Red Slime Algae and Coralline Algae
- Thread starter roberteb
- Start date
fibinotchi
Member
Red slime comes off easy, like with a small burst of water from a turkey baster, coralline doesn't. Also red slime looks more like a web than plastered on the rock.
pezenfuego
Active Member
Cyanobacteria (red slime algae) is a type of bacteria and is not even in the same kingdom as coralline. As one of the first living things in the oceans, this bacteria has branched out and there are many different species and color morphs as with coralline. Sometimes the colors can be confused. Anyway, cyano is nonencrusting and may or may not be accompanied by bubbles (released nitrogenous gases). Cyanobacteria is somewhat sheet-like. You can pull the whole thing off. Do not blow it around with a turkey baster. If the bacteria dies, it will simply release its nutrients back into the water and feed the remaining colony of cyanobacteria. Using a hose, you can vacuum it out. This will help to remove some nutrients, but in the end it comes down to fixing your water. With more frequent water changes, the addition of phosphate and/or nitrate removal media, the reduction of feedings, and a slight adjustment to your lighting and/or lighting schedule; you can beat cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria shows no limits in its surface areas for colonization. While rigorous flow may limit the growth, it can live on powerheads, rocks, sand, glass, etc. It mostly stays in nutrient rich areas.
Coralline on the other hand is an encrusting algae. Removal of this algae is difficult in most cases. The color morphs are normally purple and pink in saltwater aquariums but range from any color on the spectrum provided the right conditions. Coralline generally does not grow on the sand, but it isn't unheard of.
Coralline on the other hand is an encrusting algae. Removal of this algae is difficult in most cases. The color morphs are normally purple and pink in saltwater aquariums but range from any color on the spectrum provided the right conditions. Coralline generally does not grow on the sand, but it isn't unheard of.
fibinotchi
Member
There was no suggestion to blow it around with a turkey baster. I was only giving an example to show how easily it would be removed. But thanks for checking up on me rainman.
pezenfuego
Active Member
Originally Posted by Fibinotchi
http:///forum/post/3232400
There was no suggestion to blow it around with a turkey baster. I was only giving an example to show how easily it would be removed. But thanks for checking up on me rainman.
I knew what you meant, you weren't wrong. I was just clarifying, calm down.
http:///forum/post/3232400
There was no suggestion to blow it around with a turkey baster. I was only giving an example to show how easily it would be removed. But thanks for checking up on me rainman.
I knew what you meant, you weren't wrong. I was just clarifying, calm down.
contraband629
Member
If you're wondering if you have coraline or red slime then you better make sure you got it right. I had red slime and thought it was coraline then it got really out of control. It took me months to battle with it and I just recently finally won the battle.
fretfreak13
Active Member
Red slime normally bubbles too. >< I have it in all of my tanks all of a sudden, its a royal PITA.
roberteb
Member
I'm pretty sure I have the red slime algae. When I upgraded my powerhead from a koralia 4 to a koralia 8 it blew off the algae like it was a sheet on some of the rocks. That was when I started to think it wasn't coralline. I also have some growth on the sandbed.
Here is a video I just took.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WtpNR54pI8
Here is a video I just took.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WtpNR54pI8
pezenfuego
Active Member
I was wondering how you could have gotten the two confused but after watching the video, it's very easy to see. It is cyanobacteria, just a very magnificent color morph. You are going to want to get on that. As of right now it is not horrible, but will get worse.
roberteb
Member
Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/3232630
I was wondering how you could have gotten the two confused but after watching the video, it's very easy to see. It is cyanobacteria, just a very magnificent color morph. You are going to want to get on that. As of right now it is not horrible, but will get worse.
I've been into saltwater fish tanks for about two years. I've been into freshwater for 30. I've never seen red slime algae before. I tried to introduce coralline algae into the tank about 12 months ago and what I thought was coralline instead I got the red slime. It actually looks nice on the rocks but not on the sand bed.
Will this have any adverse effects on the fish?
http:///forum/post/3232630
I was wondering how you could have gotten the two confused but after watching the video, it's very easy to see. It is cyanobacteria, just a very magnificent color morph. You are going to want to get on that. As of right now it is not horrible, but will get worse.
I've been into saltwater fish tanks for about two years. I've been into freshwater for 30. I've never seen red slime algae before. I tried to introduce coralline algae into the tank about 12 months ago and what I thought was coralline instead I got the red slime. It actually looks nice on the rocks but not on the sand bed.
Will this have any adverse effects on the fish?
pezenfuego
Active Member
Originally Posted by roberteb
http:///forum/post/3232700
I've been into saltwater fish tanks for about two years. I've been into freshwater for 30. I've never seen red slime algae before. I tried to introduce coralline algae into the tank about 12 months ago and what I thought was coralline instead I got the red slime. It actually looks nice on the rocks but not on the sand bed.
Will this have any adverse effects on the fish?
Absolutely not. The only real byproduct of this algae is oxygen gas. Technically, it is good for your fish in that it helps to reduce phosphates.
http:///forum/post/3232700
I've been into saltwater fish tanks for about two years. I've been into freshwater for 30. I've never seen red slime algae before. I tried to introduce coralline algae into the tank about 12 months ago and what I thought was coralline instead I got the red slime. It actually looks nice on the rocks but not on the sand bed.
Will this have any adverse effects on the fish?
Absolutely not. The only real byproduct of this algae is oxygen gas. Technically, it is good for your fish in that it helps to reduce phosphates.
fibinotchi
Member
Originally Posted by roberteb
http:///forum/post/3232623
I'm pretty sure I have the red slime algae. When I upgraded my powerhead from a koralia 4 to a koralia 8 it blew off the algae like it was a sheet on some of the rocks. That was when I started to think it wasn't coralline. I also have some growth on the sandbed.
Here is a video I just took.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WtpNR54pI8
Wow, I am sorry, I bet that was a disappointment because that would have been some nice coralline growth. At least it should be easy to get in sheets that big, just siphon it out.
http:///forum/post/3232623
I'm pretty sure I have the red slime algae. When I upgraded my powerhead from a koralia 4 to a koralia 8 it blew off the algae like it was a sheet on some of the rocks. That was when I started to think it wasn't coralline. I also have some growth on the sandbed.
Here is a video I just took.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WtpNR54pI8
Wow, I am sorry, I bet that was a disappointment because that would have been some nice coralline growth. At least it should be easy to get in sheets that big, just siphon it out.