Is this even algae?

[Knamei]

I have been looking at this stuff on my rock for a while now. It’s not bryopsis, I treated and it didn’t do anything. It’s not very fast growing either. I need help! It’s just ugly on the rock. I can’t get good pictures in the tank but it looks exactly like this but in water

It’s relatively easy to remove but I’m unable to get it all. It’s only growing where the light is brightest and doesn’t seem to move much with the flow of water. Any help please!

 

[HotRocks]

@mcarroll

 

[mcarroll]

Spiders.

 

[mcarroll]

...or green algae. It's hard to say exactly which without a microscope and a visual database like PhycoKey (google it...great reference).

If you don't have a microscope, even a $10-20 toy scope will work....and youj don't have to spend a lot more to get a decent scope.

 

[Knamei]

Spiders.

How do I get rid of it?

 

[mcarroll]

Looks like it ought to be edible to someone in the tank.

Can you tell us about the tank? (Everything you can think of that might be relevant: CUC, age of tank, etc, etc)

A full tank shot might even help.

If you have recent test results, post them for reference too.

 

[Knamei]

Looks like it ought to be edible to someone in the tank.

Can you tell us about the tank? (Everything you can think of that might be relevant: CUC, age of tank, etc, etc)

A full tank shot might even help.

If you have recent test results, post them for reference too.

It’s a 29 gallons DT with 10 gal sump. About 35 lbs dry rock at the start and 30 lbs live sand. Stock is 2 clownfish, royal gramma, yellow watchman and pistol shrimp, CUC- red tuxedo urchin, turbo snail, narcissus snail, bumble bee snails, and some others I can’t remember currently. It been up since December 2017, protein skimmer and algae reactor in the sump. I don’t have current test results because the water change is the end of the week but last time No3 was 10, Po4 was 0.02. I know those are important for algae but if you need more let me know.

 

[jd371]

I think I have the same in my tank. It reminds me of HA but it's thicker and not as fine as the HA and the color is a darker green.... Turf Algae? I treated for Bryopsis and got rid of it but no effect to this algae. I'm also dosing some Vibrant for some small patches of Bubble Algae and there seems to be no effect with this algae as well. I hear Urchins are good at getting rid of HA and might try one on this stuff.

 

[mcarroll]

It’s a 29 gallons DT with 10 gal sump. About 35 lbs dry rock at the start and 30 lbs live sand.

That seems like a lot of rock and sand. If you like it it's probably fine, but if the tank seems like it could be more open (good in lots of ways) then you should have room to remove a little. Especially so on the substrate.

CUC- red tuxedo urchin, turbo snail, narcissus snail, bumble bee snails, and some others I can’t remember currently.

It looks like the urchin and Turbo area your only herbivores. Get lots more snails – mostly smaller ones.

Someday the urchin might have to go – even one is a lot for a 29 gallon tank. In the mean time, he should be a good algae consumer!!

It been up since December 2017, protein skimmer and algae reactor in the sump.

Has the reactor been on the tank running since Day 1?

How is it doing now?

I don’t have current test results because the water change is the end of the week but last time No3 was 10, Po4 was 0.02. I know those are important for algae but if you need more let me know.

Are the numbers typically "high" on the nitrates side and "zero" on the phosphates side?

If so, you might have to do some small phosphate doses to get things moving in the right direction – past green algae. If current conditions persist, algae may be the only thing that grows when you clear a spot. It'd be nice if coraline algae and/or anything else would grow instead, but that typically takes available nutrients.

 

[Knamei]

That seems like a lot of rock and sand. If you like it it's probably fine, but if the tank seems like it could be more open (good in lots of ways) then you should have room to remove a little. Especially so on the substrate.



It looks like the urchin and Turbo area your only herbivores. Get lots more snails – mostly smaller ones.

Someday the urchin might have to go – even one is a lot for a 29 gallon tank. In the mean time, he should be a good algae consumer!!



Has the reactor been on the tank running since Day 1?

How is it doing now?



Are the numbers typically "high" on the nitrates side and "zero" on the phosphates side?

If so, you might have to do some small phosphate doses to get things moving in the right direction – past green algae. If current conditions persist, algae may be the only thing that grows when you clear a spot. It'd be nice if coraline algae and/or anything else would grow instead, but that typically takes available nutrients.

I was actually planning to upgrade to at 40 breeder DT so I will probably break apart some pieces and re arrange them!

Honestly I don’t think either urchin or turbo have touched this stuff. What do you recommend I get that will?

The reactor is a few weeks recent because I had a refugium and the chaeto just died. And I just added new chaeto to the reactor a couple days ago because the sea lettuce I had was also browning.

And yes the numbers usual are that way. What do you recommend as far as phosphate dosing? How long would I do that typically? Also I just put together carbon dual reactor with phosgaurd yesterday.

 

[mcarroll]

The reactor is a few weeks recent because I had a refugium and the chaeto just died. And I just added new chaeto to the reactor a couple days ago bec

Ok that all makes sense.....corals, algae and many other microbes in the tank all need these basic nutrients.

No nutrients and those things all have problems. Some will even die off.

I wouldn't bother running this reactor for a while – at least until the tank stabilizes and has continuously positive nutrients for a while. The object is for it to use "excess" nutrients – and so far you do not have excess nutrients.

Honestly I don’t think either urchin or turbo have touched this stuff. What do you recommend I get that will?

How are they doing in general? As long as they're not sick or languishing (ie. they are moving around and eating something) that probably just means you still need more herbivore snails.

Have you tried tweezers or any alternate ways of plucking the algae with your fingers? These algae usually have a "root" or "trunk" that you can pull and get 90-100% of it. It seems like it's slow-going, but pulling this way is pretty permanent. If you can hit the tank a few times in a row without letting a lot of time pass in between, you can make progress.

Snails will keep those areas clear if you have enough of them.

Use this to help your progress as well:
Algae Cure!! Spot Treating Algae With Peroxide

And yes the numbers usual are that way. What do you recommend as far as phosphate dosing? How long would I do that typically?

Seachem or Brightwell (and I'm sure others) make fertilizers. I'd probably say get both some nitrate and phosphate to have on hand. You're just going to dose long enough for the tank to start maturing....and so you don't have zero phosphates again while the tank finishes maturing.

Also I just put together carbon dual reactor with phosgaurd yesterday.

Save the reactor for sometime down the road when you need it – just leave it offline/empty for now.

Phosguard is made for removing the nutrients we're talking about dosing, and the carbon is just not needed.

Starting up that reactor would stall your tank even longer, possibly even promote a worse algae in the process. We're trying to do the opposite – get it moving forward past the algae stage.

 

[Knamei]

Ok that all makes sense.....corals, algae and many other microbes in the tank all need these basic nutrients.

No nutrients and those things all have problems. Some will even die off.

I wouldn't bother running this reactor for a while – at least until the tank stabilizes and has continuously positive nutrients for a while. The object is for it to use "excess" nutrients – and so far you do not have excess nutrients.



How are they doing in general? As long as they're not sick or languishing (ie. they are moving around and eating something) that probably just means you still need more herbivore snails.

Have you tried tweezers or any alternate ways of plucking the algae with your fingers? These algae usually have a "root" or "trunk" that you can pull and get 90-100% of it. It seems like it's slow-going, but pulling this way is pretty permanent. If you can hit the tank a few times in a row without letting a lot of time pass in between, you can make progress.

Snails will keep those areas clear if you have enough of them.

Use this to help your progress as well:
Algae Cure!! Spot Treating Algae With Peroxide



Seachem or Brightwell (and I'm sure others) make fertilizers. I'd probably say get both some nitrate and phosphate to have on hand. You're just going to dose long enough for the tank to start maturing....and so you don't have zero phosphates again while the tank finishes maturing.



Save the reactor for sometime down the road when you need it – just leave it offline/empty for now.

Phosguard is made for removing the nutrients we're talking about dosing, and the carbon is just not needed.

Starting up that reactor would stall your tank even longer, possibly even promote a worse algae in the process. We're trying to do the opposite – get it moving forward past the algae stage.

I have removed them with tweezers, thats how I got the pieces in the pictures. The urchin is moving around but maybe I don't have enough algae for me to really see a difference. I do have a lot on the glass that I have to clean daily though.
So what you are saying is don't run the chaeto reactor or phosphate/carbon reactor? And dose nitrate and phosphate. How long would I do that, like how will I know that the tank is matured where i don't have to dose and I can the reactors running? ( i dont want the ball of cheat to die off since i just bought it.)
Also for dosing, what levels am I looking for?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm still new to the hobby

 

[mcarroll]

If you haven't already gone through this, do it now:
revhtrees ultimate guide to setting up a saltwater tank

You're tank is already running, obviously , so start at the end of Section 4 where it mentions "6 months".

Once the algae starts to disappear, you'll know you're getting close.

I'd shoot for 0.10 ppm of phosphates to begin with.
Re-test around an hour after dosing to see what's left out of that 0.10 ppm.
If you find that there was already significant usage (it happens), then re-dose up to 0.10 ppm and re-test again in another hour.

Nitrates at 10 ppm is fine if that's where they still are when you test. Try not to let them dip too much below 5 ppm on the low side....higher than 10 ppm is fine on the high side, but there's no reason to overshoot the 5-10 ppm window.

 

[Knamei]

If you haven't already gone through this, do it now:
revhtrees ultimate guide to setting up a saltwater tank

You're tank is already running, obviously , so start at the end of Section 4 where it mentions "6 months".

Once the algae starts to disappear, you'll know you're getting close.

I'd shoot for 0.10 ppm of phosphates to begin with.
Re-test around an hour after dosing to see what's left out of that 0.10 ppm.
If you find that there was already significant usage (it happens), then re-dose up to 0.10 ppm and re-test again in another hour.

Nitrates at 10 ppm is fine if that's where they still are when you test. Try not to let them dip too much below 5 ppm on the low side....higher than 10 ppm is fine on the high side, but there's no reason to overshoot the 5-10 ppm window.

Ok i will start dosing and see what happens. Thank you so much for the help!

 

[Knamei]

If you haven't already gone through this, do it now:
revhtrees ultimate guide to setting up a saltwater tank

You're tank is already running, obviously , so start at the end of Section 4 where it mentions "6 months".

Once the algae starts to disappear, you'll know you're getting close.

I'd shoot for 0.10 ppm of phosphates to begin with.
Re-test around an hour after dosing to see what's left out of that 0.10 ppm.
If you find that there was already significant usage (it happens), then re-dose up to 0.10 ppm and re-test again in another hour.

Nitrates at 10 ppm is fine if that's where they still are when you test. Try not to let them dip too much below 5 ppm on the low side....higher than 10 ppm is fine on the high side, but there's no reason to overshoot the 5-10 ppm window.

So I tested today, turns out my nitrates are at 0 now?? (I hadn’t been on top of my care recently but i cut down to once a day feeding which maybe made the impact, that or my chaeto?) Phosphates at 0.01. I stopped my gfo/carbon reactor but kept my chaeto one still going. I am about to purchase a bottle to dose both to the recommended levels. I have one question, is it really important to turn my chaeto reactor off during the maturing process? I just purchased that ball of chaeto so I don’t want it to die off while I do this. Would it live if turned the pump off so there was no flow but kept the light going? Or would I just have to deal with buying a new one?

 

[mcarroll]

You can choose to feed it – maybe even keep the flow off and feed it – but that's effectively another tank to test and maintain just for a ball of chaeto.

Plus I'm not sure that the influence of a large mass of chaeto is what a new tank w/dead rock really needs. So it's a judgement call, but I'd try to re-home it somewhere else.

Keep things as simple as possible.

 

[Brew12]

Just as an FYI, I believe this is Cladophoropsis.

Unfortunately, it's one of the least appetizing algaes for CuC but not quite as bad as bryposis.