Grass like algae in tank what could it be??

[Mike P]

Anyone know what this algae is? Kind of looks like grass and I was thinking green hair algae but this doesn’t really match and I have had that in the past. It’s not on the rocks but it’s starting to pop up in the sand, maybe it’s bryopsis

[Tired]

Not bryopsis. I have something like that, and it doesn't do much. Doesn't seem pest-like.

[Mike P]

3 minutes ago, Tired said:

Not bryopsis. I have something like that, and it doesn't do much. Doesn't seem pest-like.

That’s good to know, I couldn’t find anything that looks like it on forums. I have yanked some out and it’s pretty tough stuff.

[mcarroll]

"Standard hair algae" in my opinion.....Derbesia.  Looks like what I had/have.

 

http://cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/Choices/Chlorophyceae/siphonous_greens/Bryopsidales/DERBESIA/Derbesia_key.htm

[Mike P]

11 hours ago, mcarroll said:

"Standard hair algae" in my opinion.....Derbesia.  Looks like what I had/have.

 

http://cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/Choices/Chlorophyceae/siphonous_greens/Bryopsidales/DERBESIA/Derbesia_key.htm

Yep I researched it more and that is what it appears to be. I saw some comment it’s like pulling turf grass out when they try and manually remove it and that’s how mine is. I will have to figure out a game plan to eliminate it or at least keep it from becoming problematic 

[mcarroll]

It's a lot of little battles....don't try to win the war all at once.

 

Reach in and tweeze/pinch out every strand you can reach by hand.....er....with your fingers. 

 

Work on a specific area for the amount of time you have, don't worry about getting the whole tank at once if you can't. 

 

Place a snail on the spot you clean so it stays clean.  (They'll remember the spot and come back.)

 

Work on another spot later that day or the next day.  Put a different snail on that spot.

 

If you can hit the algae every day at least once, it shouldn't be a big deal.  Add snails if they don't seem to be keeping up with your efforts....they can only cover limited amounts of ground with a mouth only a few millimeters big!  😉

 

[Txplicit]

Honestly looks like stands of gha.  Did your check your phosphate levels, and I recommend an appropriate uv sterilizer if your ph isn't at 0.

[Tired]

I really hope the pH isn't at 0, and a UV sterilizer is in no way needed for a few tufts of hair algae. Snails, tweezing, and biodiversity (to outcompete it and get pods that might eat it) will fix it just fine.

[Txplicit]

6 hours ago, Tired said:

I really hope the pH isn't at 0, and a UV sterilizer is in no way needed for a few tufts of hair algae. Snails, tweezing, and biodiversity (to outcompete it and get pods that might eat it) will fix it just fine.

Ph... I mean phosphate.  Sorry had a long day and night.  Yes a few tufts of gha no problem.  Pods, nitrifying bacteria and biodiversity is great.  However, doesn't hurt to put in a uv because in the process of eliminating phosphate, you can on set the bloom of dinos.  The uv can kill that before it happens and also rid single cell bacteria like ich.  Doesn't hurt to have a cautionary measure.

[Tired]

Eliminating phosphate isn't your best bet, specifically because of the dinos, and also because it's bad for macroalgaes and coral. The thing to do is have some phosphates and some nitrates, let other algaes grow that take up the space that pest algaes would like to grow in, and keep things that eat the pest algae. If you have low to no nutrients, you're setting things up for the pest algaes that can tolerate those conditions to take over, in the absence of competition and predation. You also end up with kind of a sterile-looking tank, and a lot of soft corals don't do well like that at all. 

[Txplicit]

This us why I said "if your phosphates are not at 0"... well I said ph, but u get the idea

[Tired]

A UV sterilizer isn't usually needed if there are phosphates, because dinos don't tend to show up when phosphates are greater than 0. And if you have 0 phosphates, increasing feeding or dosing is a much simpler way to fix it than adding a piece of equipment that will kill all types of algae spores, including the non-pest kinds you want to get going.

[Txplicit]

Phosphates at zero is grounds for dinos. Aside from coraline algae and macro algae, there really aren't any beneficial algae in our hobby that we want in our DT.  Both of the prior mentioned algae are not affected by a uv.  

 

However, a uv kills bacteria, clarifies water, and holds single celled particulates and organisms at bay (dinos, ich, velvet).  

 

I'm not disagreeing with you that a well sustained bio diversity is best.  All I'm saying is having a uv doesn't hurt as a safety net in case parameters falter due to unforeseen circumstances.

[Clown79]

Uv can also kill micro organisms we want in our tank.

 

Simple manual removal at this stage of gha, adding more cuc.

 

I had this issue with the black sand in my 10g.

It's the grain size, a lot of shit gets trapped in it no matter how much I cleaned it.

[Mike P]

2 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Uv can also kill micro organisms we want in our tank.

 

Simple manual removal at this stage of gha, adding more cuc.

 

I had this issue with the black sand in my 10g.

It's the grain size, a lot of shit gets trapped in it no matter how much I cleaned it.

I have pulled some out but noticed it’s not as bad anymore. I guess my clean up crew has started getting at it finally. Haven’t changed anything in my tank. I did however notice that the copepods are all on the sand bed compared to how they are usually all over my back wall