Red Hair Algae on new Snails

[npage]

I just picked up a bunch of Astraeas from a LFS. After acclimating them, I noticed three of them are covered with what appears to be red hair algae. I've never seen red h.a. before.
I tried scrubbing it off with a tooth brush, but it didn't help.
I'm keeping them isolated for now.
Any thoughts on whether its safe to add them to the tank or should I return them?

 

[mr_x]

if you have tangs or grazing fish, they will eat that off in a day.

 

[npage]

No Tangs. Just a Lawnmower Blenny who won't touch hair algae.

 

[codylowe]

I have the same problem... I just look at it as the snails having a Frow...

 

[kevin34]

same thing on my snails but with green hair algae. some of it even extends an inch or 2 out lol. I might "weed" them if it gets too out of hand lol

 

[saltn00b]

that is not red Hair Algae, if such a thing exists , it is red turf algae which is very invasive and very hard to remove

 

[mach1ray]

That is not red turf aglae. This is what red turf algae looks like:
Please don't post links to other sites
I have the same problem as the original poster and struggling to find out what the hell that short hairy stuff it. It is definitely dificult to get rid of and also found it to leave a spine behind when I sun bleached one of the rocks as a test. Hoping to find an answer to this mysterious growth. I would not put those snails in the tank if I were you. See below for my outbreak.

 

[snakeblitz33]

dinoflagellates.

 

[novahobbies]

Seth, I have to disagree here. Dinoflagellates would not be difficult to blow off and suck up, neither would they leave a "spine" behind.
I hate to say, but this really looks like the beginnings of red turf algae. Best nip it in the bud. Mexican turbo snails may eat this...then again, they may not...it literally depends on the snail. I had a foxface that ate this down to a low lawn, but it wouldn't ever remove the algae entirely. It was a nightmare algae.

 

[slice]

Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///t/328894/red-hair-algae-on-new-snails#post_3488940
Seth, I have to disagree here. Dinoflagellates would not be difficult to blow off and suck up, neither would they leave a "spine" behind.
I hate to say, but this really looks like the beginnings of red turf algae. Best nip it in the bud. Mexican turbo snails may eat this...then again, they may not...it literally depends on the snail. I had a foxface that ate this down to a low lawn, but it wouldn't ever remove the algae entirely. It was a nightmare algae.
Absolutely correct, a type of gelidium, a type of "red turf algae". I know because I have it. If you look at some of the pics in my tank build thread you will see it. Highly invasive, recommended removal is manual with a dentist pick (really).
I bought a pair of medium sized Mexican Turbo Snails some months ago just to combat this stuff. They have done a wonderful job, I do not see it anywhere any more, but I know it is still in there. I will always have to have Mex Turbos from now
on to keep it in check.
If one small fiber of this stuff is in your tank, you have a big problem.
PS
Nothing beats reviving a 4 year old thread....

 

[snakeblitz33]

Only looking at the pics on a tiny phone in a rush - I sometimes misdiagnose things. XD

 

[slice]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/328894/red-hair-algae-on-new-snails#post_3488962
Only looking at the pics on a tiny phone in a rush - I sometimes misdiagnose things. XD
I'm going to file that excuse away, might need it sometime....

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Slice http:///t/328894/red-hair-algae-on-new-snails#post_3488967
I'm going to file that excuse away, might need it sometime....

 

[novahobbies]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/328894/red-hair-algae-on-new-snails#post_3488962
Only looking at the pics on a tiny phone in a rush - I sometimes misdiagnose things. XD
LOL Fair 'nuff, it happens!
Slice is right, this stuff is HORRIBLE when it gets a foothold. And once you get it....you're pretty much stuck with it. As I mentioned, I found that some Mexican Turbos would eat it...and others ignored the crap out of it. For some reason, it seemed like the younger, smaller snails mowed into it, while the old fat buckos went looking for easier meals. My Foxface also did a good job at the time. It was sort of a one-two punch, because the snails wouldn't eat the long stuff. The fish would mow it down so it was short on the rocks, and the snails would come in and scrape up the short stuff.
My own goal to keep this stuff out of the new tank is a combination of very little actual live rock, quarantining coral frags, and a GFO reactor. I'm hoping that the 2+ years of drying and sunning for the old rock was enough to kill off any possible spores. One thing I read recently was that dry Tufa rock might be predisposed to algal growth due to high phosphate numbers in the rock itself...it leaches phosphate over time. We'll see.