Is this Bryopsis

[londre5000]

Recently moved and for the first time ever I have an outbreak of algae. Didn't help that my tank was overfed by a loved one, trying to save a fish that refused to eat while I was away. At least she was caring for the animal.

Looks like green hair sorta but is difficult to pull off the rock if not impossible so leaning toward a Bryopsis?. Does branch out and grows in sprouts?
Currently running GFO:
phosphates 0.08
Nitrate 5
Ph 8.32

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Only the first pic looks like it rest 2 are green hair algae

 

[mcarroll]

Bryopsis IS a green algae. But I think I agree with @drtrash.

Use the pinch and remove method to get each clump at the base - don't let it get any further out of control.

Be prepared to take the GFO offline before phosphates get too low. Keep them >=0.03 ppm.

And I know it may seem weird, but the bare rock is at least as much to blame as the presence of any nutrients in the water.

In fact, if the posted levels are "high" then your tank may have been starving prior to this....which will keep the rock from developing even longer, keeping it susceptible to algae settlement for longer. (Those levels aren't really that high.)

This tank looks pretty new - is this just a stage of The Uglies by chance? Hair algae is a phase you pretty much can't avoid going through on your way to coraline algae.

How's your coraline algae growth?

How's your CUC right now? Seems like it could use an upgrade.

Don't hesitate to get hands in the tank to keep this stuff beaten back until there is control! You're the #1 CUC member!!

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Cuc will keep green hair algae at bay but it's the solution but rather bandaid.
GHA needs light and nitrates/phos to grow. Cut down the lights or even shut them off for 3 days. Then on. Do that few times.
Meanwhile try to get nitrates and phos lower. Nitrates at 5ppm are not bad but phos at 0.08 is high.
Lanthanum chloride will bring phos down in a heartbeat. But go slow and use a 5 micron filter to catch the residue.
This is help get rid of GHA along with cuc will eat the rest.
Bryopsis is a different story. Cuc will not touch it. No tang or fish will eat it.
There are few ways to get rid of it.
Lights again are the source of energy.
Pull as much off the rock you can.
Try increasing the magnesium to 1600+ range and hold it. If that doesnt take care of it then fish fluconazole will. Read some articles on it. You need a certain dose and run it for 10 days.
Good luck

 

[mcarroll]

As we learn from nature, the CUC is actually the key - other solutions are the band-aids or coincidence.

Algae, in their infinite variety, take advantage of every disturbance to grow and spread - and can grow everywhere. Corals have different strengths, so algae eventually take over if they aren't being grazed almost regardless of conditions.

So have algae, but keep it grazed. (Even if the tank keeper has to do the "grazing".) Eradication should not be a goal in most cases as it's a step backward and keeps the real estate open for re-settlement.

There may be better green algae to have, but alternatives to green algae, if you're successful getting rid of it, are all worse. Often much worse. Cyano is your best-case scenario outside of green algae.

What you prefer is for coraline and corals to take over the available real estate, which is the good way to exclude algae.

 

[40B Knasty]

First and second pictures is bryopsis. I have had it for the past 5 months. If you can pull the rock. Do so. Kill it. Recycle the rock. This stuff seems innocent at first. Then it takes over. It is very hard to pull off the rock. The root system digs in. So it just ends up growing back.
Fluconazole is the only thing I know of that works. It is reef safe. It's one 200mg capsule per 10 gallons of water(get the capsules not the hard pills). You basically lift the skimmer cup, because it will foam up fast. Take the pill(s) that is the amount to your total water volume(sump included). Mix the correct amount of pills with some tank water(about 8cups). At night when everyone is sleeping. Dump it in slowly in front of a powerhead.
Some types of bryopsis takes 14 days. My first attempt killed it off, but! I have the kind that takes either 30 or 60 days to kill off. Lucky me! So if you have a failed attempt or just want to make sure it is gone, because you don't know what kind it is. Do 30 days. There is a great thread started by NC Reefer and Mayo. They can help you out if you have any questions. Here is a few videos done by me to give you an idea what you are getting into. I was told it is okay to leave Phosguard in, but then after doing the dosing. I was told the Phosguard could pull the medication by the same people. So my next attempt will be with no chemical medias.
I did not put another capsule in even though I said it in the video.
If you have any questions ask away. I just can't identify how long it is going to take. If you notice in the videos cyanobacteria building up on the sand bed. You may end up with it from the die off. I have talked to a few people and they said the medication 100% worked for them and they also got cyanobacteria after. My cyanobacteria took 3 months to let it work its way out of my system as of 2 weeks ago. I will be doing another treatment with fluconazole to finally rid my tank of it. I was just waiting to tackle this issue before starting a new one for the future.