Invasive Red Sponge ID / solutions?

[RMc]

I've been battling this red sponge in my reef. I do water changes weekly/biweekly and have relatively low algae growth. It is a 55G total volume with 2 clowns + 1 blenny. I feed coral once a week and feed fish lightly daily. I have many blue leg hermits, 1 peppermint and 8 astrea snails.

I run carbon+GFO and have a protein skimmer rated for 125G.

This is not cyano and pulls off easily in clumps, though it grows back just as fast. I assume it's some kind of sponge from its structure. It grows like mad in my sump and seems to prefer low flow. It is much less problematic in high flow areas.

Any help IDing would be great - and extermination solutions would be even better!

High Res: http://i.imgur.com/wp0SFo5.jpg

High Res: http://i.imgur.com/CCG9pdQ.jpg

High Res: http://i.imgur.com/Tze7HxG.jpg

Much Thanks!
Rob

 

[frank180reef]

hmm doesnt look like sponge, more of an algae

 

[RMc]

Most of my algae eating critters seem completely uninterested in it.

 

[frank180reef]

doesnt mean it isnt algae though

 

[jselzler1]

Looks like a red hair algea.

 

[JohnK]

Yup, red hair algae. Sometimes gets called "cotton candy algae"

 

[s_kelley]

Red or cotton candy algae I got some too

 

[this is me]

hmm doesnt look like sponge, more of an algae

Most of my algae eating critters seem completely uninterested in it.

doesnt mean it isnt algae though

Lol lol lol

 

[fishfry]

Yup definitely cotton candy algae. I battled this stuff before. Eventually gave my rocks a acid bath. Worked perfectly.A year later still no problems.

 

[Cherokee_Dude]

+1 same problem. Tried Mexican Turboes, lights out, Peroxide, Water changes, Manual removal. Only thing that worked was Muratic acid and bleach treatment of all of my rock. No issues since then.

 

[frank180reef]

Lol lol lol

well..................I was working on my skills in deplomacy

 

[RMc]

Ok - so - it's algae. lol

Thanks for all the feedback. I've dipped a few test rocks / coral in 1:1 solution of Hydrogen Peroxide and tank water. The coral hasn't loved it, but the algae seems to outright hate it. All dipped rocks are clear of the stuff 1 day later.