Whats growing on my rocks

[johnny roastbeef]

Over the last few months Ive noticed what I thought was red coralline growing in patches on some of my rocks. In patterns typical of coralline. Last night I noticed that some of it seemed thicker than the rest of the coralline, so I got a feeding stick and scraped some off. This substance appears to be velvet-like and slightly spongy. I would say it looks like burgundy velvet. I dont think its cyano, because its not slimy. If Im not mistaken a long time ago, I had something of similar color that grew like a macro algae, until something grazed it off the rocks.

Any idea what this might be?

 

[daisy]

I have lot of patches of exactly what you describe. I think I was once told that it is a macroalgae, and since it is slow-growing and pretty, and since it has never outcompeted for a coral, I like it

I'd love a name for it, too, though!

 

[mcnuggget]

a picture is worth a 1000 words

 

[johnny roastbeef]

?

 

[Breezp]

sounds like cyano to me... how long has the tank been setup for? do you top off and do water changes with tap water? how long are ur lights on and how old are they?

 

[johnny roastbeef]

No, I don't think its cyano, int not slimy. Its thick and spongy.

 

[Breezp]

call me crazy but it even looks like cyano to me

 

[bimmer01]

+1 on cyano and behind it is bubble algae.

 

[beerfish]

Looks like Peyssonnelia (Google it for pics).

The stuff behind it is NOT bubble algae, it's Caulerpa Racemosa.

 

[johnny roastbeef]

Beerfish,
Yes that is exactly what it is. Thanks for the ID.

....now what. Any suggestions about eliminating it?
thanks

 

[beerfish]

It's a calcareous algae, and not so far off from coraline. Is it bothering anything in the tank? It shouldn't be invasive, aside from using a little calcium up.

If you really want to get rid of it, let me know if you want to trade some rock. I'd take it.