Hair Algae? Making Me Crazy/Algae Control/Jack Daniels If You Please 2/4/10
Hey Crew,
<Hello Chris>
I know you here it over and over but all of you are awesome.
<Thank you.>
I have never seen a sight with so much information and so helpful. I use your sight constantly. I started my first saltwater tank in May and now have 3 tanks.
<Yowsie.>
My daughter and girlfriend and I love learning and caring for all of our new friends. The tank I need help with is our oldest one (only 9 months). It is a reef tank, 75 gallons with a 30 gallon sump. We have 4 actinics, 2 halides and at least 100 lbs of live rock. I check chemicals at least twice a week and always top off with RO. Ammonia and nitrite are always zero, pH is generally 8.4, alkalinity 8-9, CA 400-440 and temp 79-82. I battle nitrate now and then but in general it is around 5 almost never above 20. The tank has been pristine (I am probably one of the keepers you talk about that can't stop messing with the tank) but I am now waging war against some type of hair algae, I think. It grows rapidly on any live rock that has light exposure that doesn't already have a coral or anything living on it. I
have checked phosphate repeatedly but the test kit I have is very hard to tell color difference on.
<Yes, generally phosphate is absorbed by algae as soon as it forms. You likely wouldn't get a reading unless it was forming faster than the algae can absorb it.>
It seems like it is always at the lowest color. Yesterday I added a phosphate reactor and Phosban to the system. Whatever it is it creates a mat of brown particles that form in a mat over everything. It is concentrated more on the fibers of the algae though. I use a bulb syringe daily to break the mat apart and clean the rock.
<Mmm, go here, look anything similar to the pics? http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm>
The filtration removes them to the first particle filter which I change. In 24 hours it is all back and the hair gets longer. I looked at the brown seed like particles that form the mat under a microscope and they appear to move. It is green and brown and has what appears to be eye like spots. Is this algae or some type of worm and is it related to the hair or two separate issues?
<May be pods of some type.>
It is making me crazy and ruins the appearance of the tank.
Will the phosphate reactor solve the problem?
<Unlikely, a protein skimmer would do more for you here than anything else. You do not mention the use of one so I'll assume you do not have one. It appears you have excess nutrients in the water and with the presence of good
lighting as you have will accelerate the growth. Steps to eliminate/control the problem can be found in the links below.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeconMar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm >
I have attached a photo of the algae. You can see the brown green particles on the left under the clam in the algae.
<Not really resolved enough for me to see any detail, but it appears to be nuisance algae.>
The algae is dark green with a bluish streak at the center of the filament. I have read tons of your articles and Bobs book on invertebrates. I can't find anything that specifically addresses my issue. Help!
<See/read all related info contained in the links above and implement the advice. This problem is not going to go away overnight, as it didn't start overnight. It will take time and patience. James (Salty Dog)>
Chris
Terrels
<<Mmm, no... this is a Chlorophyte... Likely Bryopsis. Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/BryopsisF.htm
and the linked files above. RMF>>

Re Hair Algae? Making Me Crazy/Algae Control/Jack Daniels If You Please 2/5/10
Wow you guys are amazing. Super fast response.
<You're welcome.>
This is the picture on the FAQ you sent me that looks most like what I have.
Here is another photo from my tank. Sorry couldn't get a clear shot.
Is this Bryopsis or Derbesia. I couldn't tell from the FAQ?
<Yours or the FAQ picture? Mr. Fenner believes what you have is Bryopsis.
Read FAQ's here for help/advice. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/grnalgcontfaqs4.htm>
Are the pods what new hair is growing from?
<No, and it was just a suggestion. Without actually seeing it/them makes it nearly impossible to ID.>
Should I continue the attack on them?
<On the algae, yes, implement what you have read and read above link.>
OK so a few more facts for you and then what I think my game plan should be. If you could just tell me if I am on the right path that would be great.
<As above.>
I do run a Super Skimmer. It produces about 3 inches of Skimmate per week.
<Cleaning the riser/reaction chamber every couple of days will increase efficiency of the skimmer.>
I also use a UV sterilizer that dumps into carbon media.
I have a Sohal, a Kohle <Kole>, two Percula Clowns, Foxface, Bicolor Pygmy Angel and a Niger Triggerfish. All are small less than two and half inches. I also have 3 shrimp and a Tridacna. Corals are Pulsing Xenia (over taking the tank) Frogspawn, various mushrooms and elephant ear.
<Too much load for this system which in turn promotes excess nutrients, and most of your fish will need larger quarters in the near future.>
I feed once a day 1 cube of Formula 2 and one cube of Formula B. I used to feed twice but have been trying to limit nutrients for over two months.
Should I feed less? They devour it in 2 minutes and still seem hungry. I am worried they aren't getting enough.
<I wouldn't feed two cubes at once. Spread it out over three daily feedings.>
Should I switch them to flakes? Is this less nutrient input?
<Would be less nutritional. Frozen foods will generally produce more waste in the water unless rinsed in a net prior to feeding. You might give the New Life Spectrum Pellets a try. A very nutritional food with little waste, is all I feed.>
Rest of my plan, yes or no?
Switch out my actinics -- 9 months old.
<I would not use this lighting for now, especially with four of them in a 75 gallon tank. Actinic lighting peaks in the mid 400nm range and can promote algae growth. There is enough blue present in your MH lamps to promote
photosynthesis for other light loving animals. If anything, cut it down to one or two actinics.>
Do I need to switch the halide bulbs also?
<I don't know, they are generally effective in the rated Kelvin temperature for a year.>
Decrease halide time from 8 hours to 6. (actinics run 12)
<Halides are fine, I'd decrease the actinic photoperiod to a couple of hours before the halides come on and turn back on for a couple of hours just before the halides turn off.
Remove the rock -- again! And scrub in RO.
<No, do not do this, you will be killing other life present in the rock.>
Continue to blow off the pods daily with a bulb syringe.
<?>
What about raising the light unit higher? It is about 8 inches above the tank now.
<Is fine.>
Continue to use the phosphate reactor.
<Might as well, you bought it.>
Is this enough or should also try the pH increase and the ferric oxide?
<????. PhosBan is a synthetic ferric oxide.
Leave pH alone and read/act where you were sent.>
Again thank you!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Chris Terrels

Algae identification... Reading -- 10/21/2009
Howdy Crew...
<Carter>
I've seen my share of algae come and go in my tank, and most recently killed off a good bit of Bryopsis by elevating my alkalinity. Now there is just one little tuft of what I suppose is just hair algae (though no crabs,
snails, tangs or coral beauty will eat it), and some really funky stuff that I haven't seen a picture of anywhere. I tried to take a picture with my phone, but as you can see, the picture is almost worthless. I'll do my best
to describe...
<Need a better camera, pic...>
First, this stuff is very slow growing. The "flesh" is very tough...almost reminds me of a cactus. There are no leaves or stems anywhere. There are little knobby protrusions all over this mound, that is about the size of a ping pong ball (there are a few other small colonies starting to grow elsewhere in the tank...hence the question). There also seems to be some white, almost cottony stuff attached to the mound, which you can sort of make out in the picture.
Would you guys be able to venture a guess as to what I have on my hands and what the recommended course of action would be? Thanks so much for your time and effort, it is truly appreciated.
Carter
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/maintindex.htm
Scroll down to the tray on Marine Algae... see the sections re Green/Chlorophyte Algae ID, Control. Bob Fenner>

Mystery Algae/Algae ID 9/5/09
Hi,
<Hello>
Well, I do not thing this is Turtleweed or maidens hair (not straight enough) Any thoughts? it is very stiff and likes to attach to rocks and does not grow to terribly fast.
Just curious and thanks!
<Yes, what you have is a specie of Chaetomorpha, Spaghetti Algae, a good algae for refugiums, but can be problematic if left in the main display, spreads quickly and can overtake your live rock.
James (Salty Dog)>

Algae ID Query -- 09/08/09
Bob,
<James>
Received a couple more pics from the querior and it sure looks like green Gracilaria to me.
See attachment photo of green Gracilaria.
James
<May be. B>
Re Mystery Algae/Algae ID 9/8/09
LOL! I like your "sent from my outdated laptop!" that was good!
hehe. I agree with Bob, since one characteristic of this, lets say "plant," is that is that Chaeto does not seem to ROOT to rock, at least none of mine did.
Okay, are more pics. I hope it helps. :)
<I've did some searching/comparing, and I'm guessing this is a species of green Gracilaria algae. See attached photo I compared to. James (Salty Dog)>
Re Mystery Algae/Algae ID 9/8/09
HI,
<Hello Carrie>
I saw that picture on your web site, but it was so faded and blurry I didn't really assume that was it. I sent several more pictures. You are WELCOME to use any of them to replace the picture you have if you wish. :)
<Will pass on to Bob, thank you.>
Thanks and I will wait to get a confirmation on that. I have found this grows fine in MANY different lighting levels. I have t-5s and it grows at the top and bottom. It is hardy and I think MUCH more attractive than Chaeto and doesn't get all stuck up in the pumps like Chaeto.
Maybe I should aquaculture and sell this stuff! lol! My Coral Beauty Angel does not touch it, though it has slowly eaten all the actual Chaeto in the system. Funny, i didn't want a tang to eat all my macro algae.... so I got a dwarf angel.... DERR!! lol! I never had one before, so I didn't even THINK about it eating that! It also does not seem to eat the Caulerpa I have..... the kind that looks like a saw that has blades on each side.
Thanks again!
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Carrie :)

Green Macro Algae ID: Likely Bryopsis -- 4/11/09
Hello,
<Hello there>
I tried looking through your algae files and didn't see anything similar to this.
<Mmmm, that looks a lot like Bryopsis -- possibly Bryopsis hypnoides. Please see the photos at the following links for comparison: http://algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=44
http://www.guiamarina.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=38624 >
This is growing in the back corner of my 65 gallon reef tank. I have 2 peppermint and 1 skunk shrimp, and a bunch of snails. Should I let this be or try and remove it?
<I'd get every little scrap of it out of there. Bryopsis can take off, especially in a nutrient rich environment, and be a real pain to get rid of.>
Unfortunately, I don't have anything in my tank that would eat it and could you recommend something (fish or otherwise) that would?
<Optimally, the first step here would be to confirm that what you have really is Bryopsis or something else entirely, like Caulerpa, Derbesia, etc. In the case of Bryopsis hypnoides, unfortunately I don't know of any animals that feed exclusively on it, but there are some that might. They include Diadema savignyi (aka: the Long-Spined urchin), Foxface/Rabbitfish (Siganus spp.), certain Cowries (such as Cypraea moneta -- aka the 'Money Cowry'), Sacoglossan sea slugs, and maybe a Sea Hare. I'm not big on recommending sea slugs and the like because of their specialized diets. One slug may eat Bryopsis, but it may not eat the particular species that you want to get rid of. Beyond that, if it does eat it, once the food source disappears, the slug starves to death. Personally, I think they're better left in the wild unless you're able to provide for them long term. Same goes for any potential livestock. Please see the following link for more information regarding Bryopsis control with sea slugs - and associated problems re: http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall.cfm?base=bryopsis.>
It's not a problem now which is why I'm asking before it does!
<Good thinking! Right now, I'd recommend manual removal (extract any and all clumps, strands, etc), limit the algae's food source (exercise good nutrient control), and if possible, introduce a favorable macro algae within a sump/refugium in order to outcompete the less favorable, invasive species. Bryopsis is a common nuisance algae in marine systems so as you can imagine, there's quite a bit of information available on the 'net regarding its control. Thankfully, you can start right here at WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BryopsisF.htm
Nutrient control: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm
Other links within WWM: http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&cof=&sitesearch=www.WetWebMedia.com&q=bryopsis >
Thanks for all your great informational assistance.
<You're very welcome and good luck! LynnZ>