Algae ID and removal isntructions

[The0wn4g3]

Obviously it's some kind of hair algae, but I can't find anything to eat this stuff. I've tried astrea, turbo, cerith, and margarita snails, as well as blue leg and scarlet hermits crabs. I even have a small sea hare and he or my Flame Fin Tomini Tang won't touch the stuff... I've cut the lights off for 5 days, but it didn't have any effect. The longer it grows the harder it is to remove. It seems to spread, but very slowly, and it is growing on the rocks much more than the glass.
Nitrate and phosphate are both undetectable. The tank runs from 77-77.5F.

Any ideas on how to get rid of it?

 

[CookieJar]

I got a foxface for the same (As far as I can tell) type of hair algae because I was unsuccessful using other means to rid it. I think the foxface with the black spot stays smaller than the one w/o the spot if you're concerned about size. The only hesitation is why would your Tang not eat it, and would a foxface eat what a tang wouldn't? I can't answer that question, just give you my experience.

 

[jdmcivicek9]

you probably dont detect phosphates because all your hair algae is using them all up...

 

[The0wn4g3]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13099335#post13099335 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdmcivicek9
you probably dont detect phosphates because all your hair algae is using them all up...

I'd hope not seeing as I'm running a GFO reactor...

 

[JRechcygl]

At first glance it looks like maidens hair but maidens hair usually doesn't spread all over like that. Could be some kind of bryopsis.
Hows the Mg level? Any herbivores?

 

[The0wn4g3]

Right now I've got a flame fin tomini tang, 4 astraea, 4 mexican turbos, 5-6 nassarius, 10 scarlette hermits, 3-4 blue leg hermits, a tiny sea hare, and 5-6 ceriths. Nothing will touch that particular type of algae. It's not typical "hair algae", because I see them eat hair algae in the tank, but they won't eat this algae for some reason. I thought it may be bryopsis myself, but I can't find any photos online that look like this algae.
I don't know about the Mg level. Probably lower than ideal from using Reef Crystals. I'm going to order a kit soon to find out.
I'm going to try adjusting the photo period in the refugium and see if it affects the growth at all.

 

[calkulon]

Bryopsis it does appear to be. It should be very tough and wiry,and will dry to a bright white and still be tough after drying out. Tangs and foxface, if they eat it at all, will only crop it short and it will continue spread. Be very aggressive in fighting it and quickly. In my experience with bryopsis, yellow tangs have consistiently been the best at grazing on it after has been shortened by manual removal. Many times an infestation leads to cooking the rock. You may want to concider this http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1423032

 

[The0wn4g3]

Yup, it's very tough and dries white. Dang, I was hoping that wasn't it... cooking the rock isn't an option, so I'll have to find another way. I'm moving the tank in a few weeks, so I'll scrub as much of it off as possible before the move.
I've read that a royal urchin will eat it. Does anyone have experience with them? I've also read that a naso tang will eat it. Anyone have experience to confirm that?
I think I'll try the magnesium trick first, since it seems to be the easiest. I just got a protein skimmer working on my tank, so that will help.

 

[Sk8r]

Somewhere there's a thread about using high mag levels to do in bryopsis.
I'll tell you what will probably eat it: a tripneustes gracillis urchin. Grows like a weed itself. But is very delicate about manuvering around corals. Just if they're not glued down it may try to wear them.

What you've got to do to get the GFO to take up the phosphate is either kill some of this stuff with darkness or mag or get something to eat and poo it into the water. Either will work.

 

[Talis]

My tuxedo urchin ate it but only as it was grazing the corraline. It didn't prefer it so the urchin didn't really help much. Try the high mag method.

 

[madadi]

that is NOT bryopsis for sure. bryopsis looks feather like.

how long was this tank set up?

what are you feeding the tank now? first reduce feeding if its a lot.
change your GFO every 3-4 weeks. looks like your rock is leaching phosphates. if your bulbs are old, change them. reduce the photo period if you have to. doesn't look like you have any corals. i would run your MH lights 3 hours at most. the rest just keep your actinic bulbs on. if you change your bulbs, get something in the 14-15k range. stay away from 10k bulbs. only thing that beats algae is patience. i had it worse then you and im algae free now. also, make sure your skimmer is cleaned at least once a week to keep it running at its best. good luck.

 

[madadi]

also get yourself 6 sally light foot crabs. trust me, they are pigs. they eat any algae, and they will eat it not stop. you wont be disappointed with them.

 

[madadi]

this is bryopsis and its not what you have. what you have looks like the healthiest hair algae i ever seen. your rock must be leaching a lot of phosphate. change that GFO often and don't feed much.

 

[Poorcollegereef]

madadi is right, what The0wn4g3 has is not bryopsis... I am fighting bryopsis and it aint fun. In any case, the mag solutions didn't do a thing for me, but since you have hair aglae, then it is a nutrient problem most lkely. The hair algae collect detritus at its base so using GFO for PO4 is not as effective unless you use a turkey baster to remove gunk at the base of the algae. Urchins (normally) will not touch your algae (or bryosis)... crabs may work, but I have never had any long term success.

What works best in my opinion is constant waterchanges (5-10% daily) for atleast 2 weeks, highflow, feduced feedings, or reduce bioload (known as diluting the fish), agressive skimming (upgrade if you want), use (smaller amounts of) GFO in a reactor and change weekly, blasting the rocks, sand, rubble, lowflow areas, and any hidy-holes with a powerhead or a baster (try and let your skimmer get as much as possible), remove and detritus from the sump, set up a fuge with cheato and enough flow and light to out compete any other algae...


the enemy is nutrients and impatience... and the battle with algae is always a war of attrition

by the way, what is your bio-load since our setups are almost the same?

 

[madadi]

good advice on using a turkey baster to blow off detritus. i had to do that also. i added sump filter socks so it can catch all the detritus.

 

[faulkincanyon]

sailfin tangs would graze on it..could get a small one and sell it once it does the job

 

[The0wn4g3]

No, this is not basic hair algae. I worked in an LFS for 2 years and beat back tons of type of hair algae, and this is different.
My bulbs are fine, about 4 months old. Filter sock in my sump is changed every 2-3 days, or if it's full sooner. The chaeto is growing slowly and my SPS is fine, so nutrients are very low. I feed very little, 1 cube of brine every other day. My tang, snails, or crabs won't eat it. the algae on my frag rack looks exactly like the algae in madadi's second photo. I'm doing a 10-15% WC every week with 0 TDS RO/DI water.

Bioload wise, I've got a tomini orange fin tang about 2.5in, yellow watchman goby w/pistol shrimp, and an engineer goby. Coral wise, some pocillipora and desallwi acro. few nice zoa's like AoG, dragon and eagle eyes, bam bams, etc. few orange ricordea and a few LPS.

It's just crazy how this stuff grows with almost nothing to feed off, and it must taste NASTY because nothing will eat it... I seem to be removing it faster than it is growing now, but it's still annoying....

 

[faulkincanyon]

tryed an emerald crab?

 

[faulkincanyon]

kind of looks like turtle grass to me

 

[The0wn4g3]

have 3 emerald crabs.... they don't touch it either :/