Anybody tell me what I have here?

1


2


3


System (12G Nano Cube) is only a couple weeks old but I took rock out of my established 40G FOWLR tank that I have had running for years and put it into this new tank to give it a "jump start" on cycling.

This algae does NOT exist in my established 40 tank, but I don't have hardly any lighting on it either. Just a single PC bulb. I have a DIY LED lighting system on my 12 gallon. This stuff started popping up several days ago and is spreading. I added Cheato yesterday to the back chamber and have it lit 24/7. I am using RO/DI for all newly made saltwater changes and for freshwater top off.

This algae is extemely "flimsy" and "fern like". I have it growing on the glass as well.

I took the pictures on my phone. I can get my camera out tomorrow if better pictures are needed.

looks like it is bryopsis I don't know about how dreaded it is leave the light off for 2 days it will dissapear

I'm 99% sure it is not Bryopsis. I had what looks like the same thing.

Here is my thread: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...entry2686240%29

Here is another thread that had the same issue: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=227304

same diagnosis. Your just still cycling tho so try lightout out and let it cycle.. once the nutrients are all gone from then tank it will go away. Then you can turn on your lights and do some cleanup : )

Whatever it might be, I think you have to act on it. During the cycling period this type of growth isn't abnormal. I may over react sometimes, but I just about had this stuff take me down once. Kill the lights. Up the mag to ~ 1500. After the cycle is complete the nutrients should drop off dramatically. Your skimmer will turn green, and you
can pick this stuff out. That's much easier than waiting until you have something in there that's relying on the light to live.

Easy-ish fix. Good luck.

Ok, after combing through all kinds of bryopsis pictures on the internet, I'm not sure it is bryopsis. I'll take a better picture later on my camera and post it. I wish I still had my old microscope from my kiddie science set I had all those years ago.

I'm going to let the system run without light for a few days and see if that irradicates it.

It's my understanding that green algae with fern like leaves is generally bryopsis - that means a single stalk with smaller leaves radiating from it on either side.

That would lead me to conclude that you have bryopsis, the fishnoob has bryopsis, and I have bryopsis. If you give it time to grow it will develop into somewhat more organized strands and I've watched my mithrax crabs (which have done a great job cleaning the tank and even have eaten some invasive macro) claw at it but never take a bite.

I'm further along in the tank development, so I've opted for the magnesium treatment - but if you can get rid of it with lights out that's a better option. My guess is that two days won't cut it since algae is pretty hardy, but who knows.

Thanks for the reply. I'll take some better close-up pictures this afternoon for perhaps a better ID. But the stuff that I have have "branchlets" that keeps branching off from the branches. It is not like there is one long "trunk" with branches. There is a trunk with branches and then more branches off those branches.

If that makes sense. Like I said, I'll get my real camera out and take some macro shots. My camera phone just cant get good closeups.

Also, this stuff is growing on the glass, back aqarium wall, sand, pump, rock, etc... It is extremely "stringy" and is super easy to pull off. I see it floating around in the tank with a clump of sand on its "root" where the water circulation broke it free.

I am still thinking it is hair algae but who knows...

+1 to good old hair algae.

I had the same stuff just after my tank cycled. I removed as much as a could by hand and my blue leg hermits took care of the rest. Have never seen it again sence

Just keep up with your water changes and manual extraction. Good Luck!

I usually don't look back at posts I have already replied to, anyway it is briopsis or one of the closely related plants, and I really think it is way to easy to fix by just turning your lights off, try it for one day if you don't see results kalk or magnesium this stuff till your ph read 12. It really doesn't matter to me, but be warned messing with the levels of an already unstable tank is generally not a great idea unless you already plan on a 100% WC before you add livestock. Please understand the algae will go away with the addition of your cleaning crew. But if you just want it gone now, no buts about it turning the light off will kill it.

It's a Bryopsis species. You can tell by the pinnate fronds.

Well I'm leaving the lights off until its dead. I have my Cheato lit 24/7 right now so I am hopeing it is sucking up all excess nutritents in the tank.

My concern is this crap crops back up when I turn the lights back on.

Just remove whatever ya can by hand and it will eventually die out.

Turning off the lights will inhibit it's growth, but will that take care of the nutrients that caused it to grow in the first place....? Hmm.

I say, remove by hand, leave the lights on and let your tank stabalize on its own.

best-o-luck

Do a water change, get a cleanup crew, and youll never see it again

Quick and easy removal:

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=227782

/end thread

So I have been leaving the lights off ever since the general consensus is that I have Bryopsis. I also decided to begin dosing Kent Tech M (Magnesium) as I don't have any livestock in the tank except for a few snails and one fish. I am basically wanting to get rid of this stuff as quickly as possible so I thought a 3 pronged effect of running my fuge light 24/7, not running the display lights, and dosing Mg would get rid of this as quickly as possible.

However, I come home today and look what I find:



And



I put this Mexian Turbo in yesterday with 2 Margarita Turbos too. Just like my Nerites and Cerith snails, the Margarita doesn't seem interested in this stuff. But the Mexican Turbo is devouring it.

I was under the impression that Sea Hares and certain crabs were the only things that ate this crap. Are we still sure its Bryopsis??

I still am planning to continue running with the display lights out, running the fuge 24/7, but I may hold on the Mg dosing. If I have an animal wanting to eat it naturally, there is no reason for me to use a chemical to kill it off... But I may need to throw in a couple more as I have this stuff on ALL my rocks...

Thoughts?

Yup. Use the turbos and manual removal, reduced photoperiod. IMO Kent Tech M should be your last resort and used only if you cannot get rid of it via natural means. Good luck!

I believe that someone used an emerald mythrax crab to help with this stuffs removal. thats if it is not bryopsis and is something that just looks similar.

It will go away on its own. I went through the same thing.