How to remove Red Macro Evil Algae

[StevieT]

I am moving my tank again this coming weekend so I figured this is the only time to finally nip in the butt this stuff.

 

From reading and searching although not retaining any ID for this stuff I understand that the only way to remove is manually.

 

I have tried this once before on a rock I was able to pull out. I though I got it all, I was wrong it came back in full force.

 

What is my best method for removal? Make sure I get all the "root"

 

It has been spreading around for about a year now and I am sick of looking at it. My larger clam is even becoming a victim.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lawnman]

Well hopefully you are moving it home. How I got rid of mine is hand removal as much as possible. Then I purchased a tuxedo urchin. The tuxedo will tear it up. You just have to remove and pieces you see floating in the tank so they dont root. Since you are moving the tank you can use a screw driver and dig some of the harder macro out of the cracks and crevices.

[Weetabix7]

Here's what I would do.

Pull out the rock it is on and remove as much as you can manually.

Then make a paste out of kalkwasser and water and spread the past over every place it was growing.

Leave the paste on for 1-2 mins, then rinse off with SW or clean FW and return to the tank.

That should take care of it.

[emc2]

I had some of this stuff on a rock and I tried pulling it off with tweezers and by hand. It didn't work so well. So, I filled a deep bowl with salt water from a water change and went after the rock with a metal mani/pedi utensil. I bought it at the local drugstore, it has a curved, almost 4 mm rounded scraper on one side and a flat metal thingy on the other end. Basically, I scraped the hell out of the rock and kept dipping it in the dirty water to make sure I got it all. Rinsed it really good and stuck it back in the tank. Good luck!

[bitts]

also since your moving & there fore will most likely be doing a 90% wc siphon the water while removing the algae. normally I do this back into the sump through a filter sock.

[Paleoreef103]

Honestly, large mexican turbos have been the best defense for me. I have that crap too and it is horrible, but 3 big turbos should keep it at bay.

[StevieT]

Thank you for the tips, sounds like manual removal it is, also I will look into Kalkwasser. If it comes back will look into the urchin. I have to get down to the "bone" with this stuff which didn't happen before.

 

Pretty much a 100% water change with the tank move. RO/DI is made up start mixing the salt tonight.

 

Honestly, large mexican turbos have been the best defense for me. I have that crap too and it is horrible, but 3 big turbos should keep it at bay.

 

I have 3-4 turbo snails, maybe they are not Mexican, though they were. They only touch algae on the glass

[GiantBen]

Why moving again so soon? Good luck.

[StevieT]

Thanks. When I moved it to my current office April 2009 I did not have anywhere else to put it. I purchased a house last October and it is time to finally bring it home. I see the tank for about a minute a day and don't have the time to care for it properly let alone actually look at it!

[mastahluong]

I have 3-4 turbo snails, maybe they are not Mexican, though they were.

 

Thats racist..... JK sorry I just had to . I second the tuxedo urchin or maybe even try a few emerald crabs too.

[got2envy]

Red turf algae is the common name...the 4th and last pic looks like a different macro tho looks like dictoya

 

Def the large mexican turbos will take care of it....a Urchin will eat this too

 

problem with this macro is that if even a strand is left it will grow back

[lohitha]

I believe that is red turf algae and Gelidium. I too have few patches and growing. I have a 14 gallon biocube and my options are limited as well. Thinking of adding a mexican turbo. I also have a patch growing on the power head. I will take it out and dip it in vinegar to remove coraline and this stuff. I guess Gelidium absorbs nutrients faster than Cheato. My chaeto being starved out.

[northstar1357]

Hi Stevie,

 

I am sorry to see that your tank is currently filled with this algae. I had it in my nanocube and had to entirely redo my tank. I threw away all my sand, rocks because i left that algae took over my tank.

 

The name of this aglae is actually called Gelidium aglae. It is impossible to remove without either boiling your rocks or vinegar dip The aglae stem is insde your rocks which removing the outter layer wouldn't do anything.

 

I have tried turbos too but they do not work on this aglae. This is algae is spiky and hard. not like other algae

Good luck

[StevieT]

Hummm..

 

What do you mean by hard? This stuff is pretty soft and "fluffy" not sharp or anything.

[Deleted User 6]

looks like some sp. of dictyota. i had an emerald that ate it, but it eventually went away on its own.

[northstar1357]

Hummm..

 

What do you mean by hard? This stuff is pretty soft and "fluffy" not sharp or anything.

 

Geldium algae when feels rough to the hand. maybe yours grew longer so its not so spiky anymore but mine was shorter and felt spiky.

 

Anyways, i have tried turning off the light for a week in my tank to slow down the growth and was hoping it would die off slowly but it didnt. I've tried quarantine the rock and corals to treat it seperately but it didnt work either. also set up another tank with copper solution and it works but kills everything on your rock. which is similar to boiling the rocks.... but it works

 

looks like some sp. of dictyota. i had an emerald that ate it, but it eventually went away on its own.

 

I wish my emerald crab was like yours that eats this junk. but mine only eat the bubble aglae.

[ReefEscape]

How to remove Red Turf Algea by Bird

 

I came across this thread by Bird some time ago. He was very clinical in his approach and documented every step of the way with pics and ph measurements. Unfortunately the picture links no longer work, but maybe he could reupload them.

 

I had a Green Mithrax crab that ate the stuff, but it came back after the crab died.

[d'Espresso]

If you don't wanna go through the hassle, don't mean to offend anyone but just take that rock out and break the part that have algae on it throw it out or just get you another rock to replace it with the old one.

 

No mess, no hassle, and happy corals since your moving home.

[StevieT]

How to remove Red Turf Algea by Bird

 

I came across this thread by Bird some time ago. He was very clinical in his approach and documented every step of the way with pics and ph measurements. Unfortunately the picture links no longer work, but maybe he could reupload them.

 

I had a Green Mithrax crab that ate the stuff, but it came back after the crab died.

 

Thank you for the link it was full of useful info. I like this which actually is a very viable option since I am breaking down the tank. I may try on areas away from corals just because it involves fire. Most is way too close to coral to even think about burning.

 

you can also drain the tank like a water change and use a blue jet lighter to burn it off, so your pH isn't in flux. Just wipe it off with a paper towel the rest will degrade no problem. to prevent cross burning make paddle shields out of tin foil

B

[StevieT]

If you don't wanna go through the hassle, don't mean to offend anyone but just take that rock out and break the part that have algae on it throw it out

 

Possibly an option for one small area. As you can see it is all over my clam, scrub that off

It is all over the bottom part of ricordia island

On top of a favia that probably should just get chucked

Mixed inbetween star polyps

[lohitha]

This makes me worry now. I guess I will scrub off the smaller rocks I can take out of the tank. If needed I will burn it with a little squirt of hot water. For some reason, my cheato is not growing as it used to. My nitrate reading is zero. I guess this red stuff is sucking nutrients. It even survived a 3 day blackout period I did last week. I guess this stuff doesnt need too much light. It all came from a new rock I bought from someone. Mine is 14 gallon, so Tang solution is totally out. Will buy a mexican bulldozer turbo today.

[bluefunelement]

I moved into a 30g temp tank and had this crop up - mild phosphates and nitrates from disturbing everything in the move along with no skimmer, no more emerald, turbos, nor urchins that would have kept it in check.

Just threw in 5 emeralds and a new "turbo" - along with skimmer, phosban, and carbon I hope will starve out the algae. If not I plan to kalk paste it out side of the tank as I have about a week while swapping tanks to get the rock in there.

I'll post what fixes it but I think the paste along with a solid CUC will keep me from having to boil the rock.

[northstar1357]

I moved into a 30g temp tank and had this crop up - mild phosphates and nitrates from disturbing everything in the move along with no skimmer, no more emerald, turbos, nor urchins that would have kept it in check.

Just threw in 5 emeralds and a new "turbo" - along with skimmer, phosban, and carbon I hope will starve out the algae. If not I plan to kalk paste it out side of the tank as I have about a week while swapping tanks to get the rock in there.

I'll post what fixes it but I think the paste along with a solid CUC will keep me from having to boil the rock.

 

 

Yep, keep us posted on your result.

Your tank looks similar to mine with the gelidium algae except mine is all over the tank wall and sand.

 

this algae took out my GPS which was sad because GPS usually grows like crazy but algae won the battle in my tank. Probably because i was too lazy to do WC.

I would say boiling is the last resort.

[StevieT]

Looks the exact same to what I have, keep us updated

[northstar1357]

Looks the exact same to what I have, keep us updated

 

I just found some old picture of my tank

 

This was when the algae first started. i just started my tank over last week but just imagine that 100 times worse. where the entire nanocube back wall is filled and rock and corals

 

this was my tank 2 months ago, the purple stuff that you see is not coraline, its the gelidium algae. i dont have the latest picture because its to ugly

 

I treated my tank with a nice hot bath of tap water