$20 to whoever correctly ID's this...Last Try

Johnson556 · Nov 29, 2018

I've posted this on a few forums now and have spoke with many people I would consider "gurus" as to what the heck is growing on my rocks. I started with dry rock almost two years ago and went through all the uglies; dino/cyano, etc.

I had a post recently that got some people engaged however the final assumption was a "carpet variation of bubble algae". When examining it up close it has no "bubble" to it although one of the videos may make it look like that. It has a dark green surface, white base, and a carpet like growth with a structure like a dense sponge/bread. There are no vesicles like all other types of bubble algae. It breaks off and when grinding it between your fingers feels like stale bread/sand, would identify it as "crusty". It apparently doesn't get affected by flow because it grows wherever. I'm not positive on this but it may first start as a thin red film on the rock and eventually converts to the green gunk. When it is in the thin red film state is has a slimy texture to it. I have never had "high" phosphates or nitrates to the point any of the typical algae has grown anywhere other than my ATS.

I'm under the assumption it is some type of fungus and am not sure how to cure it other than manual removal(which would be impossible at this point. If you can provide me with the exact name of what this junk is and how to cure it I will gladly venmo/paypal you $20.

BuckT · Nov 29, 2018

I think got some of that in on a plug, looks like turf algae.

Johnson556 · Nov 29, 2018

I have turf algae growing on my ATS, this stuff is completely different. The only algae like properties it has is that it is green.

I'm going to take a piece of rock with it and put it in a cryptic zone to see how it effects it.

EmdeReef · Nov 29, 2018

I think it’s related to turf algae. Perhaps V.pachynema?! Without a microscope will be tough to definitely ID...

What fish do you have?

Johnson556 · Nov 29, 2018

Tank inhabitants:

2 - Purple Tangs
3 - Yellow Tangs
1 - Swallowtail Angelfish
3 - Lyretail Anthias
6 - Wrasse (Melenarus/Ruby Head/Solon Fairy/Yellow Coris/Lubbocks/Flasher)
2 - Clownfish

3 - Conches
20 - Nassarius Snails
5 - Mexican Turbos
5 - Astrea Turbos
and when the lights go off there is a ridiculous amount of Collonista snails (I think) that LOVE to get in my MP40's.....

EmdeReef · Nov 29, 2018

Johnson556 said:
Tank inhabitants:

2 - Purple Tangs
3 - Yellow Tangs
1 - Swallowtail Angelfish
3 - Lyretail Anthias
6 - Wrasse (Melenarus/Ruby Head/Solon Fairy/Yellow Coris/Lubbocks/Flasher)
2 - Clownfish

3 - Conches
20 - Nassarius Snails
5 - Mexican Turbos
5 - Astrea Turbos
and when the lights go off there is a ridiculous amount of Collonista snails (I think) that LOVE to get in my MP40's.....

Will tangs pick on it at all?

Johnson556 · Nov 29, 2018

EmdeReef said:
Will tangs pick on it at all?

Don't think so, they mainly pick at the back glass and overflows.

Frtdrmrose7 · Nov 30, 2018

I’ve read a lot of positive things about H202, I don’t know what this is that you have but have you thought about QT’ing a specimen and trying a dose of H202?

Johnson556 · Nov 30, 2018

I will try that today, also took a close up with my new phone today. Camera on the Xs Max is incredible.

Frtdrmrose7 · Nov 30, 2018

Johnson556 said:
I will try that today, also took a close up with my new phone today. Camera on the Xs Max is incredible.

Seems like the common dosage is 1 ml per 10 gallons. Most I’ve read say 3-5 days treatment do the trick.

NameThatTuna · Dec 1, 2018

I may have something going on like this, have u tried taking a turkey baster to it? If so what happens?

Johnson556 · Dec 1, 2018

N

NameThatTuna said:
I may have something going on like this, have u tried taking a turkey baster to it? If so what happens?

Nothing, it can only be scraped off.

NameThatTuna · Dec 2, 2018

Johnson556 said:
N

Nothing, it can only be scraped off.

And it never gets thicker or fleshy? Mine looks super similar but I’d gone out of town, so it became carpet-like from me not catching it, and feels fleshy like skin on pudding. I clean it, it comes back looking exactly like yours, and rather than scraping it, I’ve had luck letting it get fleshy again and using the baster. No real solution yet, it’s a new problem

Scrubber_steve · Dec 3, 2018

Cladophora columbiana

https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=240422&one=T

https://seanet.stanford.edu/Chlorophyta

Johnson556 · Dec 3, 2018

NameThatTuna said:
And it never gets thicker or fleshy? Mine looks super similar but I’d gone out of town, so it became carpet-like from me not catching it, and feels fleshy like skin on pudding. I clean it, it comes back looking exactly like yours, and rather than scraping it, I’ve had luck letting it get fleshy again and using the baster. No real solution yet, it’s a new problem

Never gets thicker or fleshier, it grows like a moss but has the texture/consistency of an insulating foam/stale bread. It’s bizarre.

Johnson556 · Dec 3, 2018

Scrubber_steve said:
Cladophora columbiana

https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=240422&one=T

https://seanet.stanford.edu/Chlorophyta

While it seems like it could be either of those, if you look up close the structure is different. I feel like this is a fungus due to its texture. If you look up close it almost looks like a dense packing of Oregano. Played around with the photo a bit so the color is different than actual.

Scrubber_steve · Dec 3, 2018

Johnson556 said:
While it seems like it could be either of those, if you look up close the structure is different. I feel like this is a fungus due to its texture. If you look up close it almost looks like a dense packing of Oregano. Played around with the photo a bit so the color is different than actual.

Do you think it might be a calcareous algae? The white underneath the green, calcium carbonate, its gritty?

Johnson556 · Dec 3, 2018

Scrubber_steve said:
Do you think it might be a calcareous algae? The white underneath the green, calcium carbonate, its gritty?

It is gritty, that would make sense. One thing that would confuse me is my calcium level. I dose equal parts of ESV and with my dKH at 7.8 for months now my calcium has "balanced out" at 460PPM.

I would assume if anything it would drop much lower due to the amount of coralline growth I have and this stuff. Also, this only grows in my DT, my scrubber is growing everything but this stuff.

Scrubber_steve · Dec 3, 2018

Johnson556 said:
It is gritty, that would make sense. One thing that would confuse me is my calcium level. I dose equal parts of ESV and with my dKH at 7.8 for months now my calcium has "balanced out" at 460PPM.

I would assume if anything it would drop much lower due to the amount of coralline growth I have and this stuff. Also, this only grows in my DT, my scrubber is growing everything but this stuff.

It wouldn't ever grow on the screen, getting scraped off every week.