What is this grass like algae growing on my substrate?

PR_nano

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I had something similar in a frag plug for the longest time (months) and one night it disappeared. Not sure which of the cuc went after it but had to be either Blue hermit, Scarlett hermit, Turbo or Astrea.

I always thought it was a type of hair algae vs macro even though it didn't grew as quick as regular hair algae. Also it didn't spread out much. It was contained to that plug and it did survive reef dip. I did remove a few strands with tweezers but they grew back up fairly quick.
 
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Chris_Noles

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Hmm mine has spread over all of my substrate and is growing on some of the rock, I’m using vibrant rn but I doubt that’ll do anything to it and I doubt manual removal will do anything
 

PR_nano

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I did dose vibrant for bubble algae and it did nothing for it or GHA. I do see you have a lot and on the substrate. Can you vacuum it out during water changes? Also didn't see nutrients listed are they elevated?

Mine are really low but have stabilized with N03 around 5 and P04 at .04~.
 
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Chris_Noles

Chris_Noles

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I did dose vibrant for bubble algae and it did nothing for it or GHA. I do see you have a lot and on the substrate. Can you vacuum it out during water changes? Also didn't see nutrients listed are they elevated?

Mine are really low but have stabilized with N03 around 5 and P04 at .04~.
my nitrates and nitrites are 0 on the api and I have tired to vacuum it up but it just comes back
 

Dan_P

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AA16F111-2B96-4218-A97A-AD21A4A05EB5.jpeg

Here is a better pic of it
Can you take photo under white light? I looks like there might be more than one thing growing here.
 

vetteguy53081

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Its Ulva and not a bad thing as it reduces nitrates. Can be placed in sump. If you Truly want it gone, simply reduce or turn off light a few days. Other option is to add a tuxedo urchin which would gladly have a salad meal from it, or expose it to Hydrogen Peroxide.
Smails rarely eat it due to the cellulose layer on the outside of it but larger turbo or astrea M A Y
 
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Chris_Noles

Chris_Noles

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Its Ulva and not a bad thing as it reduces nitrates. Can be placed in sump. If you Truly want it gone, simply reduce or turn off light a few days. Other option is to add a tuxedo urchin which would gladly have a salad meal from it, or expose it to Hydrogen Peroxide.
Smails rarely eat it due to the cellulose layer on the outside of it but larger turbo or astrea M A Y
Any idea what could eat the algae on the substrate?
 

Dan_P

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So I have 2 astera snails in my 25 gal, should I add 2-3 more or any other inverts? (not urchins though)
Do your snails obviously enjoy eating the algae? Don’t buy more of that kind if they aren’t doing the job.
 

vetteguy53081

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Dan_P

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They wont touch anything on the substrate
Mexican turbos in my system are chow hounds. No macro algae is safe. They are fairly strong snails and knock things about. They require a large amount of food. Once the algae is gone they need to be fed or moved to a system with algae. I did find that they do not care for sick or dying macro algae.
 

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