Algae ID please

[kfisher109]

Need help with both ID and info on both types of Algae in this pic.

 

1. What are they?

2. What caused it to grow

3. Is it good or bad?

4. Should I get rid of it?

5. How (if so) do I get rid of it? (no one in the clean up crew seems to want it)

6. I wanna add coral on this rock. Any issues?

 

Please feel free to answer whatever you can even if you don't know all. Thanks in advance.

[SaltyDawg]

1st: Green hair algae/ maidens hair algae. 2nd: dying macro algae. They normaly ocurr in a new aquarium after two weeks to three weeks as a part of the normal cycle. But they thrive off of nutrients such as nitraties, nitrites, phosphates, high CO2 levels.

I would get rid of it. It is a total nussaince algae. will destroy your corals and rock. Do a couples of water changes pronto if you have high nitrates, or high nitrites.

[kfisher109]

Do you mean macro algae that is dying or an algae called "dying macro algae?

 

My nitrates and nitrites are both zero. So I'm assuming I don't need the water change.

 

Do I just pull them off the rock? Scubb them off? Cut them off? Do I need to use gloves? I don't want to take the rock out of the tank. Does it have to be "algae free" or can I just cut/scubb/pull as best I can.

[Ann]

Hi there,

 

The green feathery algae is Bryopsis sp. and the brown leafy one is Sargassum sp.

 

Bryopsis can be a pain to get rid of as there isn't much that will eat it. You need to limit the nitrate and (most particularly) phosphate levels and remove as much as you can manually.

 

Sargassum commonly grows out of newly imported live rock. It generally tends to thrive when the tank is new but after a while will die off. I wouldn't worry about it, in fact it can be a useful form of nutrient export. Just pull (or cut) some out when it gets too long.

 

Best regards

 

Ann

[I'm TB's Sub]

I would just pull them out. Just rip them out as if you were harvesting any type of weed. If you leave them in, they will grow (or at least potentially) out of control....so best nip it in the bud early on before adding more tank inhabitants. They won't necessarily harm anything, but just more difficult to get out with a stocked tank.

[Tempest]

Ann is correct about the ID's and the solution. Bryopsis is a major pain in the @$$. I've been fighting with it in my 10 gallon nano for 2 months. I pull it out by hand every week. Frequent water changes and phosban to keep down nitrates and phosphates helps. Emerald crabs and lettuce nudis can also lend a hand.

[SaltyDawg]

No I mean dying as in dead. either way you look at it get them both out of your tank. hair algae is hair algae.

[reef hugger]

Remove the Bryopsis hair algae as descirbed above by Tempest.

 

The Sargassum will eventually die when the nitrate and phosphate levels fall along with iodine levels . They need iodine to survive, so addition of iodine would be needed if you wanted to keep it. They aren't a pest algae to many ppl, but if you do want to get rid of it simply pull it off of the rock. Usually they won't come back.