Algae ID

Reefnewb · Mar 20, 2017

Need some help ID this algae. Can't tell if it's hair algae or something else? It's brown and hairy and does not get blown away with a turkey baster. I have a powder blue tang that won't eat it either. I have been battling high phosphates from some dry rock that I added but am running GFO to handle that. My phosphates are 0.06 (Hanna ULR) and nitrates 0 (sailifert)

Highgrade · Mar 20, 2017

Looks like common GHA. Up your clean up crew. Feed less and frequent water changes will help. GFO helps but it is slow going. Usually around 4-8 weeks you'll see results. May look at using phosgaurd or vibrant.

Reefnewb · Mar 20, 2017

Highgrade said:
Looks like common GHA. Up your clean up crew. Feed less and frequent water changes will help. GFO helps but it is slow going. Usually around 4-8 weeks you'll see results. May look at using phosgaurd or vibrant.

Thank you! I do not feed much at all. Just a little mysis not even a half cube and I watch them eat it all so non gets left behind. This is a newer tank. I guess it could be still going through the uglies but it's been 2 months I thought the phosphates would have been out of the rock by now

Highgrade · Mar 20, 2017

Did you cure/cook the rock at all or did you pick it up as live rock?

Reefnewb · Mar 20, 2017

Highgrade said:
Did you cure/cook the rock at all or did you pick it up as live rock?

150 lbs of the rock was in a friends 700g tank that has been setup for awhile and does not have an algae problem. Only 30lbs of it was dry rock from BRS that I had in an old tank for a year and then re dried it.

Highgrade · Mar 20, 2017

Reefnewb said:
150 lbs of the rock was in a friends 700g tank that has been setup for awhile and does not have an algae problem. Only 30lbs of it was dry rock from BRS that I had in an old tank for a year and then re dried it.

Is it mainly the dry rock that has the GHA issue? If so it might be leaching phosphates causing the GHA issue.