Can't tell if this is Green Hair or Bryopsis: Better pics now

[ReefSafeSolutions]

I've read through the Reef Cleaners nuisance algae ID guide, looked at pictures everywhere online, and I still can't decide if this is GHA or Bryopsis:

 

 

In fact, Reef Cleaners may have confused me further, as they state that there are plenty of Green Hair algae species that branch but are not in the Bryopsis family.

 

So, please excuse the awful picture. Is it possible to tell from that pic what the algae is? I'm getting patches of it in various spots on my rock. I can pull it out by hand but it comes off the rock really easily. Not sure if that helps at all. Tank is a few months old, still have diatoms, so I'm hoping this is just a GHA phase. If it's bryopsis I'm screwed, pulling the rocks out and boiling them isn't an option.

 

It seems like my turbo snail won't touch the stuff, which makes me wonder if it's bryopsis.

[RayWhisperer]

Yeah, nobody is going to be able to say anything with that pic.

Easiest way I can describe it for you. Do those little branches look like tiny feathers? If so, you've got briopsis.

[ReefSafeSolutions]

Yeah...I'll try to get a better picture tomorrow. Unlikely though, I don't have a camera capable of good close ups.

 

The branches don't really look like tiny feathers...well, not all of them. There are some feather-like tips on some of these, but it is really hard to tell because of how small everything is.

 

What's most frustrating is that I've read conflicting reports on GHA and bryopsis being the same thing, etc., and that Mexican turbo snails will eat it, while others say it won't eat it...Melev's Reef suggests that turbos will eat it. I guess with everything else in the hobby, you'll hear something different from everyone.

[Cencalfishguy56]

Yeah...I'll try to get a better picture tomorrow. Unlikely though, I don't have a camera capable of good close ups.

 

The branches don't really look like tiny feathers...well, not all of them. There are some feather-like tips on some of these, but it is really hard to tell because of how small everything is.

 

What's most frustrating is that I've read conflicting reports on GHA and bryopsis being the same thing, etc., and that Mexican turbo snails will eat it, while others say it won't eat it...Melev's Reef suggests that turbos will eat it. I guess with everything else in the hobby, you'll hear something different from everyone.

yea hard to tell but I've had luck with manual removal and upping to larger water changes

[Elizabeth94]

Yeah...I'll try to get a better picture tomorrow. Unlikely though, I don't have a camera capable of good close ups.

 

You can try plucking some of it and putting it in a clear glass of water. So much easier to take pictures that way.

[ReefSafeSolutions]

You can try plucking some of it and putting it in a clear glass of water. So much easier to take pictures that way.

 

That's a good idea. I'll try tomorrow and see if we can identify the algae in question.

 

I'll probably grab a couple more Mexican turbo snails and see if they help at all. Stay tuned for pictures tomorrow!

[ReefSafeSolutions]

OK let's try this again, much better pics now. Still not great, but hopefully sufficient.