What type of algae is this?

[nzkiwi80]

As the subject says, what type of algae have I got?

How to treat it?

 

[mcarroll]

Looks like it's the "too much" kind. ;)

Can you post background and water test results for the tank? Please include no3 and po4 as well as anything else you track like s.g. and temperature. Background should include how the tank was started, how it's being cleaned and filtered, and anything else interesting about it. Also descibe your cleanup crew in detail, including numbers....looks like there might not be one yet?

If you can get a closeup pic of the algae it would help. Also, describe it in ways that don't come thru in the pic: is it hard, slimy, dusty, glopy, etc?

From what little you provided to go on, I think it looks a bit like chrysophytes.

 

[nzkiwi80]

Is very small, soft and maybe fluffy to the touch. Toothbrush doesn’t move it’s

 

[mcarroll]

Probably a type of hair algae then.

What about the other ?s. Looks like your typing may have gotten cut off.

 

[nzkiwi80]

Sorry nothing more to add.

Just keen to know what it is and how go remove, nitrates showing 0.1ppm, phosphate 0.03ppm.

Tries to brush it off with a brand new “firm” toothbrush but it did nothing

 

[slingfox]

Even if your tank is on the smaller side it can likely support one tuxedo urchin. Urchins are probably the singlet effective CUC member which is widely available. You could also get more snails.

 

[mcarroll]

Sorry nothing more to add.

Just keen to know what it is and how go remove, nitrates showing 0.1ppm, phosphate 0.03ppm.

Tries to brush it off with a brand new “firm” toothbrush but it did nothing

Toothbrushes and similar are good for spreading algae, but usually not very good at removal (depending on the algae type).

Use the method shown in this video. It will seem like "a lot" to do, so work in small areas that you can easily get COMPLETELY clean before you move on to another area.

 

[carri10]

Even if your tank is on the smaller side it can likely support one tuxedo urchin. Urchins are probably the singlet effective CUC member which is widely available. You could also get more snails.

This - tuxedo urchins will do a great job on algae.

 

[nzkiwi80]

tuxedo urchin

There are none in my country

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Sorry nothing more to add.

Just keen to know what it is and how go remove, nitrates showing 0.1ppm, phosphate 0.03ppm.

Tries to brush it off with a brand new “firm” toothbrush but it did nothing

I would get your nitrates up off of 0.1

What kind of CUC are you able to get where you are?

 

[nzkiwi80]

I would get your nitrates up off of 0.1

What kind of CUC are you able to get where you are?

I’ve tried no water changes for 4 weeks and increasing the feeding, made no difference. Assume the algae ate it.

Currently none. Only retailers is out of stock and needs importing

 

[mcarroll]

Get crackin' with the manual removal then.

At the very least when you clear a spot like I recommended, gently take one of your existing herbivore snails and place him on the clean spot.

 

[nzkiwi80]

Get crackin' with the manual removal then.

At the very least when you clear a spot like I recommended, gently take one of your existing herbivore snails and place him on the clean spot.

It’s a very hard to move manually was hoping there might be a way of treating it , I’m wondering if I spray it out of it with hydrogen peroxide to see if that kills it

 

[mcarroll]

It’s a very hard to move manually was hoping there might be a way of treating it , I’m wondering if I spray it out of it with hydrogen peroxide to see if that kills it

Manual removal is The Way...whether it's by your fingers pinching it off or snails (etc) eating it off. I recommend at least TRYING to clear one 2" x 2" patch by removing it with your fingers (or tweezers, etc) little by little. It should be doable even if it's not easy. (Nobody said reefing was always easy.)

You can try algicides like Tetra's AlgeaFix, but there's a roll of the dice involved there. Sometimes there are side-effects.

If you're going to take the rock out and blast it with peroxide enough to kill off that algae, it will ALSO kill off everything else that's not as tough as the algae.....pretty much like starting over. Plus you haven't solved the problem in this method, so it's likely that algae will come back once the algicide is gone...maybe worse since you've also killed off everything else (eg coralline algae).

If you're willing to go that far, maybe replace this rock with new live rock?