Science vs Green Hair Algae

[BeachBumm]

is fluconazole clam and invert safe?

Yes !

 

[BeachBumm]

Use only as instructed on the bottle , I believe it was 200mg per 10gals. water . Do not overdose . No side effects so far but I dosed exactly as prescribed . No shrimp , clams or snails lost , only lost hair algae and some bryopsis !

 

[Ruu]

If we're going to invoke science, can we maybe try to say what this GHA is? At least down to a genus? Or at least be clear about what it is not

Look buddy. This is America. In 2018. Near as I can tell, science has been redefined as "anything I agree with", and everything else is fake news.

Regardless (irregardless? Lol), I'll take some macro shots tomorrow. Mine definitely fits the bill of "nothing seems to eat it" and "nothing seems to shift it" despite 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates detected for the last 12 months.

Dave

 

[taricha]

Look buddy. This is America. In 2018. Near as I can tell, science has been redefined as "anything I agree with", and everything else is fake news.

Regardless (irregardless? Lol), I'll take some macro shots tomorrow. Mine definitely fits the bill of "nothing seems to eat it" and "nothing seems to shift it" despite 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates detected for the last 12 months.

Dave

haha. Thanks for science-ing so hard!
But for real, if it looks similar on a macro shot, and nothing eats it then we likely are talking the same stuff.

 

[royy13]

Try an experiment with lanthanum chloride. It reduces phosphate.

 

[Kevin Guthrie]

These 3 are very close, but wrong in some way
Derbesia (these form spores)
Vaucheria (weird curvy spore structure)
Bryopsis (large scale growth structure is fern-like with segmentation at the branches)

Regarding the lack of septa, and I'm far from an expert, my identification key branches on "essentially cylindrical filament without cellular septations" to either Caulerpa (which it is definitely not) or Bryopsis. On that basis I'd say Bryopsis.

One check you can do is pull some off at the base, lay it in the sink and run water over it. If it fan's out to feather shaped, meaning a central shaft with branches usually on both sides, (and even branches on branches) that's another Bryopsis characteristic.

 

[taricha]

Regarding the lack of septa, and I'm far from an expert, my identification key branches on "essentially cylindrical filament without cellular septations" to either Caulerpa (which it is definitely not) or Bryopsis. On that basis I'd say Bryopsis.

One check you can do is pull some off at the base, lay it in the sink and run water over it. If it fan's out to feather shaped, meaning a central shaft with branches usually on both sides, (and even branches on branches) that's another Bryopsis characteristic.

Yep. That's kinda what I came to as well.
That its either derbesia (which does show up in aquaria - i've had it) or vaucheria (never heard of in a tank) but a type that forms no cysts. This seems unlikely.
Or its actually a bryopsis with a different growth form than the textbook - definitely no fern/feather-like structure with this stuff. This seems much more likely, there's a buuunch of species in the bryopsis genus.
The fact that almost nothing eats it (grazers do eat derbesia) and it's strongly affected by fluconazole further makes the case to me that we may be talking about bryopsis.

 

[Frogmanx82]

+4 on Fluconazole. One treatment and hair algae free for 9 months, I mean not even a strand to be found anywhere. Cheato grows like crazy in the fuge. No negative reactions with anything else in the tank.

 

[laverda]

Look buddy. This is America. In 2018. Near as I can tell, science has been redefined as "anything I agree with", and everything else is fake news.

Regardless (irregardless? Lol), I'll take some macro shots tomorrow. Mine definitely fits the bill of "nothing seems to eat it" and "nothing seems to shift it" despite 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates detected for the last 12 months.

Dave

To be clear there is no science involved here!

 

[JTL]

So many opinions on HA. I have a minor problem and it is pretty isolated but a nuisance never the less. I am growing cheato which is good, my Phosphate and Nitrate is zero. I am reluctant to start using GFO for fear that my corals will not like a tank that is too clean. I thought about trying Fluconazole but I don't have a major outbreak so that might be overkill. I need to replenish my cuc. Does every tank have HA and if not why?

 

[Kevin Guthrie]

Regarding the original post, how about installing an egg crate barrier half way across the tank, and putting a herbivore of choice on one side while using the other as the control?

 

[Newms118]

Does anyone know how fluconazole will work on other macro algae? I have shaving bushes, red grape, Galaxaura, Bryothamnion, Botryocladia, Gracilaria, and Gracilaria hayi. I dont want to lose these guys just to nuke my hair algae.

 

[Frogmanx82]

Does anyone know how fluconazole will work on other macro algae? I have shaving bushes, red grape, Galaxaura, Bryothamnion, Botryocladia, Gracilaria, and Gracilaria hayi. I dont want to lose these guys just to nuke my hair algae.

I didn't see any issue with cheato, caulerpa, or dragons breath.

 

[taricha]

If we're going to invoke science, can we maybe try to say what this GHA is? At least down to a genus?

After talking to an expert and looking again, I was wrong. It is in fact common derbesia (see pic of spores).
So "what is GHA?" Well green filamentous stuff with no cell divisions seems to always be bryopsis if it has fern-like/ feather- like structure, and derbesia if it doesn't.