metrokat Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I've finally been able to get my turf algae identified. John Maloney was very helpful and ID'd it as enteromorpha. I am unable to find any help online for how to get rid of it. A peroxide dip has been unsuccessful. For me it grows in small tuffts on the glass and also on the frag tray and plugs. I have soaked the frag tray in bleach and killed it off but it came right back, most likely as a small unseen piece on the frags that occupied the same frag tray. While this can be invasive and also common, I have found little information besides tangs like it. I can't have a tang I have a nano. I am lucky that it is not a huge problem yet but it has been tenacious despite my best efforts at removal. Does anyone have any links or solutions to this algae? Thanks. Link to comment
ward827 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 John couldn't offer up one of his critters or custom crews to take care of it? W- Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Grows in a tuft, from a single hold fast. Leaves are wiry. Likes to grow on glass. Ignore the notes in the pic below Link to comment
racer_X_123 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Sorry I cant offer up some help but good luck! Link to comment
racer_X_123 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Actually I was thinking about it over lunch... wouldn't this growing take out nutrients out of the water? Don't people pay money to add cheato in the back chamber? Just thinking out loud... I have a green hair algae that never seems to go away no matter how low my phosphates get so I just look at it as a source or nutrient export when I "harvest" Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Enteromorpha does grow in nutrient rich waters, and mine are. If it was a clump I had in my fuge I would not bother. But it is not and it needs to go. Bring out the tang police, I might need to borrow a tang. Link to comment
dtitus1 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 No other animals will go after it? I find that hard to believe. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 I could try nano appropriate animals if I find info on this thing. Link to comment
shaneandjohn Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I tried peroxide and elevated mag levels and had no Luck.I picked up a Blue Tuxedo Urchin 5 days ago, and it is making a Huge Difference. I am not sure about the Urchin and Macros yet, I moved them out of that tank when I elevated my mag levels. You might give one a try! Link to comment
racer_X_123 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 The problem with urchins is that they pick up everything and I can image in a nano it would cause all sorts of havoc. Kat what size is your tank? Im sure a Tang would be fine for a week or 2 Link to comment
shaneandjohn Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Yes, the Urchin is a Magnet, However, it is the first thing I have found that will Touch the Algae. I have been Fighting with it for about 1-1/2 years. If there are other suggestions I will definitely listen. Link to comment
specore Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 The problem with urchins is that they pick up everything and I can image in a nano it would cause all sorts of havoc. Kat what size is your tank? Im sure a Tang would be fine for a week or 2 Problem is a tang won't get it all and as soon as you remove it the algae will come right back. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 I tried peroxide and elevated mag levels and had no Luck.I picked up a Blue Tuxedo Urchin 5 days ago, and it is making a Huge Difference. I am not sure about the Urchin and Macros yet, I moved them out of that tank when I elevated my mag levels. You might give one a try! Shane, do you have pictures of your enteromorpha? The problem with urchins is that they pick up everything and I can image in a nano it would cause all sorts of havoc. Kat what size is your tank? Im sure a Tang would be fine for a week or 2 it's a 34G and a baby would be fine but I won;t do it, I was kidding about a tang. They are severely prone to ick. I woul d not have the capacity to QT a fish only to return him a few weeks later being that QT itself is a 2 week minimum time frame. algea blenny? I have a midas and am afraid of them fighting. Link to comment
yoshii Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Turf algaes are tough to get rid of...if you pick up an urchin just get a pencil urchin or longspine so it doesn't "wear" half of your corals and loose rocks.I've never had issues with turf algae, but when battled GHA, I found that when I tried to solely lower nutrient levels, the algae growth would slow down or even stop, but obviously the algae was still present and as soon as the nutrient levels increased, it started growing like crazy again. What finally worked for me was first removing as much of the algae that I could, then making sure the nutrient levels stayed low. And even though after a little while I didn't take good care of the tank and nutrients increased, the GHA didn't come back. I hope my story helps Link to comment
shaneandjohn Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 This is about the best I can do as far as pic. This mainly grows on my Back wall on my Solana and will grow from my Substrate. It only has shown on one Piece of Rock. The Urchin is Munching away Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Hmm, the holdfast you have on those is quite different from mine. Enteromorpha has several species though. Link to comment
Acielot Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Im thinking that you could borrow a Baby tang.... Get flamed for a little bit. And try an urchin. In addition to some rigorous manual removal. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Im thinking that you could borrow a Baby tang.... Get flamed for a little bit. And try an urchin. In addition to some rigorous manual removal. yeah like I really need more attention seriously thought, the manual removal is pretty constant, but I have to interject that it is not crazy explosve growth (at least not in my tank) it is slow and steady and tenacious but so far it has been easy to remove since it grows on the glass. The bits that grow on frag plugs are the devil. Link to comment
Acielot Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 The bits that grow on frag plugs are the devil. I feel your pain. I have some dictyota that has a foothold on my zoas and some hair algae near my torch's polyps. I need to manually pick it all otherwise the CUC will ignore it. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 I feel your pain. I have some dictyota that has a foothold on my zoas and some hair algae near my torch's polyps. I need to manually pick it all otherwise the CUC will ignore it. oh God dictyota! Another thorn in my side! Or actually (thankfully) just on my surface skimmer grate. Peroxide is good on your problems. Link to comment
loyalhero90 Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I've had this stuff before...it looks a little different though. Mine looked like a thin, ribbony version of ulva and I got if from gulf-cost ecosystems. Anyway my ceriths, astrea and other various snails mowed through it eventually to the point that I just didn't buy it anymore. The small ceriths were especially greedy and sometimes my blue crab would grab a few. I have actually not been able to keep graciliaria or ulva in my tank due to my snails need to eat it. ...actually not to go against an expert because John is really good with macros but it really doesn't look like enteromorpha to me...maybe it is the picture but it looks way too stiff or filamentous...maybe it is a different type of enteromorpha but mine looked just like an anorexic version of ulva. Any way some starving snails (ceriths and turbos) might do the trick Here is a link from gulf-cost ecosystems about it: http://live-plants.com/enteromorpha.htm Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 I've had this stuff before...it looks a little different though. Mine looked like a thin, ribbony version of ulva and I got if from gulf-cost ecosystems. Anyway my ceriths, astrea and other various snails mowed through it eventually to the point that I just didn't buy it anymore. The small ceriths were especially greedy and sometimes my blue crab would grab a few. I have actually not been able to keep graciliaria or ulva in my tank due to my snails need to eat it. ...actually not to go against an expert because John is really good with macros but it really doesn't look like enteromorpha to me...maybe it is the picture but it looks way too stiff or filamentous...maybe it is a different type of enteromorpha but mine looked just like an anorexic version of ulva. Any way some starving snails (ceriths and turbos) might do the trick Here is a link from gulf-cost ecosystems about it: http://live-plants.com/enteromorpha.htm Yours is a different species of enteromorpha from mine. They are all classified as this algae but there are varieties and trust me nothing eats mine. I have a diverse and abundant CUC. But thanks for the tip, I'll email Russ to see if he can offer advice. Link to comment
metrokat Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Okay, Russ from GES says: "The best algae grazers are Mexican turbos, seahares and diademea urchins. I use the urchins in large tanks to clean up turf algae." Link to comment
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