Algae identification

[Screasey]

Hi, can someone please help identify this algae. It's growing on one of my snails and a growth on a rock. The whole of my tank is kind of covered in small hair like reddish brown algae aswell.

 

[lapin]

Most likely some from of hair algae that came with the snail. If the stuff on the rock blows of it might be cyano. It also might be cyano attaching to the hair algae

 

[ScottB]

Looks like a new setup. I'd remove the algae, but if this is new it will be replaced. Maybe by something new. Eventually by something else, maybe green this time. Then brown. Then red again. Then furry. Then green. Finally pink. All naturally just doing the maturation thing.

 

[Screasey]

Looks like a new setup. I'd remove the algae, but if this is new it will be replaced. Maybe by something new. Eventually by something else, maybe green this time. Then brown. Then red again. Then furry. Then green. Finally pink. All naturally just doing the maturation thing.

What I've done is sucked out the blob that was on the rock, snail taken out and cleaned up and put back in, looks reddish brown in the tank but when taken out it's more a green colour. Hopefully just part of the process, tank is only 2 months old.

 

[ScottB]

What I've done is sucked out the blob that was on the rock, snail taken out and cleaned up and put back in, looks reddish brown in the tank but when taken out it's more a green colour. Hopefully just part of the process, tank is only 2 months old.

Perfect.

No need to sweat the upcoming changes in competitors for space. It is an evolving set of plant and animal winners/losers for a while. As long as you keep steady temps, salinity, and some nutrient passing through the system you will end up in a "steady state" some 12-18 months from now. You can accelerate with live rock, but as long as you keep the basic parameters stable you will get to the same place without.