Nasty Algae ID (PICS)

[Drewsus1010]

Hi everyone,
This algae started growing when my T-5 tubes got old. After replacing the tubes and removing the algae, more grew back. Can anyone tell me what kind of algae this is and what eats it. I have an order of scarlet hermit crabs arriving tomorrow. I also have about 20 astraea and a few turbo snails. If anyone has any idea why this might be growing, please share. Nitrate is low and phosphate is undetectable...i dont feed much either. Last thing, is it best to leave the light on in the fuge for 12 hours a day or 24 hours a day. My fuge is just micro algae.

Thanks!

 

[anhbimat]

Looks like bryopsis to me and only boosting your magnesium to high levels work in removing it IME. Also i leave my fuge for 12 hours as i've read that chaeto needs some hours of dark to properly survive. Hope that helps.

 

[winstew]

def looks like bryopsis to me as well, If it seems to "adhere" quite well to all surfaces that is a dead give away. As with anything else check your phosphates and nitrate levels first.. Magnesium additions ( sustained level around 1600ppm) have been proven to work very effectively as well

 

[ds4x4]

it actually looks like Hair Algae.. on my screen i can't see the "feather like" look that would tell me its bryopsis. Mexi Turbos will usually devour hair algae, mine use to mow it down and leave a tiny bit so it would grow back which = more food for them. it was on the back glass though. if it is Bryopsis the Mag trick should work and some including myself used KENT Tech M to get rid of it.

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

that looks like HA or Derbesia, not Bryopsis.

^exactly, no feathery fern stuff = no Bryopsis.

 

[Drewsus1010]

ya there is definately no feathery/fern structure. turbo snails it is then