Help with macro algae ID

[crazyfishmom]

Hello all,

I started my tank with mostly live rock from TBS, super happy with the results, the fast cycling and stability. I do have some interesting hitchhikers and need help with ID for this macro algae that seems to be growing on some of my rocks. I would like to know whether I need to be worried or whether tangs and fox face will be happy to eat this. I just started to add fish to the tank and my fox face is in there but he’s a skittish one so he’s just been hiding. Is this something he would eat? Are there any critters that would? I don’t want it to take over.

Thanks!

 

[TX_REEF]

Hello and welcome! I honestly can’t see what that is, any chance of a better photo, close up under white light?

 

[crazyfishmom]

Hello and welcome! I honestly can’t see what that is, any chance of a better photo, close up under white light?

Thanks for the response. I was able to manually remove some from the tank. Here is a shot:

 

[TX_REEF]

it kind of looks like sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) to me, most herbivores would love to devour that. How big is your tank? I know my yellow tang would make short work of that, so that's a lovely option if your tank is large enough. Most tangs would eat that, in fact - I'm just partial to yellows because of their relatively small adult size, and I love yellow.

 

[crazyfishmom]

it kind of looks like sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) to me, most herbivores would love to devour that. How big is your tank? I know my yellow tang would make short work of that, so that's a lovely option if your tank is large enough. Most tangs would eat that, in fact - I'm just partial to yellows because of their relatively small adult size, and I love yellow.

That’s great to hear! I have a 210 that was without fish for a couple of months due to ich. My first set of fish just came off quarantine and I think my fox face started nipping at it yesterday. I’ve been manually removing it because I was worried it might take over but I’ll just let the fishies find it as they will now. My yellow tangs (I have a bonded pair) will not be in the tank for a few more weeks but I’m excited for them to enjoy it too! Thanks for the response!

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Thanks for the response. I was able to manually remove some from the tank. Here is a shot:

This is most likely a Dictyota species (though some Callophyllis and Gloiocladia species look similar to this too). It's reportedly much less palatable to a lot of fish than Ulva species are, but it may still be eaten by herbivores in our tanks.

 

[crazyfishmom]

This is most likely a Dictyota species (though some Callophyllis and Gloiocladia species look similar to this too). It's reportedly much less palatable to a lot of fish than Ulva species are, but it may still be eaten by herbivores in our tanks.

I’ll continue to keep an eye out. Thanks for the response! I do think the fox face has been picking at it but I definitely don’t want it to overrun the tank.

 

[dansyr]

I have a fairly similar dictyota species that came in as a hitchhiker. I like it, not the most attractive but the one I have grows in "bunches" with a single attachment point if that make sense, so it's pretty easy to pull off clumps. Never tried to eradicate it but a slower grower for me than chaeto or ulva, slightly faster than gracilaria IME.

 

[crazyfishmom]

I have a fairly similar dictyota species that came in as a hitchhiker. I like it, not the most attractive but the one I have grows in "bunches" with a single attachment point if that make sense, so it's pretty easy to pull off clumps. Never tried to eradicate it but a slower grower for me than chaeto or ulva, slightly faster than gracilaria IME.

This one seems to grow in bunches as well. Not hard to remove either thankfully. I don’t have any experience with macro algae so good to know! Thanks!