Help ID algae

Scope

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Hey everyone, I've been noticing this weird growth on my rocks. It's firmly attached to them and nothing seems to want to eat it.

The tank is 6 months old and I've been battling high nutrients for a while. It appeared more or less when my phosphate started going down with gfo. Right now I'm at approx 30 ppm NO3 and 0.14 PO4.



DSC04683.JPG

DSC04684.JPG
 
To me it looks like red wire algae.

I have this in one of my tanks, its been like that for years, nothing will eat it and its almost impossible to get rid off.
 
To me it looks like red wire algae.

I have this in one of my tanks, its been like that for years, nothing will eat it and its almost impossible to get rid off.
Hmm, doesn't look like the pictures tbh. Mine is more brown and up close it's made up of rectangular segments.



Screenshot_20261001_161907_Gallery.jpg
 
@Scope
Help us help you and provide more details:

List all of your parameters.
How did you cycle tank?
What was the source of your rock & substrate?

Full tank shot with white light.

Detail biofiltration in this tank with emphases on nutrient export.

Looks like sandbed is full of algae. Do you vacume substrate when doing partial water change?
 
Last edited:
@Scope
Help us help you and provide more details:

List all of your parameters.
How did you cycle tank?
What was the source of your rock & substrate?

Full tank shot with white light.

Detail biofiltration in this tank with emphases on nutrient export.

Looks like sandbed is full of algae. Do you vacume substrate when doing partial water change?
There's 500 liters of water in the system total. I cycled with live bacteria and ammonia. Rock was dry aragonite, same for the sand. I'm using seachem matrix for filtration, octo regal 200 int skimmer and a fleece roller, plus carbon and GFO. I've been carbon dosing since about a month. Sanbed is continually sifted by the cleanup crew. A bunch of snails, pistol shrimps, gobies etc.

There wasn't any photos with substrate in the op, that was just rock covered in this weird algae.



20261001_183401.jpg
 

WHAT IS THE LOUDEST PART OF YOUR REEF SYSTEM?

  • Return pump

    Votes: 3 4.5%
  • Powerheads or wavemakers

    Votes: 5 7.5%
  • Protein skimmer

    Votes: 14 20.9%
  • Overflow or drain

    Votes: 18 26.9%
  • Sump vibration or plumbing

    Votes: 1 1.5%
  • Cooling fans

    Votes: 9 13.4%
  • Dosing, ATO, or other equipment

    Votes: 3 4.5%
  • Nothing. My reef is surprisingly quiet

    Votes: 8 11.9%
  • Other (Tell us what makes the noise)

    Votes: 6 9.0%
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