae it is probably not calcerous.

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Turn your blues off and take another pic.

 

How old is the tank? If it's not more than at least a few weeks old, it may not even be coraline.

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It helps to reach in and touch.it might feel spongy which is a sponge ;) If it's hard like a rock and does not chip off with fingernail then coraline. If slippy then I don't know what it is. Slippy red is cyano. Yea it takes a few months for it to grow the only way is if the rock came with it when you put it in. Grows slow also unless it's a very established tank. Coraline algae actually has no benefit to the tank but also isn't bad.... Just very pleasing to the eye and is a good sign that the tank is healthy Or getting close to healthy.

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Bluish stuff looks like a sponge from the way it's growing. Red looks like coralline. Watch the sponge. If it spreads a lot, you may want to scrape it off. Some sponge of this form can get invasive.

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sorry about the pic, my iPhone is giving it a much more bluish color than it really is. I have one 14,000K reef spectrum light from Buildmyled.  Here is some pics using just a flashlight.

 

blue algae:sponge 1

 

Heres a smaller one on another rock from TBS

Small blue algae:sponge

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The tank is just finishing up its cycle so pretty much brand new.  Only reason i thought at least the purple algae may be coralline was that it came on the TBS rock.

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