Algae ID please

Musicrocx09 · Jan 8, 2023

I had only turned on the lights to try for a better picture. Only one rock and back glass seem to have hair. The rest of the rocks are just greenish.

blaxsun · Jan 8, 2023

Hair algae and possibly green cyano (from what I can see in the images anyway).

Subsea · Jan 8, 2023

At 2 months young, your tank is going thru a normal phase. Get a few janitors on your clean up crew. It really doesn’t matter what specific nuisance algae you have, the solution is the same. Get a balanced crew of janitors. Almost everything eats green hair algae.

Musicrocx09 · Jan 8, 2023

Subsea said:
At 2 months young, your tank is going thru a normal phase. Get a few janitors on your clean up crew. It really doesn’t matter what specific nuisance algae you have, the solution is the same. Get a balanced crew of janitors. Almost everything eats green hair algae.

So far I have 5 blue leg hermets, 1 emerald, nassarius snails, astraea snails, cerith snails…. Nothing has touched it

Subsea · Jan 8, 2023

Musicrocx09 said:
So far I have 5 blue leg hermets, 1 emerald, nassarius snails, astraea snails, cerith snails…. Nothing has touched it

Sounds like they may already have excess food.

However:
Different algae can adjust their chemistry to be noxious to predatation by herbivores & omnivores In a process called gene expression in which crosstalk between bacteria in surface film and bacteria in the biomass respond to enviromental pressures,

If you don’t like the green on your rocks, then get a toothbrush and scrub it off. Sometimes, you must become the janitor. However, at 2 months, I would allow my tank to continue cycling.

Would you take a full tank picture with white light.

PS: Also, welcome to r2r.

Subsea · Jan 8, 2023

As a new member and a new reefer, I suggest you start a tank thread to be a journal to keep up with details. It also allows others to be specific with recommendations. I looked at your other threads; if you have not found a flower anemone then check out

<head> <title>Macroalgae For Marine Reef Aquariums: Orange Encrusting Sponge

Rock Flower Anemone (Epicystis crucifer)

The rock flower anemone is native to the Atlantic and Caribbean and is found in a wide range of colors. Every color and pattern is slightly different as no two individuals are exactly alike. The rock flower anemone will adapt to various lighting and accepts a wide array of meaty foods. You can safely keep them in groups but they can be aggressive to other anemones and corals. The common and green rock flowers range in size from about 2-3" while the red rock flowers are typically a smaller size around 1". The common colors are a combination of brown, white and tan. The red and green colors will have various patterns.


Common	In Stock	$6 ea

Green	Out of Stock	$8.50 ea

Red	In Stock	$22 ea

Musicrocx09 · Jan 8, 2023

Subsea said:
Sounds like they may already have excess food.

However:
Different algae can adjust their chemistry to be noxious to predatation by herbivores & omnivores In a process called gene expression in which crosstalk between bacteria in surface film and bacteria in the biomass respond to enviromental pressures,

If you don’t like the green on your rocks, then get a toothbrush and scrub it off. Sometimes, you must become the janitor. However, at 2 months, I would allow my tank to continue cycling.

Would you take a full tank picture with white light.

PS: Also, welcome to r2r.

A tooth brush wasn’t doing anything to the green. Actually it was a brass brush I used to try and get the hair off the one rock first

Musicrocx09 · Jan 8, 2023

Subsea said:
As a new member and a new reefer, I suggest you start a tank thread to be a journal to keep up with details. It also allows others to be specific with recommendations. I looked at your other threads; if you have not found a flower anemone then check out

<head> <title>Macroalgae For Marine Reef Aquariums: Orange Encrusting Sponge

Rock Flower Anemone (Epicystis crucifer)

The rock flower anemone is native to the Atlantic and Caribbean and is found in a wide range of colors. Every color and pattern is slightly different as no two individuals are exactly alike. The rock flower anemone will adapt to various lighting and accepts a wide array of meaty foods. You can safely keep them in groups but they can be aggressive to other anemones and corals. The common and green rock flowers range in size from about 2-3" while the red rock flowers are typically a smaller size around 1". The common colors are a combination of brown, white and tan. The red and green colors will have various patterns.

Common
In Stock
$6 ea

Green
Out of Stock
$8.50 ea

Red
In Stock
$22 ea

Wow! Those prices are crazy cheap!

vetteguy53081 · Jan 8, 2023

Musicrocx09 said:
I had only turned on the lights to try for a better picture. Only one rock and back glass seem to have hair. The rest of the rocks are just greenish.

I see both film algae and beginning of green Hair algae.
Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?
What is your phosphate level?
Is tank at or near a window?

Best recourse is to reduce white light intensity and number of hours of white lighting and add some snails such as :
Astrea
cerith
turbo grazer
trochus

A Pencil urchin

Musicrocx09 · Jan 8, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
I see both film algae and beginning of green Hair algae.
Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?
What is your phosphate level?
Is tank at or near a window?

Best recourse is to reduce white light intensity and number of hours of white lighting and add some snails such as :
Astrea
cerith
turbo grazer
trochus

A Pencil urchin

Yes, rodi water. Phosphate was0.03
I was told turbo and trochus take over your tank with babies

Subsea · Jan 9, 2023

Musicrocx09 said:
Yes, rodi water. Phosphate was0.03
I was told turbo and trochus take over your tank with babies

Who told you snails would overrun your tank? I find that hard to believe that as slow moving as snails are, they couldn’t be easily removed by hand. Doesn’t pass the reality test.

If it takes a brass brush to remove the algae, then it is neither Cynobacteria or GHA.

Musicrocx09 said:
A tooth brush wasn’t doing anything to the green. Actually it was a brass brush I used to try and get the hair off the one rock first

If rock can be removed from tank, then use peroxide with a brush to remove offending algae.

Nuisance Algae ID Guide- Reef Cleaners

Nuisance Algae ID Guide. Red Slime, Cyano, Cyanobacteria. Green Film Algae, Film Algae. Green Hair Algae. Green Turf Algae. Bryopsis pennata and B. plumosa. Bubble Algae, Valonia. Lobophora. Blue Green Cyano.

www.reefcleaners.org

While I don’t agree with their solutions, this link may help you identify.

jabraha1 · Jan 9, 2023

Musicrocx09 said:
Yes, rodi water. Phosphate was0.03
I was told turbo and trochus take over your tank with babies

I've never heard of too many turbo or trochus especially not with them taking over with babies. I'm always excited to see the occasional trochus babies i sometimes get in my tank, they're amazing! Even seeing the egg trial when they spawn around the full moons is a joy. A CuC that repopulates itself is way better than your wallet doing that job.