Hair algea id?

[meadbhb]

Hiya,
Is this hair algea? My LFS thinks it might be a micro. I'd like to know before it gets out of hand.
Meadbhb

 

[meadbhb]

Here's another look.

 

[saltymist]

That looks more branching than the hair algae I've seen in the past, does it seem to have a central stalk and then branches out in hairs? All the hair algae I've seen so far has been individual strands like hair attached to the rocks and or glass etc.
I could be wrong though, but I am curious.

 

[meadbhb]

Hiya,
It does look like it's branching. I've got some on other pieces of rock and it is definately branching.
I'm also wondering...if I add emerald and scarlet crabs to the tank will I loose all my nice macro algea?
Meadbhb

 

[saltymist]

Emerald crabs seem to be hit and miss to me. The one that I had about 2 months ago would only clip really short algae off of my liverock, he left alone any macro algae that was inadvertently growing on my liverock.
My scarlet crabs dont bother with my macro algae (seems like some sort of calurpa that is growing in my tank and also just seem to go for the short algae that grows on the liverock, though what they are living on right now I dont know since my liverock is pretty barren of algae).

 

[meadbhb]

Hiya,
Thanks for the input. My LFS is getting a shipment in from CA today...can't get anything from FL right now...so I might have to see what comes in.
I'd like to pick up a few scarlets and maybe go ahead with a emerald.
Meadbhb