Any experiences and solutions with this algae?

[mightymizz]

This stuff is very bland and almost earthy in color. It is NOT green like most hair algaes. It also grows from a single little "tuft" and does not scrub off easily at all. I take a toothbrush over and over and it does not break down.

Wondering how to approach getting rid of it as it is spreading, and what it might be. Pictures aren't the best but it gives you a good idea.

I dose .1ml VSV and around 2/3ml of MB7 and feed with Rod's food and ONE or two DROPS of oyster feast daily. Lighting is 6x39w T5 with all ATI and one KZ bulb. Lights run from about 9-5pm.

Params: 1.025 SG Temp. ~78
0 Phosphate Hanna
~5 Nitrate
7-8 Alk
~1300 mg
~460 calc.

 

[greech]

Sorry I can't ID it for you but it looks like a nuissance turf algae which can sometimes have nothing to do with water quality. A tuxedo urchin would probably take care of that in short order.

Saw your post in the other thread with a similar looking algae so hopefully bewteen that and info you get here you'll get it figured out.

 

[ReeferBill]

Tuff algea?

Tuff algea?

Try to clean it off with a steel brush or knife....I have removed all my rock last week and I am finally done with bubble alge.I had some other short straight growing algea taking over some of my rocks and I had to use a steel brush and knife on. It Worked but it took me all day and my back is still sore.:beer:

 

[mightymizz]

Well, it the years past when I was in the hobby, I too have spent many days scrubbing at different things only to have them return a couple of days later.

Still looking for thoughts. It seems to grow from one connection point and its color is very odd. It's just a very dull earth tone.

Any other creatures that might eat this stuff or is the tuxedo urchin probably my only option?

 

[jimmy n]

I see blurry pics of aptasia. Is that a possibility?

 

[mightymizz]

Yea, sorry for the bad pics. It definitely not aptasia, but that is its growth pattern. It all stems from one growing spot into its current form.

Thanks for throwing out ideas though. The best picture is on the return pipes I'd say to help in viewing the other two pics.

 

[125G Reefer]

I see blurry pics of aptasia. Is that a possibility?

On the rock, I agree. Aiptasia.

 

[dzhuo]

I have seen at least 4 threads of this lately and I am starting to think summer might have something to do with it. What you have is a type of cyano: Lyngbya (or a relative of it).

There are discussions of it here:

So what is this and how do I get rid of it!!??
Boomer or Randy: Need info and help on lyngbya

How old is your tank?

 

[mightymizz]

Please folks, once again, I agree it looks like aptasia, but it is not. I do apologize for the bad pictures.

It grows from a single point on the rock, or whatever, and even scrubbing hard does not remove it. It is in really high flow and so far I do not see any of my hermits or snails eating it.

I started with dry rock and except for the 3 anthias, SPS and one maxi mini anemone no other things were added.

Tank is around 3 months old. I am showing very low nitrate and 0 phosphate on Hanna, so the most phosphate I could have would be .04ppm due to the margin of error on the Hanna checker.

I really dont want to have to get into scrubbing the rocks one by one as I feel it would just start to grow back in time.

Options right now would be, and Please add your thoughts:

1. Tuxedo Urchin
2. Tech M
3. Lights out
4. Complete tear down
5. Chemiclean

It is not growing super fast, but has spread to all parts of tank. Longest fibers of growth in largest tufts are nearing 1 inch.

If I try and hand pull it out, just a small amount mushes into my hands, and I cannot remove the entire clump from the rock. As stated a toothbrush doesn't even break the longest fibers.

 

[Cahooligan]

blue tuxedo urchins. theyre slow but very effective. i had the same stuff a while back and thats how i got rid of it.

 

[spsgtr]

i've had this stuff before. it grows as a tuft and spreads quickly. I used a ton of hermits to control it and seemed to get rid of it in addition to an urchin. the hermits can get into the small spaces the urchin can't get to.

 

[mightymizz]

It seems so far my hermits are not going after it. I am just so bummed that with this new setup I am already fighting a very troublesome algae.

I do things right as far as nutrients, lighting, skimming, etc. as I have had tanks in the past with success, and somehow this junk gets in there.

I guess I just am not understanding how any "eater" of this algae will stop it from just continually growing where the eaters aren't eating it. Kind of like we mow our lawns, but eventually because the grass is still there, it will keep growing.

I am very tempted to tear down the tank and somehow start over.

I am basically one step away from plumbing in a frag tank but now this should wait because this algae or cyano, or whatever would just get in there as well.

What type of hermits worked?

@DZHUO- I've read your threads, any updates on progress of your problems?

Looking for hope at this point, and ideally solutions too

 

[dzhuo]

@DZHUO- I've read your threads, any updates on progress of your problems?

Here are a combination of things that worked for me:

1. I stopped GFO and ROX .8 (carbon).
2. Start to feed more.
3. Talked to John at reefcleaners.org and asked for snails that are known to eat lyngbya.

Out of the 3, #1 and #2 did the most damage to this cyano. Most people are surprise that it's only when nutrient goes up, did this cyano finally slow / stop growing. My theory is my tank is too "clean" (since you already read my thread, you know what I mean by that) so there is no other micro-algae and organism to prey on it or compete with space and nutrient for it. When I upped the nutrient and feed more, I encourage other micro-algae and organisms (pods, sponge, coralline, etc) to grow which slowly outcompete it. I would say 90% of it were gone just by doing that. However, I wasn't completely satisfy with the result and I want 100% of them to be gone so I decided to do a 3 days lights out. On the 4th day after I turn the light back on, I can't find a single trace of it. As of now, I would say my tank is still not 100% free but if I don't tell you where to look, you would not be able to see it. Coralline is starting to really take off and I see a little bit of hair algae starting to grow which is great, these are signs of tank maturing. I fully expect this cyano to be completely gone in a couple more months.

Is your tank new?

Btw, Your tank is very similar to mine and a few others who experienced this cyano. In all cases, we all started with dead rock (or base or cured rock) and sand. In a number of others, they also run MB7 or various other types of Zeovit product which are known to strip the tank free of nutrient.

 

[mightymizz]

Thanks Dzhuo,

Might you suggest then I stop dosing my carbon source VSV, and also the MB7?

Tank is new at about 3 months, NOT including the time I let it cycle all on its own for a month.

I have not yet run GFO or carbon as my nutrients never showed a need for it. Do you have any thoughts or experience with a tuxedo urchin?

Also, so people agree then that Chemiclean wouldn't probably work either then?

Thanks again!!

 

[SushiGirl]

Don't tear down a tank because of a little algae. The tank is very young and it will go through several algae phases, as it matures and the water quality stays good because you're doing things right, 9 times out of 10 the problem will resolve itself.

 

[dzhuo]

Might you suggest then I stop dosing my carbon source VSV, and also the MB7?

I wish I can just tell you either yes or no but I don't know. If this were my tank and it's only 3 months old, I would stop. I would only run carbon dosing if there is clear indication there is nutrient issue. I have never run any Zeovit products. I don't like them because for most of their products, you don't know what they are so you can't measure it. For example, I have no idea what solution they use to keep the bacteria inside the bottle in MB7 so when you add it, you have no idea what else you added to the tank along with the bacteria.

Do you have any thoughts or experience with a tuxedo urchin?

I have no experience with tuxedo urchin. Sorry!

Do you have any corals? Would you consider going lights out for 3 day? If you see significant die off after lights out then you know you have lyngbya. This particular cyano is highly dependent on light.

 

[mightymizz]

I have mostly SPS corals and one maxi-mini anemone. How would 3 days lights out affect those?

I have a 20g tank that I could fill with water and put light over, but if I transfer the corals into it, I would assume I would be transferring spores or whatnot of the bad algae as well.

As far as a younger tank and dosing, I just figured I would start with an ULNS and maintain it instead of a rise and fall. I never dosed more than .1ml of VSV which is a very small amount for most people's tanks as a peak dose and a standard daily dose.

 

[dzhuo]

How would 3 days lights out affect those?

Mine did. The last 5% to 10% were killed after 3 days lights out. I did, however, lost 2 small SPS frags so it's a risk. Since you have SPS, I would use lights out as a last resort. How are the SPS? Are they bleached?

If you are looking for critters that will eat this cyano. Try dwarf cerith, Florida cerith, and seahare. All are known predators of this cyano.

As far as a younger tank and dosing, I just figured I would start with an ULNS and maintain it instead of a rise and fall.

If this is your believe, I think it's fine. I am little bias about ULNS and Zeovits so let's not discuss it here.

 

[JG1]

Mine did. The last 5% to 10% were killed after 3 days lights out. I did, however, lost 2 small SPS frags so it's a risk. Since you have SPS, I would use lights out as a last resort. How are the SPS? Are they bleached?

If you are looking for critters that will eat this cyano. Try dwarf cerith, Florida cerith, and seahare. All are known predators of this cyano.



If this is your believe, I think it's fine. I am little bias about ULNS and Zeovits so let's not discuss it here.

dzhuo,

You said that feeding your tank more helped the problem? Makes me wonder if stopping the AA's was a good idea.

 

[mightymizz]

New pictures 5-10

New pictures 5-10

Ok. So I tried getting better pictures and here are the results. I am still not exactly sure what I am dealing with here. Any more thoughts or opinions on this stuff and its eradication!?