Need ID for brown hair like algae

kartrsu

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
701
Reaction score
535
Location
Glendale, CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
New tank, had a major diatom and small cell amphidinium bloom. At one point dosed silicates to combat amphi dinos but that failed. Since it was small cell, I installed UV 2 days ago, and tank seems free of small amphi dinos. This other stuff has been growing on my rocks and back wall. It looks like soft hair algae and is very easily brushed off with a tooth brush. Photo and microscope pic below. Seems there are 2 types of algae

D0661F9D-9A10-41F2-9451-4A6CFD68CE2A.jpeg

400x magnification
A8311C10-7AF4-478E-A3C3-CA34D52049FC.jpeg
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
See if this helps.

Green Hair Algae or "GHA" is really a broad term that covers hundreds of species of green simple filamentous algae. These species tend to be simple, fine in texture, and have few distinguishable features. True species level identification requires a microscope.

Distinguishing it from look-a-likes: GHA is not coarse or wiry, it should break apart easily when pulled, and should lose form quickly when removed from water. If you can make out a root structure, or a stiff branching structure it is probably not GHA.

Manual Removal: Green hair algae can be pulled out easily, and tooth brushed or scrubbed off the rock work. This is easier to do if the rock is outside of the tank. If it is growing from the sand sift it out with a net.

Clean Up Crew: Assorted Hermits, Blue Legs, Florida Ceriths, Chitons, Turbograzers, Sea Hares, Conchs, Emerald Crabs, Urchins and a few others. It is readily accepted by many herbivores, but because it grows quickly it may persist even in a tank with a fair amount of cleaners.
 
OP
OP
kartrsu

kartrsu

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
701
Reaction score
535
Location
Glendale, CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
See if this helps.

Green Hair Algae or "GHA" is really a broad term that covers hundreds of species of green simple filamentous algae. These species tend to be simple, fine in texture, and have few distinguishable features. True species level identification requires a microscope.

Distinguishing it from look-a-likes: GHA is not coarse or wiry, it should break apart easily when pulled, and should lose form quickly when removed from water. If you can make out a root structure, or a stiff branching structure it is probably not GHA.

Manual Removal: Green hair algae can be pulled out easily, and tooth brushed or scrubbed off the rock work. This is easier to do if the rock is outside of the tank. If it is growing from the sand sift it out with a net.

Clean Up Crew: Assorted Hermits, Blue Legs, Florida Ceriths, Chitons, Turbograzers, Sea Hares, Conchs, Emerald Crabs, Urchins and a few others. It is readily accepted by many herbivores, but because it grows quickly it may persist even in a tank with a fair amount of cleaners.

Thanks. I wasn’t convinced it was green hair algae because of the way it looks and it’s brownish color. This thread below seems to capture exactly what I have, but I’m not sure if the definitive answer is diatoms.

 

taricha

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2016
Messages
6,484
Reaction score
9,996
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This thread below seems to capture exactly what I have, but I’m not sure if the definitive answer is diatoms.
Correct. Your dominant organism is diatoms, like in that thread.
Also are the small circles symbiodinium dinos?
No. Too small to be dinos.
 
OP
OP
kartrsu

kartrsu

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
701
Reaction score
535
Location
Glendale, CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Is GFO the only option for removing silicates from the water in a reef tank? Also as diatoms die or get eaten, do the silicates just get recycled in the tank?
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Is GFO the only option for removing silicates from the water in a reef tank? Also as diatoms die or get eaten, do the silicates just get recycled in the tank?

Because I have live sponges, I dosed silicates until I realized my ground water makeup was high in silicates.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,861
Reaction score
200,138
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Photo hard to tell as pic was too blue
 

OutLawX77

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 9, 2020
Messages
87
Reaction score
48
Location
Hollywood
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
water is out of balance can to run a kato sump? phos to high maybe getting red slime? missing bacteria you could try Dr tims to clean it up. this man understands water chemistry 4 patins in this field.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 74 51.7%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 73 51.0%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 36 25.2%
  • None.

    Votes: 31 21.7%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.3%
Back
Top