what is this?? (some kind of algae)

[blennyluv]

HI
just wondering what the heck this is, i am sure it is some kind of algae, but it is the only patch my fish have not devoured. it is growing really nicely, but i just can't figure out why noone has eaten it.
anyone know what it is or if it is harmful???

 

[dacia]

It is hair algae. If it gets on corals, it can irritate them. If you don't remove it, it will spread...a lot. You might want to add some emerald crabs, turbo snails, or a lettuce nudibranch to eat hair algae. But, by all means, rip it out of tank and try to find the source to prevent it from growing...what are your phosphate, nitrate, and silicate levels?

 

[blennyluv]

hi,
nitrates a little high, about 20, don't know the others. have an emerald, he was eating it the other day, have a lawnmower and bicolor blenny, a blue tang, lots of turbos and hermits. every other bit of hair algae was eaten, thats why i was wondering why they didnt eat this.
i have no corals yet, tank too young

 

[dacia]

I guess maybe they got full. :happyfish
I'd just rip out the patch theey aren't eating before it spreads. I left one patch in my tank, and by the end of a week it was all over the tank.

It's all gone now...mainly because of me spending a long time taking it out myself.

 

[sammiefish]

yeah, i would agree that they probably got full... you could put in the sump with a little light and keep it for feeder stuff or nitrate reducer...

 

[blennyluv]

dacia
i see you have a five gallon, i do too, is it a quarentine or do you actually have stuff in it. i have two damsels in mine cycling it, but i was told it was too small. they seem to be fine and it is kinda fun. so just wondering

 

[dacia]

Actually my 5 gallon tank is a freshwater tropical tank. Last year I had a pair of platys, but I returned them so I could move the tank and set up my 30 in the same place. Something told me not to drain the 5 gallon tank though. After about 4 months I noticed something swimming around in it...I now have 2 more platys. I love those fish. I raised them from birth. :happyfish

 

[nm reef]

Your algae looks like it may be bropsis...I'd urge you to search here and google for info on it. If it is bryopsis it can be some nasty stuff to deal with.:thinking:

 

[blennyluv]

ripped it out by the root, well, most of it. its the only place my fish didn't clean the rock to the very bone, how do you mean nasty?? hard to kill??