Algae ID Help Please...

[JKenny]

I'm on a mission to try to manage the algae in my tank and I need some help...

I have a mixed reef RS250 that's about 9 months old and I've been battling different algae lately, GHA, Bryopsis, some Red Wire algae, and this "stuff". I'm pretty sure snails from my LFS brought in the Bryopsis and Red Wire algae. About 2 months ago I did have problems with my Phosphate reading zero (Hanna Phosphorus URL) that had me add Trisodium Phosphate to bring my levels up where I maintain it between .03 and .07 with GFO on occasion to keep that range. My Nitrates have ranged between 5-10ppm for many months.

I've been pulling the GHA, treating fluconazole for the Bryopsis, which is almost entirely gone, been spot treating the Red Wire algae with H2O2 but can't figure what this algae is and it's in a dozen different spots on my rocks.

The thin green strands that extend up are very easily sucked up by a Turkey Baster but seem to be back the very next day. I can put it under a microscope if that would help, but, I figured someone out there might know just from the sight of it.

Any help, or suggestions, are greatly appreciated.

Joe

 

[EmdeReef]

Could be a few things inc.bryopsis, I would take out put on a sheet of paper or white surface and take a picture. Do you have any macroalgae in a refugium?

What algae eating fish do you have?

 

[JKenny]

EmdeReef, Thank you for throwing me a life-line...

For a CUC I have about 20 assorted snails, both types and sizes, a lawnmower Blenny, a Tomini Tang , and just last week I picked up 3 Emerald Crabs. I do not have a refugium. If it matters, I also have a 15W Pentair UV running because the tank is in a room with windows on 3 sides.

I've had Bryopsis in the tank and it had an obvious "fern" like top to it. This algae seems different. It has a fairly dense base with wispy tendrils that extend out of it that can grow to a few inches in length before the water movement breaks them off.

I've been sucking them up with a turkey baster - but when I tried to grab one with a tweezer for a picture on white paper, it just broke apart into nothing. I did pull some of what I think is the base algae off of the rock and put it under a microscope and have that and a better picture attached. The picture was taken with the pumps off so the tendrils are not so obvious.

Again I appreciate any thoughts you might have on this. You're a gentleman...

Joe

 

[JKenny]

I'm bumping this with a little more info... Hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

This algae grows everywhere on the rocks but not on the glass (I have a bare bottom tank).
The strings can get a few inches long before the water movement breaks it off.
They are very easy to suck up in the turkey baster but are back a day later.
When I do suck them up the string doesn't hold up and they just break apart into green/brown mush.
In looking at it under a scope, the individual cells do not move at all - sorry for the picture quality I'm challenged in using my iPhone on the microscope.

In trying to research what it might be I've ended up almost as confused as when I started. One chart was pointing to "Calothrix". Another posting had me excited thinking it was "Chrysophyte" but I later read that it was a fresh water algae.

I spend 15-20 minutes each morning sucking these up and I don't see any slow-down in their growth.

Current params: Temp: 80.3, PH: 8.19, Salinity" 34.9, Alk 8.1, Phos: .031 (Hanna), Nitrate: 5-10, Mag: 1380, Cal: 411.

Any help/direction would be greatly appreciated. This has become very frustrating...

Joe

 

[Algaewarrior]

It kind of looks like dinos which is weird since you are showing nitrates and phosphates. Just by the way it has bubbles on the tips and how easily it is sucked up by the Turkey baster. I've never seen green dinos but I have definitely had regular dinos on top of gha. Are you testing after you feed? Fishofhex has a dino identification service on his website where you send him a sample of the material in question and he tells you what it is and how to cure it. If it's not dinos he can definitely guide you in the right direction. Worth the $.

 

[Algaewarrior]

My d on g action

 

[JKenny]

Algaewarrior,
Appreciate the info for FishOfHex - I didn't know they offered that service and will take them up on it if I can't get ahead of this soon.

Still hoping this might be Chrysophyte, I've ordered a small hand pump to do a daily cleaning of the tank, drop the phosphate a little lower and see if it helps. If not, I'll definitely follow your recommendation on FishOfHex and see what they have to say.

You're a gentleman and thank you.