Hey experts! Is this coralline?

[Mmar2385]

Bought this beautiful green base toadstool from Petco a couple months ago, it's irrated in the picture because I just moved it to its new spot with moderate flow and high lighting. I though the dark red spot was cyano, but it is hard and I can't scrub it off, is it coralline algae? Thanks in advance.

 

[KrisReef]

Nice toadstool!

 

[Mmar2385]

Nice toadstool!

Thank you! I got lucky to get this bad boy from Petco!

 

[DedElvis]

Looks promising! My Petco purchases have all been on the "live rock" you can actually buy now. I purchased my "live rock" from amazon, and was very pleased with the purchase. I knew going in the rock was colored and was just hoping for the bacteria. My cleanup crew ate most of the purple color off! I'm ok with that as long as it's safe. I'm hoping to introduce some real coralline at some point.

 

[Chrisv.]

Bought this beautiful green base toadstool from Petco a couple months ago, it's irrated in the picture because I just moved it to its new spot with moderate flow and high lighting. I though the dark red spot was cyano, but it is hard and I can't scrub it off, is it coralline algae? Thanks in advance.

Looks like it

 

[Mmar2385]

Looks promising! My Petco purchases have all been on the "live rock" you can actually buy now. I purchased my "live rock" from amazon, and was very pleased with the purchase. I knew going in the rock was colored and was just hoping for the bacteria. My cleanup crew ate most of the purple color off! I'm ok with that as long as it's safe. I'm hoping to introduce some real coralline at some point.

Looks promising! My Petco purchases have all been on the "live rock" you can actually buy now. I purchased my "live rock" from amazon, and was very pleased with the purchase. I knew going in the rock was colored and was just hoping for the bacteria. My cleanup crew ate most of the purple color off! I'm ok with that as long as it's safe. I'm hoping to introduce some real coralline at some point.

After I started this tank, I was dosing Purple Tech in hopes get the process started to grow coralline algae, that big red spot is hard, I took a baster to it and it does not blow off, I tried scrubbing it with my nail and it won't come off so it is promising indeed!

 

[DedElvis]

After I started this tank, I was dosing Purple Tech in hopes get the process started to grow coralline algae, that big red spot is hard, I took a baster to it and it does not blow off, I tried scrubbing it with my nail and it won't come off so it is promising indeed!

Hopefully you get some purple. It amazes me that some see this as a nuisance, when we beginners want it so bad. Right now I have an outbreak of the little white spiral worms. They are everywhere!

 

[vdubers]

It could well be coralline but looks darker than my bits but I am still new. Probably not but could also just be some putty that was used to hold the frag in place? I had some of that on some rocks I bought and mistook it for coralline when I started.

 

[fish farmer]

Looks like coralline to me, I have a similar color in my tank. There are also some lighter specks of pink on the base as well.

 

[shakacuz]

the purple to the right of the red splotch is definitely coralline algae. the red on the left could definitely also be coralline. i believe it comes in red, purple, or pink.

 

[JNalley]

the purple to the right of the red splotch is definitely coralline algae. the red on the left could definitely also be coralline. i believe it comes in red, purple, or pink.

It comes most typically in reds/pinks/purples but can also come in greens, blues, yellows, and whites...

I would say the red patch is indeed coralline algae, just gotta keep your parameters stable and it will grow. Monitor your calcium as the more it grows, the more calcium it will use up (its primary food source for growth).

 

[PatW]

Coralline comes in different colors. Algae that looks like coralline can usually be blown off the rock with a turkey baster or if brushed, comes off easily.

Coralline will not be blown off and it takes pretty vigorous scrapping and When it comes off comes off in hard chunks or hard particles (It has a lot of calcium carbonate in it (limestone)).

 

[iamahab]

Thank you! I got lucky to get this bad boy from Petco!

Just curious but was this petco in washington? There's a petco I go to in shoreline washington that has toadstools and the tank is overrun with cyano

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like cyano and I would ask them to take a bulb feeder and blow on the patch. With it falling apart quickly will confirm Cyano

 

[JNalley]

Looks like cyano and I would ask them to take a bulb feeder and blow on the patch. With it falling apart quickly will confirm Cyano

He said in his initial post that it's hard and that he can't scrub it off. I was leaning Cyano when I looked at it until I read that. You still think it might be Cyano?

 

[Mmar2385]

Just curious but was this petco in washington? There's a petco I go to in shoreline washington that has toadstools and the tank is overrun with cyano

No, in Nevada, ever since I bought this toadstool my tank has been over run by cyano red slime on my rocks and sand. So I tried to siphon most of it out and did about a 20% water change, added fresh water with some salt and added chemiclean. It's weird because the big red spot on the base of the rock where the toadstool came on can't be scratched off.