Algae ID and Advice

[Ian_B]

I restarted my tank in November using dried rock from my old tank and some rubble from Gulf Live Rock. The tank was cycled in about 3 weeks and then a pair of clownfish and a six line wrasse were added a week later.

Things seemed to be going well, there was macro algae from the gulf rubble growing. I added a bicolor blenny about a month later. Around that time as I ramped the lights up, I noticed this fuzzy looking algae growing on the rocks. I thought it just looked like some kind of hair algae and wasn’t worried but I’ve never seen hair algae that’s brown like this. It’s really soft and hard to grab much, and hard to pull off the rocks. I started pulling rocks out during water changes to scrub them with a toothbrush. Even with a toothbrush it’s hard to remove from the rocks, but I was able to scrub them pretty clean a few times. Each time it grew back quickly and now covers all of the rock surfaces in light. The bicolor blenny picks at the algae, but I don’t know if he’s eating it or just eating stuff caught in it.

IM nuvo 40

Nitrates - undetectable
Phosphates - undetectable
(I’m assuming because of all the algae growth)
Calcium - 439
Alk - 7.2

Any thoughts on what it is, and if I should try to do anything about it or just be patient?
Thanks

 

[Isaac Alves]

Looks like bacterial or fungus. Can happen from trapped organics in the dry rock during the balancing phase of a newly established tank.

I think snails and urchins will eat it. But it should go away over time. I’ve had this same thing in a tank before and it did go away.

 

[Ian_B]

would fungus or bacteria be this well attached to the rock though?

 

[rayadog]

How’s this fairing for you?

 

[Ian_B]

I got a nylon brush, which I thought would work better than a toothbrush, and tried scrubbing the rocks again last weekend. It’s still difficult to remove. Too soft and feathery to get a hold of and pull off, yet still too tough to easily scrub off. I removed what I could over a couple hours of pulling rocks out and scrubbing them, but it’s hard to get everything and it’s just growing back again. Just trying to keep it down enough that hopefully the snails and crabs can take care of it. Though I don’t know if they’re eating any of it.

 

[rayadog]

I’ll say urchins do a really good job at eating everything. I thought this might be Chrysophytes but it looks too hairy; would be slimier looking if it was the former.