Algea ID - potentially detritus?

[Pearsonn60]

Hello everyone,

I could use some help identifying the algea in the photos. It seems to have exploded over the last month or so covering all of my live rock. It doesn’t seem to bother my corals or anemones at all. I thought it was green hair algea so I went through 2 treatments of fluxrx with no luck. My LFS said it could be detritus?

My tank is about a year old. It has decent circulation with a few dead spots under the pump heads. I feed mysis shrimp once a day, occasionally pellets.

Let me know if you need any more information or different pictures to help with the ID.



Tank parameters:
Fiji peninsula 38g
Alk 8.6
Phos 0.03
Nitrates 1-2 ppm
Calc 420
Mag 1200
Temp 74
Salinity 1.025

Not sure if this matter but for inhabitants I have:
2 clowns
1 valentini puffer
4 torch corals
1 ricodian mushroom
1 seabae anemone
1 gsp
1 fire shrimp
1 diamond goby (sand sifting)
Variety of snails and crabs

 

[Tahoe61]

How did that dog get in the tank? That's your problem right there.

Use a turkey baster or power head and blow it off surfaces and rocks. Looks like a mix of diatoms and detritus. If it doesn't blow off than it maybe algae.
Some images under white lighting would be helpful.

 

[Pearsonn60]

How did that dog get in the tank? That's your problem right there.

Use a turkey baster or power head and blow it off surfaces and rocks. Looks like a mix of diatoms and detritus. If it doesn't blow off than it maybe algae.
Some images under white lighting would be helpful.

So I tried the turkey baster and the “hairy” algea is very stuck on. I also tried using a toothbrush to scrape it off. Some dusty stuff comes off but the hairy flowy algea stays very stuck on.

A few white light images as requested (no dog this time :) ):

 

[Pearsonn60]

additional photos:

 

[Tahoe61]

Thank you. :)

Well your NP levels look fine. Nitrates look too low.
Can you add or modify your CUC. Perhaps get an Urchin and more snail varieties. I would recommend an Abalone but they are harder to come by.
How's the flow in the tank?
Go check out https://www.reefcleaners.org/

 

[Pearsonn60]

Thank you. :)

Well your NP levels look fine. Nitrates look too low.
Can you add or modify your CUC. Perhaps get an Urchin and more snail varieties. I would recommend an Abalone but they are harder to come by.
How's the flow in the tank?
Go check out https://www.reefcleaners.org/

I actually struggle to get my nitrates to climb. Everything seems to be ok with the level the nitrates are at so I don’t really want to mess with it if I don’t have to.

I can try adding more snails of various types. My puffer likes to snack on them which makes it tricky.

Tank flow is decent. There are certainly a few low flow/dead spots but for the most part there is strong circulation at all levels of the tank.

Thanks for your input!