Red coraline or cyano?

[Tim]

I've got a growth of some sort thats been growing for about 2 weeks now, its a deep maroon color and is on my rock and is now about the size of a quarter. I've read that cyano should blow away if you point a powerhead at it, this dosent. Should it blow away like a dust if it is cyano? Or blow off the rock in chunks? I've heard of red coraline but I dont know. I doubt if i'm that lucky. Heres a bad pic of it thats probably no help at all. Any input is appreciated, Thanks,
Tim

 

[little_fish]

if its hard and not easy to scratch off, its coraline, it its not, then its probably cyano

 

[Northstar24]

looks like the start of cyano / dino's to me

 

[Tim]

Great, now to figure out the best way to start treating it

 

[sen5241b]

cyano is slimey --coralline is not. Cyano comes form light and 'trates. How to reduce 'trates is a very long discussion but the easiest way is not to under-stock your tank with fish.

 

[Tim]

Not to understock? I've got a 55 gal. tank with a 20 gal sump with a pair of clowns, a damsel, 1 pep shrimp, a serpent star, 2 snails and 3 small hermits, do you think that would be understocked or about right?

 

[ErinCahir]

Not to OVERSTOCK your tank is what Sen meant. You are understocked.

 

[Live Rock]

You can also use chaeto in your fuge or sump to reduce nitrates.

 

[Tim]

Yep, I've got a boatload of cheato in the sump, my trates are always reading right around 0.