Battling New Type of Algae, Can't Idenify!!!

waxhawreefer · Oct 29, 2016

Been battling for a while, came in one frag, I posted pics of this on reef central and no one has come across something like it, Hope u can !!! It seems to be a small cluster, it doesn't spread, like gsp but it starting to get out of hand, I was thinking of getting some sort of small tang that might help, even though my tank is a 55 gallon /39 gallon sump!

Coastie Reefer · Oct 29, 2016

Looks like Bryopsis but I'm not 100%

Salty1962 · Oct 29, 2016

Not bryopsis, has a growth like capulara algae. I've never seen that before. @reefsquad

helen ann · Oct 29, 2016

Salty1962 said:
Not bryopsis, has a growth like capulara algae. I've never seen that before. @reefsquad

#reefsquad

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 29, 2016

wirey turf algae. i believe
Cladophoropsis, Green Wiry Algae
https://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide

jsker · Oct 29, 2016

It algae, what are your No3's and Po4's please, what are you doing now

dbl · Oct 29, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
wirey turf algae. i believe
Cladophoropsis, Green Wiry Algae
https://www.reefcleaners.org/nuisance-algae-id-guide

Or possibly Chlorodesmis, Turtle Grass Algae?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3468+490+659&pcatid=659

Sabellafella · Oct 29, 2016

waxhawreefer said:
Been battling for a while, came in one frag, I posted pics of this on reef central and no one has come across something like it, Hope u can !!! It seems to be a small cluster, it doesn't spread, like gsp but it starting to get out of hand, I was thinking of getting some sort of small tang that might help, even though my tank is a 55 gallon /39 gallon sump!

I have this algae now. Ill provide a photo for you either tonight or tomorrow. All my snails hermis tangs eat it, and its finally going away after a year.

Salty1962 · Oct 29, 2016

helen ann said:
#reefsquad

Yeah, that's who I meant

helen ann · Oct 30, 2016

Salty1962 said:
Yeah, that's who I meant

Diesel · Oct 30, 2016

With that amount of algae on your rock you might not detect much Po4 or No3.
It will all be consumed before you can test it.
Once the rock out, see of you can treat it with Ho2o.
Sometimes that will do the trick to kill it or stop iy from growing.
Make sure you rinse the rock good after a treatment on saltwater.

waxhawreefer · Oct 30, 2016

Sabellafella said:
I have this algae now. Ill provide a photo for you either tonight or tomorrow. All my snails hermis tangs eat it, and its finally going away after a year.

Hope not, phosphate has been 0.0 on a hanna for months, nitrate 8-12ppm I know that's high but cannot get it lower, I do 15% water changes weekly, started a refuge with caluerpa- growing nicely, added another. Box of marine pure bio balls for more bacteria growth and started to dose that new EVS carbon dosing /trace elements, feeding less, 100 micron filter socks, changing more regularly, have a reef octopus 110 SS skimmer on my 55, run alittle reactor with phosguard and carbon, two Jebao pp8 for flow- full blast, uv also, maybe I'll up the phosguard, but honestly my across growing great even with the higher nitrate, what tang would be best???

waxhawreefer · Oct 30, 2016

I would luv to take out the rock but most is glued together or because this tank is so narrow I might destroy things getting them out, my cheapness on buying this tank is starting to bite me in the butt!!!

Diesel said:
With that amount of algae on your rock you might not detect much Po4 or No3.
It will all be consumed before you can test it.
Once the rock out, see of you can treat it with Ho2o.
Sometimes that will do the trick to kill it or stop iy from growing.
Make sure you rinse the rock good after a treatment on saltwater.

Diesel · Oct 30, 2016

Well don't take out the rock what you can't take out.
After you gave us more info it's clear that you using to much to reduce your nitrates.
Not sure why your No3 is at 15, maybe a testing error, happens to a lot of hobbyist.
As of now I would shut down your UV as it doesn't do anything to your algae but kills on the bacteria only.
Dosing bacteria isn't so bad at this moment either, I use Aquaforest Bio-S but you can use any bacteria of course.
Your corals are doing great so I wouldn't change a lot of things just the above and keep testing.
Nothing wrong with getting your hands wet and remove some of that algae yourself.
If you get a tang get a small yelloweye or scopas as these are inexpensive.
Reason why is you have a 55 gallon tank over time the tang will be not feeling happy but that will be a while.

Sabellafella · Oct 30, 2016

waxhawreefer said:
Hope not, phosphate has been 0.0 on a hanna for months, nitrate 8-12ppm I know that's high but cannot get it lower, I do 15% water changes weekly, started a refuge with caluerpa- growing nicely, added another. Box of marine pure bio balls for more bacteria growth and started to dose that new EVS carbon dosing /trace elements, feeding less, 100 micron filter socks, changing more regularly, have a reef octopus 110 SS skimmer on my 55, run alittle reactor with phosguard and carbon, two Jebao pp8 for flow- full blast, uv also, maybe I'll up the phosguard, but honestly my across growing great even with the higher nitrate, what tang would be best???

Gunna be honest with you bro, its still going to grow regardless of what your nurtient levels and i hate it but all my animals eat it. Now a tang for your sized tank would prob be a zebrosoma or a tiny foxface, can get away with that for a while =)

waxhawreefer · Oct 30, 2016

Diesel said:
Well don't take out the rock what you can't take out.
After you gave us more info it's clear that you using to much to reduce your nitrates.
Not sure why your No3 is at 15, maybe a testing error, happens to a lot of hobbyist.
As of now I would shut down your UV as it doesn't do anything to your algae but kills on the bacteria only.
Dosing bacteria isn't so bad at this moment either, I use Aquaforest Bio-S but you can use any bacteria of course.
Your corals are doing great so I wouldn't change a lot of things just the above and keep testing.
Nothing wrong with getting your hands wet and remove some of that algae yourself.
If you get a tang get a small yelloweye or scopas as these are inexpensive.
Reason why is you have a 55 gallon tank over time the tang will be not feeling happy but that will be a while.

I cannot figure it out my self about the jump in nitrates, they were usually 1 or 2ppm but then went up, I use Red Sea test kit, Hanna for alk, cal, mag- salifert, I did lose a small fire fish about two months ago, can't find it, thought it jumped out but no luck, maybe died and the hermit crabs got it but that was a long time ago and many water changes etc, just bought a few turbo nails to help out and will follow the progress, and turned off the uv, I even dosed around 20,000 pods from algae barn, why so many, the first batch was late from usps and most didn't look good so they sent me another batch, good costumer service!