is red alge a good alge in a saltwater tank?

Question

and i want to know about it thers not that much red alge its on the glass

Answer 1

First, in order to adequately answer your question, I'd have to know which type of red algae you have. There are red grape algae, red gracilaria, and even red coraline algaes that are desirable (and sold!). If what you have is the "red slime algae" (which is actually a bacterium, not an algae) that's not so good. This can start out as something that looks filamentous, but ends up in sheets covering everything (see photos of it in an early stage: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Algae%20and%20Plt%20Pix/BlueGreenAlgae/BGA_RedAQ.jpg) . Not much will actually eat this, and it's tolerant of low loght conditions, so it's not a simple matter of just turning your lights off and waiting for it to die (especially if you have corals, anemones, or other macroalgae which are dependent on light). The key to keeping this under control are nutrient management (frequent water changes, testing your tap water [if this is what you're using to mix your saltwater] for nitrate and phosphate, using nitrate and phosphate absorbing media and/or a protein skimmer, or switching to reverse osmosis water). It also doesn't like areas of strong flow, so use a powerhead directed at the worst spots.

If this is an actual algae, there are some reds that can get to be a nuisance. If you look through the list (with photos as links) that I'll post below, if you can identify the type you have, use the number beside the name to find an organisms that eats that type from the listings of fish and inverts at the bottom of the page.

You may also want to replace your light tubes if you have fluorescents as when they get older, they don't emit light as intensely in certain wavelengths as they do when new - this can benefit undesirable algae. If what you have is cyanobacteria, using true algae in the tank can also help by competing with the cyano for nutrients.

Answer 2

I've kept salt-water tanks for years, and I can honestly say that red alge is the bane of every enthusiast out there. It's somewhat nessicary, at least at first, to maintain a healthy level of ammonia/nitrates/nirtites but it IS technically a nusciance alge that once established, your tank can do without.

Turbo Snails, sand sifting dollars, and starfish can clean up some of the alge, but rarely will they eat it all. You'll have to scrape it off yourself, and vacuum the rest yourself. The stuff that grows on the "ornaments" in your tank, you'll have to clean by hand usually, but any live corals will be often covered and sometimes consumed by the alge.

You can also purchase items like "phoslock" which reduce the phosphates in your tanks water, they soimetimes fit into your filter...it's a good way to trap phosphates and starve off the alge, but any GOOD alge will also be starved off, as well as possibly your live corals and liverock too, but if it's a fish-only, phoslock is a good way to go. Good luck!