Need help with this please - some type of turf algae?

XLReefer525

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After battling some pretty bad chrysophytes in a relatively new tank (7 months), I now have some type of turf algae (I think) growing like crazy. This stuff is short, thick and does not pull off. It cannot be manually removed like GHA. Anyone have any ideas exactly what this and what might eat it? I currently only have snails as a CUC and none touch it. My nitrates stay between 5-10, and since this algae started, I can't keep phosphates above 0.

IMG_3375.jpeg
 

sixty_reefer

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Have you got any coral in the tank?
 
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XLReefer525

XLReefer525

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I don't have any coral in this tank, but I have another tank right next to it with coral and they share a large sump. My other tank has none of this stuff so it must not spread through the water column at all.
 

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I don't have any coral in this tank, but I have another tank right next to it with coral and they share a large sump. My other tank has none of this stuff so it must not spread through the water column at all.
With no coral in there the most effective way is a week or two blackout.
It does look to be some kind of turf algae imo.
 
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XLReefer525

XLReefer525

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I can do that. How long can I safely have lights off before my coralline would start to die off?
 

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I can do that. How long can I safely have lights off before my coralline would start to die off?
You can safely kill that off in 2-4 days. It looks like a large, but removable rock. Take the rock out and sit it on some newspaper. Remove any snails and crabs and put them back in the tank

Spray down the rock surface lightly with hydrogen peroxide. And then the areas that have turf algae, spray them good.

Let the rock sit for 10 min. Then simply put it back in the tank. Anywhere the hydrogen peroxide touched, that has algae - even algae spores or film, will start to fizz like soda. Just let it fizz in the tank. It will stop soon. Then examine next day. Most the algae should be dead, or very pale. The thicker sections might need this done a second time, just take it out and spray them again and make sure the algae roots get hydrogen peroxide. Then put it back in the tank.

That algae will be dead, or extremely weakened and you can simply brush it off with a nylon brush or something similar

6BB7162D-B7FB-4AA0-8FB2-9259D59569CD.png
 
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XLReefer525

XLReefer525

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thanks I appreciate it, but that rock shown is the main support for all the rock in the tank. And, unfortunately, every rock has it growing. I would have to empty the tank and I just don't want to do that if there are any other options that will work, even if it takes some time.
 

VintageReefer

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thanks I appreciate it, but that rock shown is the main support for all the rock in the tank. And, unfortunately, every rock has it growing. I would have to empty the tank and I just don't want to do that if there are any other options that will work, even if it takes some time.
No problem. Couldn’t tell from the pic.

Now you know how to spot treat smaller rocks! And if you get a frag and algae grows on the plug, just use a small paint brush and hydrogen peroxide and paint the algae. Let it sit a few min then out in the tank. I do this on every new frag I get, just to prevent algae from being introduced to my system
 
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XLReefer525

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Appreciate it! I'm hoping to tackle this larger problem with a dedicated CUC, whatever that may be. I'm reading all I can, but not finding anyone's success story...
 

VintageReefer

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You could use vibrant also. Some people have had to affect corals, I’ve used it on heavily stocked tanks twice and had no issues. This used to be a go to product until the company got shamed for claiming it was a bacteria when really it’s an algaecide. Regardless, it works and there’s tons of success stories out there.

If you have no coral then you have nothing to lose except the algae
 

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