What is this purple algae on the rocks?

mikmeh · Feb 22, 2023

I have some cyano on the sand bed, but this stuff has taken over this rock and is beginning to take over the rest of the tank. On the hermits shells and any sold surface. I'm adding bacteria each day to try and outcompete it, or at least the cyano. I have a robust clean up crew. My blenny won't touch it. Have phosgaurd in and carbon. Tank is 5 weeks from being a year old. Only coral is the sad zoas and anthelia. Any idea what it is and how I fight it?

more pics here https://photos.app.goo.gl/gUUhbDNAkhNiyTVj8

exnisstech · Feb 22, 2023

Following

pbjorlin · Feb 22, 2023

What are your parameters? Do you make or buy your water? My recommendation is to turn off all the flow and siphon out as much as you can. Then get an urchin to eat some. But there has to be something off with your parameters, or your water source.

mikmeh · Feb 23, 2023

pbjorlin said:
What are your parameters? Do you make or buy your water? My recommendation is to turn off all the flow and siphon out as much as you can. Then get an urchin to eat some. But there has to be something off with your parameters, or your water source.

Buy from local LFS.

Ammonia	Nitrite	Nitrate	PO4	KH/Alk	Salinity
0	0	5	0.25	9.3	1.025

I should also add that I just killed off a tank full of bryopsis with reef flux. This algae took over and some cyano on the sand bed. I'm adding bacteria each day to try and outcompete the cyano. Also have phosguard and carbon in my filters.

Fish Styx · Feb 23, 2023

It is red turf algae.

Cthulukelele · Feb 23, 2023

You'll see it called cotton candy algae or red turf algae. Really stubborn type of algae. Some herbivores like foxface love it though

nothing_fancy · Feb 23, 2023

When you buy your SW from you LFS does it sit around for a while? I used to do that and had issues that I think were related to that. You might consider buy RODI from them instead and mixing your own fresh before a WC. That and your Po4 needs to come down not greater than .1 at least at this tank age. Use GFO, phosguard is good at keeping it in one place until it builds up.