Black algae id please

[Kress]

Hi all and thanks in advance on identifying this algae for me! I think there are two types as per photos!

tank is a year old, 75gal
Sal:1.026
KH:8.2dKH
Phosphates:0.08
Ph:8.2
Nitrate: 0
Lights are Kessil a360x with controller and schedule of 10h light/ 14h dark.

Had a high phosphate lvl problem two weeks ago when phosphates reached 0.5!
Did couple of water changes, add cheato and phosphate removal from saecham. After that I noticed two spots of encrusting algae/sponge.
It is not slimey, really hard.. same as coralline. Couple of days later noticed my rock starting to get dark… some parts are completely black.

please help if and what to do!

 

[Subsea]

Not familiar, but look at discription of

Lobophora​

Brown semi rigid but slippery macro algae. Often confused with plating coralline, the slippery rubbery feel is a give away if you don't want to use scientific methods to determine the id. Can be highly variable both in color and in formation. Can be red or yellow, and can grow in saucer like shapes, (pictured to the left), or in a ruffled ribbon formation.

Manual Removal: Difficult. Qting the rock in an extended dark cycle is the best way. Good thing it doesn't spread rock to rock too fast. A chisel or a flexible knife like a putty blade works, but you got to get it all, and take some of the rock just to be sure.

Clean Up Crew: Emerald Crabs (best bet here), Sea Hares, some Turbos, Chitons, Limpets, Tangs, Urchins, will pick at it, but it is likely to persist, but at least it will be controlled.

 

[Jme 1975]

Hi all and thanks in advance on identifying this algae for me! I think there are two types as per photos!

tank is a year old, 75gal
Sal:1.026
KH:8.2dKH
Phosphates:0.08
Ph:8.2
Nitrate: 0
Lights are Kessil a360x with controller and schedule of 10h light/ 14h dark.

Had a high phosphate lvl problem two weeks ago when phosphates reached 0.5!
Did couple of water changes, add cheato and phosphate removal from saecham. After that I noticed two spots of encrusting algae/sponge.
It is not slimey, really hard.. same as coralline. Couple of days later noticed my rock starting to get dark… some parts are completely black.

please help if and what to do!

I have the same problem.So far nobody has helped with an answer if you figure it out please inform me as I will do the same for you.

 

[Jme 1975]

Same problem on a 20g thats been running for 9 months

 

[Dan_P]

Hi all and thanks in advance on identifying this algae for me! I think there are two types as per photos!

tank is a year old, 75gal
Sal:1.026
KH:8.2dKH
Phosphates:0.08
Ph:8.2
Nitrate: 0
Lights are Kessil a360x with controller and schedule of 10h light/ 14h dark.

Had a high phosphate lvl problem two weeks ago when phosphates reached 0.5!
Did couple of water changes, add cheato and phosphate removal from saecham. After that I noticed two spots of encrusting algae/sponge.
It is not slimey, really hard.. same as coralline. Couple of days later noticed my rock starting to get dark… some parts are completely black.

please help if and what to do!

Can you get a more focused up close photo?

 

[yanni]

If it’s lobophora good luck. I fought it for a year with no luck, tried removal, peroxide, natural methods, nothing. I tore my tank down and it STILL came back. It’s relentless, try Reef flux or vibrant

 

[Kress]

Can you get a more focused up close photo?

Sure… two of them… black spot, have them random in a tank, some 3 spots… that brown black is all over my thank. It is not slimey, more hard surface. If I scrape it with something, can’t peal it off, only making a mark on a rock. Everything is ok, corals are ok… parameters are ok… just don’t know what it is… any help much appreciated!

 

[KING KONG]

Sure… two of them… black spot, have them random in a tank, some 3 spots… that brown black is all over my thank. It is not slimey, more hard surface. If I scrape it with something, can’t peal it off, only making a mark on a rock. Everything is ok, corals are ok… parameters are ok… just don’t know what it is… any help much appreciated!

I too hv this black algae behind a rock. Don't know what is it but my rock had turned black from it's backside. It is only on one rock. I hv tried to get pics but can't

 

[Kress]

Don’t know…. Looked everywhere and can’t find any info… corals and fish looks good… it’s all healthy but I can see that something is not ok…

 

[KING KONG]

Don’t know…. Looked everywhere and can’t find any info… corals and fish looks good… it’s all healthy but I can see that something is not ok…

I'll say leave it there. I hv these algae/bacteria from last 1 yr and it never spread or never harmed anything. It is staying on a single rock (backside). My snails didn't touched it.

I think it may be bacteria. I hv searched so much about it and found that it is a bacteria.

 

[Dan_P]

Sure… two of them… black spot, have them random in a tank, some 3 spots… that brown black is all over my thank. It is not slimey, more hard surface. If I scrape it with something, can’t peal it off, only making a mark on a rock. Everything is ok, corals are ok… parameters are ok… just don’t know what it is… any help much appreciated!

I have this black growth as well. It grows like coralline. I never investigated it. It does not grow that quickly and coralline partially overgrows it.

What about all the fuzzy growth? Is that under control?

 

[Necrodaemus]

Any update on this? I, too, have it growing on a lot of my rocks.

 

[KING KONG]

Any update on this? I, too, have it growing on a lot of my rocks.

Don't worry it is harmless as I hv this from 1 yr+ now. This grows in dark areas so u may also not see this in light areas. I do think this is a type of sponge