Help identifying this algae

[TremblantAquarium]

Please help me figure out what algae this is. None of my cleaning crew eats it (hermit crabs, snails, pin cushion urchin) and it spreads like crazy. I currently have a big dose of Fluco in the tank with about 12 days gone by. Thanks for your help.

 

[Gtinnel]

My guess would be green hair algea.

 

[Mikedawg]

GHA, check your nutrient levels.

 

[TremblantAquarium]

Why isn't the clean-up crew eating it?

 

[Sharkbait19]

They try but it is too long. You have to manually remove most of it, and then they bulldoze what is left to keep it down. That was the only way I got rid of mine.

 

[TremblantAquarium]

They try but it is too long. You have to manually remove most of it, and then they bulldoze what is left to keep it down. That was the only way I got rid of mine.

I do that every so often and it doesn't help... they don't eat it.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I do that every so often and it doesn't help... they don't eat it.

Hmm
What kinds of snails? Astreas do good with it.
You may want an emerald crab, they are very good with algae (disclaimer is that some develop a taste for flesh).

 

[TremblantAquarium]

Hmm
What kinds of snails? Astreas do good with it.
You may want an emerald crab, they are very good with algae (disclaimer is that some develop a taste for flesh).

I have one Emerald Crab, but the algae is so dominant that it can't keep up. I'll look into Astreas... but I thought the urchin would do the job.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I have one Emerald Crab, but the algae is so dominant that it can't keep up. I'll look into Astreas... but I thought the urchin would do the job.

I would expect an urchin to. I haven’t tried one though so I can’t comment.
Check your params. If nitrates and phosphates are high, that could be why it comes back with such a vengeance.

 

[Gtinnel]

I've had good luck with turbo snails in the past as well. I have an urchin but he unfortunately pretty quickly got condemned to the sump because I got tired of playing his favorite game of find the coral frags, so I'm not sure how good he would've done with hair algea.

 

[TremblantAquarium]

I would expect an urchin to. I haven’t tried one though so I can’t comment.
Check your params. If nitrates and phosphates are high, that could be why it comes back with such a vengeance.

I run a Poly-Filter and an oversized skimmer (not right now with Fluco), doubt I have issues on that side.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I run a Poly-Filter and an oversized skimmer (not right now with Fluco), doubt I have issues on that side.

Still worth a check just to be sure.

 

[TremblantAquarium]

Still worth a check just to be sure.

So it was bryopsis. It finally died to the Fluco. Main hints that it's bryopsis: nobody eats it, it grows like a fern (although mine was difficult to see) and it is very thick, difficult to remove by hand.