Algae ID help

[fatoldsun]

Am I in trouble? Does this look like it’s Bryopsis? Or some other nuisance algae?

I just started noticing it in the last few weeks – since I got my new lights running. I have GFO, Bio pellets and a small clump of chaeto in my fuge. I haven’t changed the GFO recently but I don’t have much of the algae (yet) and my phosphate runs between 0.0 and 0.09 using a Hanna - I haven’t seen anything at or over 0.1in quite a while. I try to test the GFO output from time to time and as long as that’s 0.0 while the tank is between 0.02 and 0.05 I assume the GFO is working and I leave it alone. If it gets closer to the rest of the tank – over 0.0, I change it.

Also, before I got the LEDs up my HQIs were VERY old so I lost a lot of coral and I have some cyano I’m battling now. I’m using coral snow and that seems to be helping with cyano but it hasn’t done anything to this stuff.
Thoughts? Here’s hoping it’s green coralline

 

[fatoldsun]

Anyone have a guess before I ask over on the evil empire?

 

[9supratt4]

Looks like cyano aka Red Slime Algae to me. The grren stuff in between just looks like green turf algae.

I had Bryopsis...it was terrible...doesn't look like it.

 

[ThatGuy]

It almost looks like a sponge that I have growing in shaded area's. Does it feel spongey? Can you peal it off or rub it off with your fingure?

 

[greybolt03]

It almost looks like a sponge that I have growing in shaded area's. Does it feel spongey? Can you peal it off or rub it off with your fingure?

I think he is talking about the darker Red&green stuff. The light pink stuff is sponge

 

[ThatGuy]

I think he is talking about the darker Red&green stuff. The light pink stuff is sponge

Ahh. I see said the blind man to the deaf dog.

I want to go with turf algea and a cyano of sorts growing over it. Might be a type of bryopsis being I see some bubbles

 

[fatoldsun]

Really just the green. The pink I assumed was coralline or sponge. The bubbles are a fluke from that pick. I just did a water change and some bubbles are introduced when I add the buckets to my sump. I know I have a cyano issue that I'm working on now using coral snow with red slime remover waiting on deck... I guess if all else fails I'll dose that and if the green disappears with the rest of the cyano, I'll know...

 

[SirFragalot]

How does coral snow help with red slime algae? Just curious.

 

[fatoldsun]

How does coral snow help with red slime algae? Just curious.

just gotta have faith

- j/k. I'm not sure - it was recommended as an alternative to “Red Slime Remover” and after it was recommended a couple times I researched what I could and several people used it successfully. I believe the theory is that the additive (the snow) attracts particulate matter in the water column and makes it easier for the skimmer to grab stuff and I also recall reading that the snow adds beneficial bacteria that out competes the cyano– not sure which is correct but that’s about as scientific as I can go. I think to be the most effective you’re supposed to use several Zeobak products in conjunction with one another. It was too pricey for me to try all of the stuff. So far the snow has helped with cyano on the sand bed. I am still unsure how much of what I see on the rocks is cyano so I can’t say how well it’s working. If the dark maroon and green fuzzy stuff is also cyano, then it hasn’t worked that well. If at least the maroon is coralline then I’d say it did ok, because the sand looks better. I may just have to hit it with a little red slime remover. That stuff worked great last time but it’s a strong antibiotic and may impact the bacterial balance in the tank. It’s also really easy to overdose so I will be cutting my dose in half if I use it again. I’d prefer not to throw chemicals at the problem but I can’t seem to control it otherwise. I try not to over-feed, most of the food I use is live blackworms which are ALL consumed when I feed. My skimmer is WAY oversized – almost to my detriment and my RO/Di reads as good (0 TDS) as do any phosphate or nitrate tests of my new artificial salt water so if phosphates are higher than tank tests show because the cyano, etc is consuming, it’s not being introduced by water changes (I had this issue before – I left new water in a mixing container too lond and ended up with high phosphates in there.
The only other thing I can figure is bio-pellets

 

[magic]

Bryopsis looks more like a fern. Turf algae my guess.


Bob

 

[Hawkeye]

It doesn't look like bryopsis. I've never had a fish disease (knock on wood) in my tank but somehow I introduced bryopsis and it was one of the few things (besides hurricane sandy) that made me almost want to quit. It was THAT bad. Anyways what's your cleancrew like? any snails? urchin? I find trochus snails to be pricey but excellent at wiping out algae that looked similar to what you have.

 

[fatoldsun]

I have maybe 6-7 trochus. Maybe 75-100 dwarf cerths a dozen or so nassurus and a few Mexican turbos. Also assorted hermits. No emeralds left and my urchin died a while back but they're too much trouble. I lost 2 frags b/c they got carried off somewhere. The urchin liked to pick up anything. My favorite was when it carried a snail around.