Macro out of control!!

[mrscheider]

Hey all... I was wondering if anyone can tell me what kind of macro this is and how I can get it under control, if not gone altogether?
I have a lawnmower blenny, a foxface and I even borrowed a hippo to help but none will touch it. It's covering about 30% of my rock now, very fast growing. Scrubbing the rock is not a favorable option since it will most likely involve tearing down the whole tank. I'm pretty sure it's not Hydroid colonies either, since, this doesn't move, it doesn't retract and doesn't sting when I try to pull it out but it will soon overtake everything, it's already smothering out my soft polyps. Can anyone ID it or tell me what may eat it?
I have snails, I have blue and red legged hermits but none make a dent.
I posted pics in my gallery:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showgallery.php?ppuser=12637&cat=500&thumb=1

 

[kmk2307]

Try looking up Hypnea. Do you test your nitrates and phosphates? Do you grow any other algae? I will look through my books and see if I can find anything that will eat it. The best thing I can recommend for now is manual removal.

Kevin

 

[mrscheider]

Hey Kevin.
Thanks for the reply. I did look up Hypnea on some other sites to get a clearer pic than the ones I have... it looks very similar especially the fact of it being very invasive. But the one characteristic that mine does not have is the hooks. This Macro does not have hooked stems as described in the Hypnea.
I would GREATLY appreciate if you can find something that will eat this stuff, urchins, conches, whatever it takes!
I am doing manual removals now but it's fragile and it breaks apart... then the small pieces re-establish themselves somewhere else... it's quite frustrating. My tank is bright... probably overlit in fact and I wonder if that is contributing to it's almost mutant rate of growth? I have considered just keeping the actinics on for a while without the 400w MH but I have some hard corals and a clam that need the intense lighting. The water tests real good... no nitrates whatsoever. The phosphates are very low too... nearly undetectable but that could just be because of this macro using it all up. I use RO/DI for changes and topoff and I have a fuge with some green macro but definitly not enough to outcompete this other stuff. I will add some to see if it helps. But in the meantime, any suggestion of what animal I can use to aid the removal in the main tank would be wonderful!
Thanks again for the reply!

Michael

 

[kmk2307]

Try also looking up Gelidiopsis. In Algae a Problem Solver Guide, Julian Sprung states that Diadema urchins will eat both Hypnea and Gelidiopsis. He says that surgeonfishes will eat them as well.

HTH & good luck,
Kevin

 

[mrscheider]

Gelidiopsis looks allot like it too, especially in this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=343983&highlight=Gelidiopsis

Like I mentioned earlier.. I borrowed a hippo tang from the LFS to see if it would help and he doesn't care for it. Others have claimed that turbo and margarita snails help control it. Maybe I should add another 30 to the tank to see if it will help?

I may try a tuxedo urchin but will it be safe with my crocea, zoos, polyps and other corals?

Thanks again for your input Kevin.

Michael

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

It resembles some types of Laurencia and Chondria too. (I also don't see the hooks, but there are other Hypneas that look identical except fo the hooks) Also, it seems the Hypnea has pointier longer tapered branches.

 

[mrscheider]

It's funny you say that FNF.. I looked up Laurencia as well, thinking it looked like it too. In the end I simply decided to go with Agu's resolution, since he was raving about how well it helped in the post I had linked above... I went and got 15 rather large Mexican Turbo snails. I know it's overkill... but I want this stuff out asap. I'll donate most of them off to my LFS if they get the job done. So far, these things have not stopped munching away at it. I cannot believe it. In one day, they have made a difference that is visually noticable! I estimate that these snails will have this algae under control in 3 days. In a week, I'll wager it is completely erraticated. The pace of these snails is remarkable. It's the equivellant of me eating a side of beef every 12 hours!
:lol:

Thanks again everyone for your help!

Mike