Id Algae

[whiterolla]

Hello all Just wondering if one of someone can help me figure out what is going on with this piece of live rock
tank has been set up for nearly 3 months,

Would like to know what the brown/green algae is?

http/img209.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0105ca5.jpg


Also what are these red things on the same piece quite a few of them on this bit of rock.
http/img101.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0102rq9.jpg

Any help would be great!!
Cheers
Simo

 

[ox5477]

Well the algae just looks like normal hair algae (if your asking about the green carpet). Usually any brown algae is detritus (a real pain when a tank is cycling, usually first living thing to really thrive).

The red things actually look like the feathered mouths of the deep sea tube worms you see on discovery channel. Obviously they are not deep sea tube worms, but I'm sure someone on here will give you a pos id for the red things

 

[whiterolla]

Thanks!

So nothing to really stress about then?

Anyone able to id the red things?

 

[Colin_T]

can't tell about the little red things. They could be anything but leave them be for a few weeks and see what they turn into.

 

[ox5477]

Thanks!

So nothing to really stress about then?

Anyone able to id the red things?

The green hair algae isn't too big of a threat. I don't know if the green form is photosynthetic (I assume yes due to it's green - chlorophyl - color) but the red is non photo, so it comes from excess food in the tank and a good amount of phosphates and nitrates in the tank. Try using some phos-x and do some water changes to help remove some of the nutrients it needs. Also, if you can, try putting "Light Breaks" in during the normal on cycle for your lights to stunt the algae growth. This shouldn't hurt your corals or fish but will retard the algae growth. Of course, if you like it's look, don't do anything and it surely won't harm anything.

 

[thefirethief]

I wouldn't worry about the red algae. Looks like it might be some species of Botryocladia, which I think is quite attractive. Wait and see if it amounts to anything over the next few months.

 

[Musho3210]

ive had black hair algae, red, green, and brown. In my saltwater tank that is, might not all have been the same species of algae, but it was algae, and it was hairy. The purple hair algae grows really short and stubby which looks really nice....

 

[whiterolla]

Thanks alot everyone, to save opening another thread, I also have quite alot of oxygen bubbles growning on the algae as well on the rock, is this normal?

 

[Nim]

Green hair algae. I also had a flurry when starting up then one fine morning it was vanished. I do have plent of critters like red leg hermits and a mithrax crab.

The other one looks like red bubble algae. I still have it but it has not spread at all so I dont know what to do with it either. The Mithrax crab sometimes pulls out a bubble and that floats on the surface that I gladly remove.

Nim

 

[Crazy fishes]

Bubbles on the algae is the normal; I have caulerpa, two varieties the feather and broadleaf, they have a lot more bubbles on them. By the end of the day it is covered in bubbles and I just look, sigh and smile at the thought that my pH is finally stable!!!

Regards

 

[TylerFerretLord]

My LFS has the same red bubble algae growing in their frag tank and it's barely spread at all in a few months.