Horrible green hair algae thats NOT an algae, can anyone help?

[Ohmegg]

I'm at my wits end over this stuff. Nothing eats it, cerith snails won't, turbin snails won't, hermit crabs won't, mollies won't. Seems to thrive in clean water. Dipping in peroxide does NOTHING! 🤦‍♂️ any ideas how to manage this stuff without nuking the tank?

 

[seabass]

It is algae, just not typical common hair algae.  It might be bryopsis.  If it is, Fluconazole might help.

[lilopop11]

Hermit crabs usually really like this type of algae, but you have to remove it manually until it's almost gone. because hermit crab doesn't want to eat long algae like that, he only wants short algae.. I don't know how to describe it well in English, but I hope you understand 😅

[InAtTheDeepEnd]

trim it short (to about 1cm) then let an emerald crab or dwarf blue hermits at it. 

 

Alternatively sea hares are amazing algae eaters and seriously cool little critters.

[Ohmegg]

8 hours ago, seabass said:

It is algae, just not typical common hair algae.  It might be bryopsis.  If it is, Fluconazole might help.

Here is, hopefully a better shot removed from tank and In FULL HYDROGEN PEROXIDE!! It's not even bubbling, cells not lysing. 
 

[Ohmegg]

Another pic with flash on

 

[seabass]

Well, I don't think that looks like bryopsis.  I can't really say that I remember dealing with that particular species of algae before.

[Ohmegg]

On 12/27/2022 at 11:35 PM, seabass said:

Well, I don't think that looks like bryopsis.  I can't really say that I remember dealing with that particular species of algae before.

And so it came to pass...on this day, I stumped seabass 😆 

[ubpr]

If it is stiff and wiry on touch, try to treat it as a green turf algae. Search should show all options.

[mcarroll]

On 12/27/2022 at 10:55 PM, Ohmegg said:

Can you put it under a microscope?  

 

Maybe Cladophora?  http://cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/Choices/Chlorophyceae/filaments/branched/CLADOPHORA/Cladophora_key.html

 

Remove all of it the same way you removed the sample for the photo – by hand!  🙂  

 

Physical (manual) removal is a great solution for almost every algae.  The only exceptions I can think of off hand are algae that are hard to physically grab, such as cyano, diatoms, dino's, chrysophytes, etc.  Those can all just be siphoned out though.

 

Make sure your CUC is big enough to keep the tank clean after you remove all the mature growth – you could need an addition or two.

 

BTW, snails can't really eat the mature forms of any algae...doesn't matter what kind you're talking about.  One major limitation (not the only one) is that they have a tongue and no teeth...so they only eat what they can "lick up"....which is a kind of grinding motion.  Baby algae sprouts work great for them, but that's about the extent of what they can manage.  Full grown algae are pretty much off the menu.  In the wild, this is where parrotfish and others would pick up the slack.  In a reef tank, WE have to be the parrotfish.  🤔 😉 

 

[Ohmegg]

4 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Can you put it under a microscope?  

 

Maybe Cladophora?  http://cfb.unh.edu/phycokey/Choices/Chlorophyceae/filaments/branched/CLADOPHORA/Cladophora_key.html

 

Remove all of it the same way you removed the sample for the photo – by hand!  🙂  

 

Physical (manual) removal is a great solution for almost every algae.  The only exceptions I can think of off hand are algae that are hard to physically grab, such as cyano, diatoms, dino's, chrysophytes, etc.  Those can all just be siphoned out though.

 

Make sure your CUC is big enough to keep the tank clean after you remove all the mature growth – you could need an addition or two.

 

BTW, snails can't really eat the mature forms of any algae...doesn't matter what kind you're talking about.  One major limitation (not the only one) is that they have a tongue and no teeth...so they only eat what they can "lick up"....which is a kind of grinding motion.  Baby algae sprouts work great for them, but that's about the extent of what they can manage.  Full grown algae are pretty much off the menu.  In the wild, this is where parrotfish and others would pick up the slack.  In a reef tank, WE have to be the parrotfish.  🤔 😉 

 

 

[Ohmegg]

Yeah, mcarroll, this looks like Cladophora. Thanks! Interesting that it's related to those freshwater moss balls that are popular. 🤔 maybe I should just learn to love it? 

[mcarroll]

1 hour ago, Ohmegg said:

Yeah, mcarroll, this looks like Cladophora. Thanks! Interesting that it's related to those freshwater moss balls that are popular. 🤔 maybe I should just learn to love it? 

I think there's something to be said for that!   Even "bubble algae" and Bryopsis have been appreciated by reefers at various times in the hobby going back into history.   🙂 

 

But if this it a relatively new tank (susceptible to fast algae spreading) then you should probably remove the algae by hand unless you're SURE you want it to take over.

 

 

[Tamberav]

[demonclownfish]

Get an tuxedo urchin or any other urchin species... they'll shred it up

 

[mcarroll]

4 hours ago, Tamberav said:

Which TLF/Sprung book is that?

 

[mcarroll]

13 hours ago, Ohmegg said:

 

Great pics ,BTW!   What are you using for a scope and for the pics?

[Ohmegg]

11 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Great pics ,BTW!   What are you using for a scope and for the pics?

Thanks! It's an antique Olymus stereoscopic microscope from Japan. I retrofit it with an LED light because they don't make the halogen bulbs anymore. It's my baby. Also, my tank is 14 months old, low nutrients (no fish), pretty sure this Cladophora has firmly established (as has the bubble algae). I just bought a bunch of macro algae figuring, well, if I'm gonna have algae I may as well put something pretty in there to compete. Now we'll watch it all die and leach a bunch of phosphate into the tank and really blow it up. 

[mcarroll]

7 hours ago, Ohmegg said:

It's an antique Olymus stereoscopic microscope from Japan. I retrofit it with an LED light because they don't make the halogen bulbs anymore. It's my baby.

Sweet!  👍

 

7 hours ago, Ohmegg said:

Also, my tank is 14 months old, low nutrients (no fish),

Interesting.

 

How is the tank being cleaned and filtered?  

 

And what are your current and historical NO3 and PO4 tests like?

 

7 hours ago, Ohmegg said:

pretty sure this Cladophora has firmly established (as has the bubble algae). I just bought a bunch of macro algae figuring, well, if I'm gonna have algae I may as well put something pretty in there to compete. Now we'll watch it all die and leach a bunch of phosphate into the tank and really blow it up. 

Green algae like the ones you've mentioned (all of them....hair algae too) are pretty well adapted for spreading under most low nutrient conditions.  

 

In contrast, the macro algae you purchased could be highly variable in its adaptation to low nutrient conditions – for reference, can you list what you're trying to grow? – so yes I would expect most/all to be unable to outcompete your green algae that's currently established.

 

I would still probably recommend removing by hand as much of the "pest" algae as possible.

[Ohmegg]

5 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Sweet!  👍

 

Interesting.

 

How is the tank being cleaned and filtered?  

 

And what are your current and historical NO3 and PO4 tests like?

 

Green algae like the ones you've mentioned (all of them....hair algae too) are pretty well adapted for spreading under most low nutrient conditions.  

 

In contrast, the macro algae you purchased could be highly variable in its adaptation to low nutrient conditions – for reference, can you list what you're trying to grow? – so yes I would expect most/all to be unable to outcompete your green algae that's currently established.

 

I would still probably recommend removing by hand as much of the "pest" algae as possible.

I just have this little filter (see pic), there's no floss or carbon, just some ceramic bio rings. And an air stone that runs 24 hrs (to mitigate CO2 fluctuations). I do a 10% water change every week with Reef Chrystals. No feeding anymore since my Goniapora died. I just bought some red grape algae and some codium. 

[mcarroll]

Nice setup!  

 

At this point, in the short term, it seems like you'd be best off removing the JBJ – or running it empty, just for water flow.  

 

Given how you're using it, consider replacing it with something like a Tunze 9001 skimmer.

 

I'd also lay off of water changes for the time being.

 

Codium is another green algae (Chlorophyte -> Bryopsidales...including Caulerpa and hair algae, etc), though I think Codium is slower growing, and lower-light-loving that most others we mess with.

 

$0.02

[ubpr]

I have similar internal filter with higher capacity in one of the freshwater tanks, this kind of filters doesn't do much, and nothing for limiting algae growth.

 

Even with optimal amount of phosphate and nitrate in the water, without starving corals, algae could start using it first.

 

What is left to do: 1) manual removing and shortening it to become available to snails, 2) controlling input (what and in what amounts you add to the tank), 3) removing detritus and unused food (removing, not just collecting them inside filter), 4) if you are feeding small floating particles, settling inside algae and fertilizing it, basting it more frequently and using mechanical filtration, protein skimmer or much more water changes.

[Tamberav]

On 12/30/2022 at 12:13 PM, mcarroll said:

Which TLF/Sprung book is that?

 

It’s the algae problem solver guide by sprung. Kinda neat way to grab a fast ID then trying to google for an hour. Yay books. 

[seabass]

4 hours ago, Tamberav said:

It’s the algae problem solver guide by sprung. Kinda neat way to grab a fast ID then trying to google for an hour. Yay books. 

I just picked that book up used (very good condition) at Amazon for $15.  Thanks.

[InAtTheDeepEnd]

I'm gonna say it - I like algae

 

I love the textures 🙂 

 

however you can definitely have too much of a good thing so gonna grab myself a copy of that book too, cheers