Understanding Saltwater Algae: Friend and Foe

Not all algae is bad. Coralline algae (purple/pink) is desirable and indicates good parameters. Nuisance algae types: hair algae (reduce nitrates/phosphates), bryopsis (treat with Fluconazole), dinoflagellates (increase biodiversity, UV sterilizer), cyanobacteria (increase flow, reduce organics, Chemiclean as last resort), and bubble algae (manual removal, emerald crabs). Prevention is key: use RODI water, don't overfeed, run GFO, and maintain a good cleanup crew.