What is this?

Courtney & David · Nov 22, 2020

What is the darker colored algae? It won’t blast off with a turkey baster and barely wants to come off with a blade. I know we have bits of coralline but we can’t figure out what the other stuff is. Any ideas?

Dragon52 · Nov 22, 2020

#reefsquad

Idoc · Nov 22, 2020

Courtney & David said:
What is the darker colored algae? It won’t blast off with a turkey baster and barely wants to come off with a blade. I know we have bits of coralline but we can’t figure out what the other stuff is. Any ideas?

Please post pics under white lights. Pics with blue lights don't show details.

Courtney & David · Nov 22, 2020

ReeferWarrant · Nov 22, 2020

Not 100% sure, but would assume coralline or a sponge. Weighing more toward coralline algae though.

Courtney & David · Nov 22, 2020

ReeferWarrant said:
Not 100% sure, but would assume coralline or a sponge. Weighing more toward coralline algae though.

I know we have some coralline in the tank but this just seems thicker and few pretty quick in comparison to the pinks and purples in the tank.

Courtney & David · Nov 22, 2020

Idoc said:
Please post pics under white lights. Pics with blue lights don't show details.

Posted more pictures under all whites.

Idoc · Nov 22, 2020

Courtney & David said:
Posted more pictures under all whites.

It looks black! If that is the case, I would assume some type of sponge possibly. I haven't seen black coralline algae, but it comes in many colors! A sponge would have a sponge-like feel to it, though. Coralline algae would be hard to the touch.

I have a couple of small spots of something like this in my tank, but only where light can't reach. I think mine is some type of sponge. But, this looks like it is completely out in the open light area of the tank.

Courtney & David · Nov 22, 2020

Idoc said:
It looks black! If that is the case, I would assume some type of sponge possibly. I haven't seen black coralline algae, but it comes in many colors! A sponge would have a sponge-like feel to it, though. Coralline algae would be hard to the touch.

I have a couple of small spots of something like this in my tank, but only where light can't reach. I think mine is some type of sponge. But, this looks like it is completely out in the open light area of the tank.

It is completely out in the open! Some of it not so much anymore because we moved some rocks and added a few more, but the rock originally turned green the. We started noticing small spots of the pink and purple coralline. This started about the same time but has exploded. It doesn’t seem sponge like when touching it, but I’m at a loss.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 22, 2020

Looks like turf algae
Using a toothbrush. See if it comes off or is stubborn
Turf is stubborn and will need to be treated chemically with vibrant or better yet... fluconasal (flux)

P-Dub · Nov 23, 2020

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-018-1704-z
Possibly Coralline Fungal disease.

Courtney & David · Nov 23, 2020

P-Dub said:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-018-1704-z
Possibly Coralline Fungal disease.

That looks like it affects the coralline itself. My entire rock wasn’t encrusted with coralline yet and the patches of coralline we have are still growing.

Courtney & David · Nov 25, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Looks like turf algae
Using a toothbrush. See if it comes off or is stubborn
Turf is stubborn and will need to be treated chemically with vibrant or better yet... fluconasal (flux)

I started using Microbactor Clean and some of the lighter patches of it are already starting to come off.