Please help me id this algae...(pic)

[Mikro]

And what is the best way to fight it and what causes it...

 

[zach0660]

looks like hair algae

 

[blaze98]

looks like hair algae to me too, my hermits and emeralds took care of the little outbreak I had.

 

[Silverfin]

I'll have to agree with zach660 and blaze98

A tang or two would clean that right up....or like blaze98 said, a few emerald crabs can do the job.

 

[scubajsm]

I have a one spot foxface and he did a wonderful job ridding my tank of hair algae.

 

[shinosuke]

Looks like hair algae to me, as well. Try pulling the big tufts of it out of the tank, then take a new, cheapo toothbrush and scrub as much off as you can. Be careful you don't grab something you don't mean to when you pull it out! With that much algae, there could easily be a sharp crab, snail, or any other thing hiding in there....
It may take a few scrubbings, but it will go away. Try to do more water changes, and if you're overfeeding, cut down on the food. Also, it could be from too long of a photoperiod.. try to keep your lights on a steady, 8 hour period, make sure your bulbs aren't worn out, and make sure you're not getting a lot of extra light from a window or other outside - light source.
Good luck!
~Adam D.

 

[ludnix]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10924898#post10924898 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shinosuke
Looks like hair algae to me, as well. Try pulling the big tufts of it out of the tank, then take a new, cheapo toothbrush and scrub as much off as you can. Be careful you don't grab something you don't mean to when you pull it out! With that much algae, there could easily be a sharp crab, snail, or any other thing hiding in there....
It may take a few scrubbings, but it will go away. Try to do more water changes, and if you're overfeeding, cut down on the food. Also, it could be from too long of a photoperiod.. try to keep your lights on a steady, 8 hour period, make sure your bulbs aren't worn out, and make sure you're not getting a lot of extra light from a window or other outside - light source.
Good luck!
~Adam D.

I would reccomend doing this, only in a new bucket of saltwater on any rocks you can remove. If you use one bucket for rinsing the cleaned rocks and one for removing the algae you can help keep it from spreading in the tank.