Algae ID please?

[ykz_]

Hello, I recently started having this strange greenish algae over my rocks. Can anyone help me ID this and your personal way of combating this form of algae?

Here's the details:
I currently have a 24x24x20 50gal with a AI Hydra 26HD about 11in off water line
I feed almost once a day, if not, every other day frozen food (thawed and rinsed)
1/4 tsp of phytofeast every 3rd day
Salinity: 1.025
PH: 8.2
Phosphate: 0.00 (Hanna checker)
Alkalinity: currently 7.5 (trying to dial in my doser at the moment)
Calcium: 425
Magnesium: 1350
Nitrate: about 5ppm

I also have this. It originally started around my zoas, but now beginning to spread onto my rocks as well. Does anyone know what it is and how to get rid of it? I tried tweezing the ones on the zoas outside the tank before and it went away for a month or so but came back and all over my rocks instead.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Looks like bryopsis and probably some green hair algae mixed in there too. It's pretty nasty stuff. I used fluconazole to eradicate the bryopsis in my tank but you may want to hold off on feeding for a bit to see if it dies down. You could also employ a lettuce nudibranch or two or possibly even a small tang/foxface to eat or pick it off the rocks.

Did you recently turn up or upgrade your lights, that can also cause algae blooms to occur.

 

[ykz_]

I've heard of the dreaded bryopsis and was hoping this wasn't it.. I would definitely consider one of those fish though if it helps the problem!

And yes, I upgraded both my tank and light actually. I went from a Nuvo 20 with AI Prime HD to my 50gal cube to Hydra26. I transferred my corals and some of my rocks over. Do you think that might've been the reason why? If it is, does that mean it'll go away in time?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I've heard of the dreaded bryopsis and was hoping this wasn't it.. I would definitely consider one of those fish though if it helps the problem!

And yes, I upgraded both my tank and light actually. I went from a Nuvo 20 with AI Prime HD to my 50gal cube to Hydra26. I transferred my corals and some of my rocks over. Do you think that might've been the reason why? If it is, does that mean it'll go away in time?

It can go away in time with proper water conditions. Mine was all over the place though, so when any of it died the rest just grew more due to the nutrients being released back into the water. I couldn't get a tang or a foxface due to it being a Nano 20, so I had to look into other options.

Fluconazole was a last resort for me, and I'm happy to say it worked. I'm not one to add chemicals to my tank if I don't think it needs it, especially ones that aren't meant for aquarium use, but enough folks on here swore by fluconazole that I gave it a shot, so maybe that's an option for you as well if it doesn't stop growing. Just research it a bunch!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I don't see any bryopsis. Gha and a possible r ha
The white things look like a hydroid to me.

 

[ykz_]

I don't see any bryopsis. Gha and a possible r ha
The white things look like a hydroid to me.

A lot of people are saying to tweeze the hydroids. Is there any other method that could wipe them out? I think I have a little too many to do manual removal

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It's tricky and can have side effects to go the Chem route.

A scrub and rebuild and peroxide may be less invasive. And also quite often the do just fade away over time.

It may also work to just keep hitting them with a scrub brush

 

[ykz_]

I know this shouldn't be a resolution, but I added a juvenile foxface and a lawnmower blenny to the tank. Holy cow do these two go to work! Half of my tank is already beginning to see a significant decrease of algae on the rocks. Now they're moving to the other rock structure. I'm also seeing a decrease in the hydroids around my zoas and rocks as well. I didn't know foxface can eat hydroids? Here's a picture: