algae id

[candamo]

I'm having this short green turf algae starting to grow in my live rock, and after doing some search in the forum I have not been able to identify. I'm worried if it is an aggressive algae that would take over the tank.

I don't think any of my critters like eating it. I have emerald crab, blue/red hermits, astraea snails, turbos, cerith, nassarius, peppermint shrimp, cleaner shrimp.

Can anybody identify it? Are there any critters that would eat it? Thanks!

 

[Betta132]

I don't know what it is, but give it a good poke and see if it's soft.
If it is, try a Hector's goby. Mine happily ate hair algae and reduced a two-golfball-sized clump of hair algae to a nickle-sized clump in a month or so. I'm not sure he ate anything other than algae for a few weeks while there was still a lot. Plus, they stay small, they hover in a neat fashion, they're pretty, and they're very gentle.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+176&pcatid=176
There's the Liveaquaria bit on them. They actually stay about 2", and they normally hover a couple of inches off the sand. I love these things.

 

[tektite]

Does it have very stiff branches? Clings to the rock like there's no tomorrow? If so, its a pretty bad type of turf algae. Virtually nothing eats it.

 

[candamo]

Does it have very stiff branches? Clings to the rock like there's no tomorrow? If so, its a pretty bad type of turf algae. Virtually nothing eats it.

it is soft, resembles texture of moss, very short and I couldn't easily scrape it manually, not even with a razorblade, very tough.

 

[easyreef]

Nasty stuff. i find this turf algae is beyond hermits or Astrea snails. Maybe seahares, urchins, Rabbitfish, etc. Best is to employ herbivores mentioned and still take a rock or two at a time and scrub away and then I would let the rock dry out for a few days. Good luck. That turf algae is the worse.

 

[MellowReefer]

This is what I have and it's the worst. My foxface keeps it very short on the rocks but it took over my sand bed and now I have to go barebottom. Nothing will eat it off the sand. Be careful, if you see it on the sand remove it carefully. Mine is so tough I put it in a container of hydrogen peroxide and after a week it was still green, still clinging to the sand.

 

[smkkib]

I don't know what it is, but give it a good poke and see if it's soft.
If it is, try a Hector's goby. Mine happily ate hair algae and reduced a two-golfball-sized clump of hair algae to a nickle-sized clump in a month or so. I'm not sure he ate anything other than algae for a few weeks while there was still a lot. Plus, they stay small, they hover in a neat fashion, they're pretty, and they're very gentle.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+31+176&pcatid=176
There's the Liveaquaria bit on them. They actually stay about 2", and they normally hover a couple of inches off the sand. I love these things.

Is this fish eat red algae as well?