RED COTTON ALGAE

[SoulFish]

Whats the best way to get ride of RED COTTON ALGAE in a reef tank? I have two pieces of rock that has star polyps on it that have some of this on it? I tried manually pulling it off but it seems to just break off and crumble.

 

[SoulFish]

here's a pict and a full tank shot

 

[sfsuphysics]

If it's only on that one rock my advice is to remove that whole rock and toss the thing and be lucky it didn't spread to anything else. That is a nasty beast if I ever knew one, destroyed quite a bit of my SPS since it gets between the branches then grows until it blocks the light & suffocates the coral.

That being said I've seen some tangs nip at it but never control it, mexican turbos seem to be my best luck I've had with it.

 

[A_Lee]

I second the mexican turbo snails, in addition to as much manual removal you can.

 

[SoulFish]

shoot.. I really hate tossing out $70 worth of softies! The two rocks it's on are not the most expensive pieces but I hate loosing them, but also don't want a uphill battle. I don't have any other QT tanks I can put them in.

Should I take them back to the LFS?

 

[Ibn]

Get some Mexican turbos and watch that stuff disappear.

 

[iani]

Mexican turbos works for me as well.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Yah, turbo snails.

Here you go:

http://www.bareefers.org/discussion/index.php?topic=2983.0

 

[sfsuphysics]

The reason I mention yanking the rock is simply because I got mexican turbos and they chomped the hell out of it, however in the little cracks and crevices they couldn't get to it still exists... heck my "Phoenix Cap" (ahah it's still alive!) has it right in a nook of a swirl it's making and no snails can get to it.

So I put this in the aiptasia catagory, of deal with it forever or remove what it's attached to. I notice that rock with the corals it's all up inside it, which means the snails most likely won't get it all, however that being said, go for the mexican turbos if you dont want to remove the rock

 

[iani]

That is true Mike however if that algae is in his tank its probably all over the place by now. Even if he takes the rocks out he will probably have a problem with it in the future.

 

[Otakuthugster]

Got some of that algae in my refugium but none in my display tank. So setting up a refugium, if you haven't done so already, might help. But then again, I got a blue tang in the display, so you might want a try a combination of a refugium and an algae eater.

 

[SoulFish]

no refugium now.. I will once I get the big tank going.

Question: should I try getting a "water pick" and jetting this stuff off with just a high pressure saltwater?

 

[iani]

[quote author=OtakuThugster link=topic=5999.msg75988#msg75988 date=1232493765]
Got some of that algae in my refugium but none in my display tank. So setting up a refugium, if you haven't done so already, might help. But then again, I got a blue tang in the display, so you might want a try a combination of a refugium and an algae eater.
[/quote]

You should remove the algae from your fuge. Given time it will find its way into your display.

 

[tuberider]

I blow it off with a turkey baster, it really is a PITA algae, luckily it isn't real tenacious in its grip to the rocks. I have it in combination with Halimeda, the Halimeda grows, poofy stuff grows on the Halimeda. I really do detest the "red poof"...

 

[sfsuphysics]

[quote author=tuberider link=topic=5999.msg76025#msg76025 date=1232503925]
I blow it off with a turkey baster, it really is a PITA algae, luckily it isn't real tenacious in its grip to the rocks.
[/quote]
I think that's what makes this stuff so nasty is because it doesn't grip very well. Makes it easier to float into the water column then hit a nice branching acropora or something and wammo start growing between the branches

 

[Otakuthugster]

[quote author=iani link=topic=5999.msg76017#msg76017 date=1232501974]
[quote author=OtakuThugster link=topic=5999.msg75988#msg75988 date=1232493765]
Got some of that algae in my refugium but none in my display tank. So setting up a refugium, if you haven't done so already, might help. But then again, I got a blue tang in the display, so you might want a try a combination of a refugium and an algae eater.
[/quote]


You should remove the algae from your fuge. Given time it will find its way into your display.
[/quote]

Never has in almost 2 years since I've added the refugium. Even when it finds its way into the display, it never stays. Maybe it's partly due to the blue tang, tho'. But then again, since I've added the refugium, I no longer get nuisance algae in the display.

 

[tuberider]

[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=5999.msg76029#msg76029 date=1232506278]
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=5999.msg76025#msg76025 date=1232503925]
I blow it off with a turkey baster, it really is a PITA algae, luckily it isn't real tenacious in its grip to the rocks.
[/quote]
I think that's what makes this stuff so nasty is because it doesn't grip very well. Makes it easier to float into the water column then hit a nice branching acropora or something and wammo start growing between the branches

[/quote]

Yep

 

[Euphyllia]

Oh? So that is what that is... : I think I need to do some work on my 14gal! ;D

 

[SoulFish]

thanks guys for the 411..

1. Got two Mexican Turbos tonight, dripping them now
2. Tomorrow I'll go get a water pick and start blasting that crap off into a bucket.

Fingers crossed, if all else fails I'll toss the coral, but only as a last resort.

 

[bluenassarius]

you could try getting some macros to compete for nutrients. best of luck with battling that thing. i've seen how bad it can get in others tanks..