Purple algae that mbuna will eat.

[markstrimaran]

First the green algae, then diatoms, now this purple algae is growing.

It did not grow until after I replaced the T5 light to a 50/50 acetic coral sun marine light.

It is not slimey, I do not believe it is any thing cyno, toxic.

My nitrates are 5ppm
High alkaline
Phosban in sump for silicate control.
30 gallon tank.
10 gallon w/d sump
15 GPD denitrator.

The fish keep it pretty thin. I am curious if any body with high alkaline water has it.

Tank has been setup for only 6 months.
I have no problems with it growing, I am more inclined to cultivate it. For FREE FOOD.

My pseudo damsel elongatus loves the coral.

 

[markstrimaran]

I searched the Internet and went to the LFS. Found some interesting information on coraline algae, it's a natural marine type calcify algae.
The purple stuff growing on live rock in a marine salt tank.
My w/d sump, bio balls, was a previously marine salt water. Which the bio balls never got cleaned.
My water chemistry is similar. High alkaline. High calcium, minerals.
It seems like a lot of people might take it as a bad, nasty, strip the tank, and bleach.
Red tide bacterial, algae cyno stuff.

 

[joe jaskot]

Here is an article on the subject of red algae: http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/red-algae.html

 

[markstrimaran]

Thanks for the read, I will call it Purple algae, or a coralline algae.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...=0ahUKEwisxcXdv4bLAhWDFj4KHU4kC0EQMwiFAShLMEs

I know this is saltwater stuff. I have read some old out dated post about it in African Cichlid tanks with high PH water.
My Iowa creek chubs, and mbuna eat it faster than it grows. The red algae is not eaten by most fish.

 

[markstrimaran]

Interestingly the algae on lake Malawi is not green.

 

[MrGame]

Interestingly the algae on lake Malawi is not green.

That is incredibly cool footage!

 

[markstrimaran]

The fish pick it clean. I have a lot of it growing now.

Anybody else got it in a alkaline aquarium.

 

[markstrimaran]

Grows well on rocks, glass, but best on HDPE plastic.

 

[markstrimaran]

They ate most of it a few weeks ago and it never grew back.

 

[markstrimaran]

This is the rock today. It is starting to grow again.