What kind of algae is this?

[Garcia2460]

Hi everyone,

have some green algae that has been growing in my tank. Im not sure what kind it is. I don't think it is green hair alga because it doesn't look thin enough. Can someone help me ID and potentially shed some light how to regulate or manage these?

THANK YOU!

 

[Euphyllia97]

Can’t ID this, but I think this is some kind of weed instead of algae.

 

[Garcia2460]

Can’t ID this, but I think this is some kind of weed instead of algae.

Thanks for the reply! But is that good or bad? Is it like a sea weed that fish can eat? Any thoughts on how I can research more?

 

[Reeftown5]

Some kind of macroalgae

 

[Idoc]

Some of it almost looks like Caulerpa Prolifera macroalgae (flat, lighter green strands). I'm not sure about the denser, darker algae, though. Let's see if anyone else on the #reefsquad has an idea.

 

[Hemmdog]

The 3rd pic sort of looks like ulva and dinos.

 

[Garcia2460]

Some of it almost looks like Caulerpa Prolifera macroalgae (flat, lighter green strands). I'm not sure about the denser, darker algae, though. Let's see if anyone else on the #reefsquad has an idea.

Can this stuff pop up on its own? Should I be concerned about it?

 

[Garcia2460]

The 3rd pic sort of looks like ulva and dinos.

I also thought it may be ulva, I don’t think it’s Dino’s tho. In person they look like green plants.. like grass almost and then some pieces are more flat and round like the ulva

 

[Hemmdog]

Can this stuff pop up on its own? Should I be concerned about it?

It can come in through frags or even food. My ulva got introduced from frozen herbivore frenzy food. How big is your tank and what fish do you have in there? A fish to eat the algae is the best imo. Some people will use bacteria or chemicals.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ulva, possible caulerpa and Bryopsis pennata

 

[Garcia2460]

I have 7 chromis. My tank is a 40g breeder. I only just recently added my first frags so I don’t think they came in on those. But I do feed pe frozen mysis shrimp every now and then. And I just saw that my pellet food contains ulva seaweed as well as cholera and wasame seaweed. Maybe this is the culprit!?
Thanks so much for your replies

 

[Garcia2460]

Here are some more pics from just now

 

[Hemmdog]

I have 7 chromis. My tank is a 40g breeder. I only just recently added my first frags so I don’t think they came in on those. But I do feed pe frozen mysis shrimp every now and then. And I just saw that my pellet food contains ulva seaweed as well as cholera and wasame seaweed. Maybe this is the culprit!?
Thanks so much for your replies

Maybe, seems unlikely with pelleted food since it is dried but possibly, I’m not a biologist to know if that would be possible.
That’s a difficult tank size to use my fish method, I was going to recommend a foxface or a bristletooth tang, but that won’t work in a 40.Some LFS will let clients borrow sea hares, those should mow it down in a few days, but they will starve if you leave them in the tank once it’s gone. Maybe look into that. Other people may have better ideas for a tank your size.