what kind of algae is this?

[sandnsea]

I need help with an id for this kind of algae. Would you suggest I put this rock in my tank or will it spread to everything? Or is there some type of creature that eats it?

 

[rainbow grouper]

probably hair algae by the look of it sea hares have a life span of of 1 year but they are great algae eaters or try an LMB blenny there good

 

[btldreef]

There is no guarantee that a Lawnmower Blenny will eat hair algae, and many refuse to. It definitely looks like hair algae, possibly of the bryopsis variety. No, do not place that in your tank like that. Put it in a bucket with salted water (I use waste water after a water change) and scrub the rock with a clean toothbrush. Honestly, a rock that is that infested isn't worth it, because it could very easily be saturated with spores that could be released all over your tank even after you scrub it clean. The best thing to do with rocks that are that infested is to scrub them, boil them and bake them to kill everything on them. Some people even go as far as repeating the process a second time before using the rock.

 

[teresaq]

I agree, I would not put that rock in my tank. I would not rely on snails, crabs or fish to clean it.
You could try scrubbing the rock in old tank water, place it in a 5 gal bucket with clean water with a small powerhead. Cover the bucket so its completely dark. Leave it for a week, repeat the process. Leave it in the dark for several weeks, scrubbing and replacing old water.
This takes longer, but the rock would still be live.

 

[snakeblitz33]

It actually looks like Batafora sp. to me... Ide take the rock out of the tank and scrub it completely in saltwater and dip in freshwater before putting it back in the tank. That stuff takes over quick and (almost) nothing eats it.

 

[sandnsea]

Thanks so much for all the advice. I will definitely rid it of the algae before putting it in my DT. My son really liked the look of the barnacles, so that structure will show up even better when it's clean.

 

[btldreef]

Those barnacle rocks are cheap, and even available at places like *****. I'd just buy them new rather than go through the trouble with this piece. I have a barnacle piece for $9 at Pet Smart.

 

[sandnsea]

Good to know. That does sound a lot easier. Thanks.