Ulva Help

[azreef729]

I’m starting to get Ulva growing on my rocks, not much, but it’s starting. I just had to shut down my nano tank due to Ulva taking over EVERYTHING. It literally grew on my stonies and smothered them, and is impossible to get off without destroying stuff. What is causing this stuff to grow? Nothing from my old tank went into this tank and it’s just popping out of nowhere. I have a tang and several hermits and snails, but what else can I do to ensure this stuff doesn’t take off?

 

[painter1982]

Following. I have this issue too. Yellow tang can’t keep up. Snails don’t eat it. Urchin clears off some but not much. I heard Money Cowries would eat it but nobody has them in the USA. The ulva is worse than a hair algae outbreak imo.

 

[Subsea]

I have noticed that you have several tanks. Can you detail the tank in question:
Present parameters
How was it cycled?
Full tank picture with white light.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I grow ulva in my refugium and bring it to my display for my yellow tang and one spot foxface who devour it. Some of my crabs and snails also eat it.

 

[painter1982]

I grow ulva in my refugium and bring it to my display for my yellow tang and one spot foxface who devour it. Some of my crabs and snails also eat it.

Which snails do you have that eat it? I have trochus and a couple chestnut turbo snails. They don’t seem to eat it unless I just don’t notice. My yellow tang loves it but I’d need several in order to keep up.

 

[slingfox]

I tried grew ulva in my refugium and it eventually spread to the main display tank. It very absolutely everywhere. What I did was scrape down the rocks to remove the larger pieces then my clean-up crew took care of it: 3 tangs/rabbitfiah, 2 urchin, and 35+ snails and crabs (including 8 Mexican turbos) in a 125g display.

How large is your tank and what kind of cuc do you have currently. Ulva so easy to eat and tasty to most cuc members.

 

[azreef729]

I tried grew ulva in my refugium and it eventually spread to the main display tank. It very absolutely everywhere. What I did was scrape down the rocks to remove the larger pieces then my clean-up crew took care of it: 3 tangs/rabbitfiah, 2 urchin, and 35+ snails and crabs (including 8 Mexican turbos) in a 125g display.

How large is your tank and what kind of cuc do you have currently. Ulva so easy to eat and tasty to most cuc members.

It’s a 65g. I have two Halloween hermits, 4-5 red leg hermits, 4 astrea, 3 margarita, and 9-10 cerith. The hermits seem to do a better job of clean up in general, so I think I may grab 10 or so more and throw them in.

 

[slingfox]

It’s a 65g. I have two Halloween hermits, 4-5 red leg hermits, 4 astrea, 3 margarita, and 9-10 cerith. The hermits seem to do a better job of clean up in general, so I think I may grab 10 or so more and throw them in.

Yes more snails should help if the current CUC is not keeping up. For that size tank I would also recommend one tuxedo urchin. As your tank matures you may need to thin down the snail population. I used to have a lot more snails early on but as coraline took over there is not as much of the snails since there are herbivore fish picking at the rocks all day too.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

A Foxface and Tomini Tang is what saved me from ulva. It's still present after over a year in places but those 2 fish keep in 98% in check.

This was a little over a year ago. It also went sexual and actually flowered in the tank which you can see in the bottom on the sandbed. Vacuum up as much as you can and get it out ASAP before it spreads too much.

 

[slingfox]

A Foxface and Tomini Tang is what saved me from ulva. It's still present after over a year in places but those 2 fish keep in 98% in check.

This was a little over a year ago. It also went sexual and actually flowered in the tank which you can see in the bottom on the sandbed. Vacuum up as much as you can and get it out ASAP before it spreads too much.

Wow, impressive growth on the sand!

 

[azreef729]

A Foxface and Tomini Tang is what saved me from ulva. It's still present after over a year in places but those 2 fish keep in 98% in check.

This was a little over a year ago. It also went sexual and actually flowered in the tank which you can see in the bottom on the sandbed. Vacuum up as much as you can and get it out ASAP before it spreads too much.

Did you figure out the cause of it? I have a pretty good sized tomini that picks the rocks and sand all day. Maybe I should find a small fox face. I also used Fiji live rock in my tank hoping it would have helped mature it.

 

[slingfox]

Did you figure out the cause of it? I have a pretty good sized tomini that picks the rocks and sand all day. Maybe I should find a small fox face. I also used Fiji live rock in my tank hoping it would have helped mature it.

If you don’t intend to keep a Fox Face in the long run you should go the urchin and more snails and crab route first.

 

[azreef729]

If you don’t intend to keep a Fox Face in the long run you should go the urchin and more snails and crab route first.

Yes, I will do that first. I just have ptsd from my last tank, it was an Ulva breeding ground.

 

[slingfox]

Yes, I will do that first. I just have ptsd from my last tank, it was an Ulva breeding ground.

I am pretty sure if you double or tripled your snail and crab population the ulva would disappear. Also add one urchin. When my algae got under control I ended up giving away all my turbos snails to a local reefer. By that time they had from from one inch snails to 2-3 inch snails within six months the or so. I was afraid they would starve so I gave them away.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

Did you figure out the cause of it? I have a pretty good sized tomini that picks the rocks and sand all day. Maybe I should find a small fox face. I also used Fiji live rock in my tank hoping it would have helped mature it.

Hitch hiked in with either the life rock I used or from an online vendor I used to buy pods from who also sells ulva of all things. They swore up and down it couldn't come in with the pods, but they used the same system water for both. I personally think it was the pods.

It eventually went away for the most part once the tank matured.