What kind of algae is this?

[Baboon7]

I recently have a rock get over taken but what looks like a red slime aglae. Anyone have any ideas? It's starting to leech onto the sand as you can see in the picture

 

[brmreefer]

Just a guess, but I am thinking cyanobacteria (Red Slime Algae). Maybe someone else will chime in.

 

[sixline]

Looks to me like cyano as well. Blow it off with a turkey baster.

I'm guessing it is one or a combination of:

- New tank
- Old lights
- Low flow
- High nutrients

 

[hyprc]

Looks to me like cyano as well. Blow it off with a turkey baster.

I'm guessing it is one or a combination of:

- New tank
- Old lights
- Low flow
- High nutrients

The only one that doesn't belong on that list is high nutrients. Common mixup, but cyano is usually a result of a nutrient imbalance (deficiency in a lot of cases). It takes over when more beneficial algaes/baceria cannot thrive properly or just have yet to establish in a younger system.

 

[sixline]

The only one that doesn't belong on that list is high nutrients. Common misconception, but cyano is usually a result of a nutrient imbalance (deficiency in a lot of cases). It takes over when more beneficial algaes/baceria cannot thrive properly.

Thanks for correcting that. I try and give out the best information, but sometimes I get sucked in by one of the common misconceptions.