Algae or algae like identification help

[MLAliMike]

Hello all

New to the message board. We've been directed here by a local reef and aquarium store owner.

We've had a 40 gallon breeder up and running for about 4 months. Everything in the tank was in a smaller display for about a year. Just recently, within the last 2 months, 3 red macro algae looking things have started growing on the oldest, most established piece of rock in the tank. We have no idea what it is. It grows fast and looks pretty cool though.

See picture below. I apologize in advance if this belongs in another thread.

 

[returnofsid]

Hi and welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!

The algae in the photo appears to be either Botryocladia skottsbergii. Some call it Red Vallonia, but it's actually a different species, than Vallonia. It's very cool looking and some consider it ornamental. However, it can grow very quickly, as you've noticed, and become a real nuisance. Be careful not to pop the bubbles, in the tank, as this will only make it spread faster.

 

[MLAliMike]

Thanks for the response!

No bubbles to pop. It's leafy rather than bubbly. Jelly-like though. I'll link to a better photo once I've made the three posts required.

Thanks again for the quick response. Very cool.

 

[returnofsid]

Ahhh in that case, my ID is definitely wrong...lol. Looked bubbly to me!

 

[MLAliMike]

It is a bit bubbly in a way. The leaves are translucent, but not paper thin by any means. I think this post makes three.... see additional pictures below.

 

[returnofsid]

Pictures aren't showing up....hmmmm. How are you trying to post the photos?

Let's try these as possible species...

Rodophyta sp. or Fauchea sp.

 

[MLAliMike]

 

[user 26995]

try this
A photo of Gibsmithia hawaiiensis algae (seaweed)

Or is it kind of leafy like leaf lettuce?

 

[user 26995]

I had some red leafy algae in my tank. Didnt know what it was, but was told that it becomes toxic when it gets biger and deeper red. Fish will not eat it.
Not trying to alarm you, but its possible it is the same stuff.

 

[MLAliMike]

Yeah it's more leafy and lettuce like than bubbly. Non symmetrical.

Would it help if I point a power head in its direction to splay it out a little bit in another picture?

Thanks again for the ID suggestions. Been trying to ID this stuff for about a week on my own. Haven't found anything as close to what you guys came up with.

 

[MLAliMike]

The last picture is actually pretty close. If you can imagine that picture mashed with a hammer coral... with smaller translucent leaves.

 

[user 26995]

I think its more a type of seaweed

 

[Lbrewer34]

I have some red algae similar to yours, but more of bubble than a leaf. It was on a piece of live rock I bought.

After about a month, i noticed this neon orange glowing when the actinics are on:

I also picked up this leafy algae at the bob moore frag swap, it has a neon orange glowing under the actinics.

These guys don't seem to grow very fast, I was initially worried about the red bulb algae but now that it has that orange glow to it I love it.

 

[tcblightning]

MLAliMike- I don't know what it is either but I have some also. It just appeared out of nowhere about 6 months ago on a piece of rock I've had for about 6 years! It hasn't grown one bit in the 6 months I've noticed it...and appears to be about the size of yours. Honestly though, I haven't even tried to figure out what it is...I just wanted to tag along because now I'm curious...but still too lazy to investigate!haha

 

[Krish]

Does this look like it??





If so take a peek here. RedAlgIDFAQ2

 

[MLAliMike]

Winner winner chicken dinner. That's it.

Wish the link you supplied had more info on it.

We'll look into these Rhodophytes. I take it nobody else has had this stuff? It's growing like crazy. We might pluck a bit off and see if we cant get it growing in another part of the tank for giggles.

Throw it in the sump with no light for a while if it gets too out of hand.

 

[Krish]

Winner winner chicken dinner. That's it.

Wish the link you supplied had more info on it.

We'll look into these Rhodophytes. I take it nobody else has had this stuff? It's growing like crazy. We might pluck a bit off and see if we cant get it growing in another part of the tank for giggles.

Throw it in the sump with no light for a while if it gets too out of hand.

Cool!! To be honest, I never saw the algae before or heard of it and just went to google images, typed in red algae and tried to find what looked like it matched yours .