2 algae ID & battle

[BluewaterLa]

Take some pics close up if you can. Members may be able to tell or help out on this situation.
May not be the turf algae at all this time, could be just part of an ugly stage

 

[CenlaReefer]

I am almost certain this is NOT dark turf algae. It does not develop and carpet feet or fiber like "hairs" at all. It stays low and thin on the rock. It has a slimy feel to it. It cannot be brushed off even with a toothbrush and lots of rubbing. I am certain a stiff nylon brush would get it right off. I can scratch it off with a fingernail yet that takes a while. I always do this sort of clean-up work in a bucket of waste water.

Notice the color of if can look almost black or dull brown depending on the lighting. Perhaps color differences have to do with the nutrients in the concrete?

Here is the other strange thing. This algae grows mostly on my homemade rock, plugs, and disks. There could be something in my concrete mix that really feeds this stuff. Any ideas on an ID or what might eat it. My jellybean slugs have been in hiding. They have been poor at managing this and GHA. I am hoping they will reproduce and start to make a difference.

 

[CenlaReefer]

Take some pics close up if you can. Members may be able to tell or help out on this situation.
May not be the turf algae at all this time, could be just part of an ugly stage

Hi @BluewaterLa, sorry I missed this reply. I read it just now. I hope you are right about this being a limited ugly stage.

 

[BluewaterLa]

Looks to me like a more calcium based algae similar to coraline not the same.
Most times its just using up what ever is on the plugs or rocks and eventually dies out or gets taken over by coraline.
Use a pocket knife or razor blade to scrape it down to the plug / rock and see what consistency you get, I would gander its more rigid and not of the type that would grow like hair algae or turf

 

[CenlaReefer]

@College_Coral was so very kind to take some microscope images of my brown nuisance algae in exchange for some frags. Any ideas what algae this is?

Thanks again, Dennis!

 

[College_Coral]

@College_Coral was so very kind to take some microscope images of my brown nuisance algae in exchange for some frags. Any ideas what algae this is?

Thanks again, Dennis!

Anytime, but those 3 are the green algae sample from your main tank.

 

[CenlaReefer]

Ok. I changed it to the correct photos. The algae from the inside dining room tank is not really a problem at all.

 

[CenlaReefer]

I need to focus on manual removal using a small metal scraper or knife like @BluewaterLa said in post #44.

I just found out some GREAT news! The beautiful, clean patch in the picture below was done by a trochus snail today. Now I know what will eat this stuff. The problem is that I do not have enough snails to take care of the clean up. I am breeding lots more yet most of them are too small yet to make a difference. Diligent, manual removal of GHA, film algae on glass surface, and this other algae with a scraper or stiff brush may help my current CUC target the remaining stuff.

 

[CenlaReefer]

Green is Derbesia sp. Need a better pic for the brown.

@The GOB , it has been a long time coming, yet Dennis helped me finally get some better pics. What do you think of the microscope pics?

 

[The GOB]

Macro lens pic would be more beneficial on my end for IDing.

 

[BluewaterLa]

Honestly I've seen several types of brown algae-ish like in your pictures that were nothing to worry about.
I do not think you are dealing with a super hard to get gone algae, mostly prefers new surfaces.

 

[College_Coral]

Macro lens pic would be more beneficial on my end for IDing.

We have our microscope hooked up to a computer however i didn't get to use the computers images which would have been clearer, it had someones work on it in the lab so i didn't want to exit out of it, so manual pictures through the lens was what i did

 

[CenlaReefer]

Macro lens pic would be more beneficial on my end for IDing.

Ok. I understand. I had someone on a national forum look at the microscope images and write, "It is not a filamentous algae like turf but appears to be a brown micro algae."

Honestly I've seen several types of brown algae-ish like in your pictures that were nothing to worry about.
I do not think you are dealing with a super hard to get gone algae, mostly prefers new surfaces.

This is a relief. The key seems to be that this dark algae, "mostly prefers new surfaces." Using dead, natural rock from the ocean may be the ticket. I would like to get some more Two Little Fishies Stax Rocks for growing small coral colonies. For both frags or larger pieces, I could grow them on some flat, thin pieces of natural shelf rock. Dead plating montipora works for some small frags. The dark algae really does not grow on my Stax Rock, natural live rock, or on my concrete that has been in use for more than 2 or 3 years in a system. It does seem to like growing on some plastic (corner overflow and Tunze powerhead). I know that I need more CUC.

@College_Coral (Dennis), the pics were a great help. Thanks!

 

[College_Coral]

Ok. I understand. I had someone on a national forum look at the microscope images and write, "It is not a filamentous algae like turf but appears to be a brown micro algae."

This is a relief. The key seems to be that this dark algae, "mostly prefers new surfaces." Using dead, natural rock from the ocean may be the ticket. I would like to get some more Two Little Fishies Stax Rocks for growing small coral colonies. For both frags or larger pieces, I could grow them on some flat, thin pieces of natural shelf rock. Dead plating montipora works for some small frags. The dark algae really does not grow on my Stax Rock, natural live rock, or on my concrete that has been in use for more than 2 or 3 years in a system. It does seem to like growing on some plastic (corner overflow and Tunze powerhead). I know that I need more CUC.

@College_Coral (Dennis), the pics were a great help. Thanks!

Anytime, it was cool looking at everything up close. Im glad i was able to help

 

[CenlaReefer]

A razor blade like Mike (@BluewaterLa) recommended did wonders. I am realizing that I need more elbow grease on my part in this hobby. I can remove more algae in 2 hours than CUC can remove in a week. Here are some before and after pics:

The arrow below indicates where a trochus snail ate some of this algae.

 

[CenlaReefer]

I would like to add a blenny to help control the green hair algae. In the past, I kept a bicolor blenny, a lawnmower blenny, and a tailspot blenny in other tanks. The worst of the 3 was the bicolor blenny because it ate my frogspawn. The tailspot was adorable yet not a big algae-eater. I am now shopping around for another blenny. I may consider a lawnmower again, yet I wanted you folks to make some suggestions. I am looking for one that:

1. Has a good appetite for GHA
2. Well-behaved to not nip at coral (I can keep the frogspawn out of here).
3. Is well behaved with gentle fish tank mates.
4. Beauty is a plus yet not necessary.

 

[clsanchez77]

I would like to add a blenny to help control the green hair algae. In the past, I kept a bicolor blenny, a lawnmower blenny, and a tailspot blenny in other tanks. The worst of the 3 was the bicolor blenny because it ate my frogspawn. The tailspot was adorable yet not a big algae-eater. I am now shopping around for another blenny. I may consider a lawnmower again, yet I wanted you folks to make some suggestions. I am looking for one that:

1. Has a good appetite for GHA
2. Well-behaved to not nip at coral (I can keep the frogspawn out of here).
3. Is well behaved with gentle fish tank mates.
4. Beauty is a plus yet not necessary.

Lawnmower is going to be your best bet. Heck, its in the name . Shop carefully here though as I have seen several online vendors use this term more generically for multiple bennies. So to be sure, you are looking for Blennies in the Salarias family. Their "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder . There are other suitors, but I will let others detail their experience and let you dig deeper in your own.

If you go diver supplied fish instead of LFS or online vendor, you will be looking for the Molly Miller: Scartella sps.

Other thing to be aware of is there are other bennies that share this unique color pattern, but are not herbivore. One example is the Gulf of Mexico "Seaweed Blenny", that inhabits seaweed, but eats the micro-crustacea rather than the algae itself. The one I had I believe was the "Hairy Blenny" supplied by KP Aquatics, although I purchased it from a hobbyists from our club here.

 

[CenlaReefer]

Thanks, Chris.

I am so glad you pointed-out those differences. I could have gotten the wrong one without your advice.

I kept a lawnmower blenny before in my softie dominant tank. I have never kept one in a tank with SPS or many LPS before. I did read that they can nip at montipora if there is algae growing nearby. Frags of any coral surrounded by GHA would likely be at risk as well. Those blennies are likely indiscriminate munchers ... thus the name "lawnmower." I believe tangs are more delicate and careful. The major drawback of having a tank this size is not being able to get a tang for it.

 

[clsanchez77]

Those blennies are likely indiscriminate munchers ... thus the name "lawnmower."

I would agree. I think the indiscriminate munching is ok in a larger tank with mature coral colonies. However in smaller tank, or in a tank designed around raising frags, there is risk.

I believe tangs are more delicate and careful. The major drawback of having a tank this size is not being able to get a tang for it.

Agree and agree. Look into the Tomini tangs for a smaller selection, although I am not sure if they are suitable for this tank. I dont have first hand experience with them and am not sure about their temperament. Look for the Bristletooth/Tomini Tangs in the Ctenochaetus sps variety for the smallest of these weed whackers.

I am also a fan of the Atlantic Pygmy Angel. Centropyge argi. A lot of people report risk with the small angels as a family, but they are reported to be herbivores in the wild. I did not have any problems with this specific angel and LPS. I have not tried this fish with SPS. Unfortunately, I think this fish's preference will be the green algae's and not the brown algae, where as with the blenny, I think you find there appetite is more like mine and will eat almost anything.

 

[CenlaReefer]

I am planning to try a starry blenny.