Coralline Algae or Cyanobacteria, Both or Neither?

[RickLRMS]

The photos are from my ten-month-active invertebrate quarantine tank. I've been assuming the dark red stuff on the rocks (and snail shells and return nozzle) is coralline algae; it's been increasing for awhile now. The pink stuff on the frag plug and the shell is new. Is the pink stuff cyano? Am I correct on the red stuff being coralline algae? I've started moving critters from my quarantine tank to my display tank and would rather not move anything evil. Thanks!

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

Pink is coralline, does the red feel soft or hard? May be cyano but usually it's not as patchy. Might be a red turf algae. If it is coralline, that deep red is awesome and I want some lol

 

[afrokobe]

try blowing it off with a turkey baster. if it comes off, its probably cyano.

 

[RickLRMS]

try blowing it off with a turkey baster. if it comes off, its probably cyano.

Doesn't come off, firmly attached. I am adding additional photos through a microscope.

 

[RickLRMS]

Pink is coralline, does the red feel soft or hard? May be cyano but usually it's not as patchy. Might be a red turf algae. If it is coralline, that deep red is awesome and I want some lol

 

[RickLRMS]

The red stuff is like a thin layer of tough rubber: you can poke it in but it has firm resistance. I have photos through a microscope below, plus I'll add some I took with my Nikon once I have a chance to transfer them from the camera.

Stuff from the rocks:

Stuff from the plug:

 

[taricha]

nice pics that distinguish this from classic coralline algae.
may be decent match for peyssonnelia. (maybe)

 

[RickLRMS]

nice pics that distinguish this from classic coralline algae.
may be decent match for peyssonnelia. (maybe)

Thanks for the reply. Most of the non-microscope photos I find of peyssonnelia show it having "free edges" lifted up from the rock. Mine doesn't really have that. In the bottom photo here:

https://www.marinelifephotography.com/marine/seaweeds/peyssonnelia.htm

it does look similar to the third photo on the site. I can't really make heads or tails out of the photos through a microscope.

 

[Seymo44]

Did you ever ID the red stuff?

 

[ReefGeezer]

I had something like that during the ugly stage. I ended up thinking it was an encrusting sponge. It was dark red, tough, and kind of leathery. It only grew on rock pand the plastic onumps and overflows. It was photosynthetic. I added GFO to reduce free silicates and did a week long lights out. It went away but came back a little. Another round of GFO and lights out and it was gone and hasn't returned. It did seem like it grew more when the full spectrum lights were on. Running just the blues after the black-out the second time seems to have helped.

 

[xabo]

I'm afraid you may have: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/red-turf-algae-battle.880571/

 

[WheatToast]

I'm afraid you may have: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/red-turf-algae-battle.880571/

Personally, the reddish algae seems too smooth to be Red turf algae, plus, @RickLRMS says it “doesn’t come off.” Like @taricha, I would say it is probably Peyssonnelia or a similar, benign red encrusting macroalgae.

 

[RickLRMS]

Did you ever ID the red stuff?

No. I’m still in the position of either needing to encourage it or eradicate it and no real idea which—but since I have no idea how I would get rid of it, I’ve left it alone.

 

[RickLRMS]

I'm afraid you may have: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/red-turf-algae-battle.880571/

I don’t remember it being fuzzy as shown in the picture in the thread to which you linked. It was smooth and kind of rubbery. Another couple of photos: