Please help identify this algae

[robwcormack]

Been through some other blooms and outbreaks that I defeated but this current one I have been battling this for months. Tank is a year old. I had cyano for a bit and dosed silicates which got rid of it but then came diatoms and film algae. Got that under control and then got dinos. Battled the dinos with rounds of MB7 for a bit and dr Tim’s waste away and refresh and blackout. I can’t figure out where the nutrient imbalance is coming from. My nitrates have run consistently around 8-10, phosphate 0.04-0.09, alk, cal, mg all good. Had several snails die that do didn’t find til they were picked clean by the blue legs. Had 3 very small under 1” fish disappear. Now this stuff has taken over. Thought it was GHA, so I’ve tried another blackout, reducing light intensity and duration down to 6-7 hours per day for months, water changes 30% every couple weeks, reduced feeding to the point I’m worried about starving the fish almost, more Dr Tim’s treatments, fluxRx twice (once about 7-8 weeks ago and then again a couple weeks ago, UV light when treatments weren’t going, and probably some other things I’m forgetting. Nothing has touched it. It doesn’t look like most lyngbya pics I’ve seen, and I can’t tell for sure but I don’t think it’s bryopsis. Not there’s starting to be clumps of cyano in it. My testing is showing nitrates at 0 and phosphate is showing normal range still. I thought maybe it was reading low because this stuff is using up everything and giving me false readings, but now the cyano is making me question that. I’m at a loss and it’s driving me nuts.

 

[robwcormack]

 

[robwcormack]

Pics will only post a couple at a time

 

[robwcormack]

 

[robwcormack]

 

[robwcormack]

 

[robwcormack]

 

[robwcormack]

Anyone???

 

[TheCoralCurator]

Try a couple Pitho Crabs - they've worked wonders for stubborn algae.

 

[Minifoot77]

Looks like green hair algae to me

 

[StartingATank]

I agree, looks like GHA. Almost every kind of CUC will eat GHA, and if it gets really bad, you can get a sea hare

 

[robwcormack]

Nothing is eating it though. I have a whitetail tang, fox face, tons of trochus, nerites, cerith, turbos, a conch, blue legs, etc. had 2 conchs and several large snails die. With all the ways I’ve tried including treatments, I don’t understand why nothing would touch GHA. Was going to try a sea hare, but I have a falco hawkfish who is an absolute turd bully and I’m afraid it’ll go after the sea hare and that could end badly. Hate to get rid of him but I guess it may be necessary. The whitetail is a bit of a bully at times too and I’m definitely not getting rid of that one. I decided to give this Professor Polyp bubble bath stuff a shot. Seems like some folks have had luck with it so I figured it’s worth a shot before getting rid of fish and adding a sea hare who may or may not eat this stuff. Haven’t looked into the Pithos so I’ll check them out too.

 

[Minifoot77]

Sometimes you have to be the herbivore long forceps if you don't want to put your hand in the tank

 

[dwest]

It looks like green hair algae to me with some cyano in the sand. I agree that manual removal will be necessary for the long strands. The CUC is probably doing more than you think by consuming it before it gets long.

So manual removal, possible increasing snails, and no chemical treatment would be what I’d do.

As corals grow, you’ll likely see less GHA as well.

 

[robwcormack]

Sometimes you have to be the herbivore long forceps if you don't want to put your hand in the tank

Trust me, I have removed tons of this stuff every 2-3 weeks.

 

[robwcormack]

It looks like green hair algae to me with some cyano in the sand. I agree that manual removal will be necessary for the long strands. The CUC is probably doing more than you think by consuming it before it gets long.

So manual removal, possible increasing snails, and no chemical treatment would be what I’d do.

As corals grow, you’ll likely see less GHA as well.

Been doing tons of manual removal every 2-3 weeks and it’s growing in and around the corals choking out some of my zoas. Zoas are stretching because of lowered light intensity and duration for so long. Stretching like 1.5” or more on some of them.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Looks like my 7-month old 36 gallon tank! I have come to the conclusion that I need more - many more - snails, pithos, emeralds and maybe one more urchin. Watching with interest. Please keep us up to date.

 

[Minifoot77]

Should find someone with stomatella snails they will reproduce in your tank as well