Bryopsis, GHA, or other? Pls help

[CarlosM]

Hi all - Appreciate any help with ID’ing this algae and suggesting best treatment. Attaching photos below.

Actively working on lowering these but Nitrates currently at 4 to 8 ppm and Phosphates at 0.10ppm (previously at 0.25ppm).

Have been using Vibrant for about 1.5 months, havent really seen any noticeable change with the algae on the rocks yet. Although I’ve noticed I rarely have to clean my glass now, which is nice.

Have tried Mexican Turbo snails, Emerald Crabs, and Lettuce nudibranchs. Only the emeralds seemed to me to make an attempt to eat it, but for some reason those crabs don’t last more than a couple of weeks in my tank. All other livestock seem fine. Suspected maybe this algae is toxic to them, but not sure.

This stuff is attached pretty well, doesn’t pull off very easily. During a water change, removed all rocks and scrubbed algae off. Painstaking but looked great....for like a few days and it grew right back .

Have wondered if this algae is related to Bryopsis, since I’ve read that some related types look like GHA. Or could it be just plain old GHA?

Any and all advice welcome! Thanks

[kino]

Looks like GHA to me.

[Clown79]

Looks like gha.

 

Your nutrient levels are fine. Starving the tank will lead to bigger issues like corals going downhill or dreaded dino.

 

Pluck out by hand the gha with no water movement on and get more cuc

[CarlosM]

9 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Looks like gha.

 

Your nutrient levels are fine. Starving the tank will lead to bigger issues like corals going downhill or dreaded dino.

 

Pluck out by hand the gha with no water movement on and get more cuc

Thanks @Clown79

[mcarroll]

On 12/22/2020 at 4:37 PM, CarlosM said:

Actively working on lowering these but Nitrates currently at 4 to 8 ppm and Phosphates at 0.10ppm (previously at 0.25ppm).

Just to pile on...you can actively stop lowering them.  This isn't the problem.  😁

 

On 12/22/2020 at 4:37 PM, CarlosM said:

Have been using Vibrant for about 1.5 months, havent really seen any noticeable change with the algae on the rocks yet. Although I’ve noticed I rarely have to clean my glass now, which is nice.

Go ahead and stop this as well.  Do whatever the instructions say to clean it out of your system at the end of the treatment.

 

On 12/22/2020 at 4:37 PM, CarlosM said:

Have tried Mexican Turbo snails, Emerald Crabs, and Lettuce nudibranchs.

Once algae grows out like in your pics it's beyond the ability of snails to eat.  It then becomes *your task* to remove.   You are CUC member #1 after all!  👍

 

If the nudibranch has survived this long, find a new home for it....start now as it may take some time.

 

On 12/22/2020 at 4:37 PM, CarlosM said:

This stuff is attached pretty well, doesn’t pull off very easily. During a water change, removed all rocks and scrubbed algae off. Painstaking but looked great....for like a few days and it grew right back .

Lesson learned!  Leave the rocks in the tank – it's not their fault, and the algae is just doing what algae does!  😉

 

On 12/22/2020 at 4:37 PM, CarlosM said:

Have wondered if this algae is related to Bryopsis

All of the common algae we have are in the green algae family....bubble, hair, bryopsis, etc....and all can be handled more or less the same way.  Cyano and dino's are the only common exceptions (not green algae)....and of course they aren't green so there's no confusion about it.  😉

 

On 12/22/2020 at 4:37 PM, CarlosM said:

just plain old GHA?

Yes, just plain old GHA – the most common of all.  Often cited as a Derbesia sp.

 

On 12/22/2020 at 4:37 PM, CarlosM said:

Any and all advice welcome!

Remove the algae this way, and listen to his snail stocking advice....up to 2 turbos per gallon could be required, but get there SLOWLY....just one or a small-few at a time with about a month in between additions.  You do not want to end up with too many snails.