What Kind Of Algae Is This?

[kart_racer3]

Greetings,

Recently, for the past few weeks, I've had this type of algae starting to propagate on my live rock. There was a small section of it at first, but its grown into several clumps at various places in the tank. It's "hair-like" in form, in that its made of strands and flows in the current. I also have some patches of it that are sort of "fuzzy". Not sure if this is a different kind or not. None of my crabs/snails/fish seem to want to eat it. I've attached two pictures, one of the hair-like algae and one of the fuzzy algae. Do you know what it is? I had a difficult time identifying it, and thought I'd ask here. Also, if you know what it is, what kind of critters eat it? Thanks!

[roka64]

It looks like hair algae.
What are you water parameters?
What are you feeding/how much/how often?
What is your photoperiod?
How old are your lights and what kind?

[Ziggy953]

Provide the info Roka asked and we will try and help you out.

[kart_racer3]

Thanks for the reply.

As for lights I'm using Coral Life's Aqualight Pro Series which consists of 10,000K HQI, True Actinic 03 Blue compact fluorescent and 470 nm lunar LED lamps (pulled from the manual). I'm using their 96W actinic variety compact fluorescents. I just replaced the fluorescents maybe about 2 months ago, and the HQIs are about 12 months old. My lighting cycle runs from about 9:30 in the AM to 8:00 in the PM. I just did a water change last evening, and haven't gotten to check my parameters yet. Recently I've been feeding about everyday (sometimes skip one or two) those frozen cubes of brine shimp or mysis shrimp or bloodworms, usually two cubes a feeding. I have been putting in a freshwater clam every so often for them to pick at. I wonder if this would cause a problem? I'll check my phosphates and such when I get home this evening.

[cccapt]

That's hair algea and I think you are overfeeding big time. 2 cubes of frozen for 1 feeding? WOW What size tank and what fish do you have?

[kart_racer3]

The tank is a 120 gallon with a 20 gallon sump. I've got (this requires some thinking):blue tang, yellow tang, two pj cardinal fish, six line wrasse, copperband butterfly, flame dwarf angel, foxface rabbit fish, pink anthias (can't think of proper name right now), false perlicula clownfish, two blue reef chromis, long nose hawkfish, purple firefish, black blenny, bicolor psuedochromis, pom pom crab, cleaner shrimp, two caramel shrimp, variety of hermits and snails.

[Kurt_Nelson]

Wow... with that many fish I wouldn't say you're overfeeding! But you definitely seem overloaded on fish. That's probably the source of the fuel for the algae.

[cccapt]

Yeah, with 16 fish, that's probably not overfeeding, but that's a HUGE bioload for a 120. Is that a standard 4' long 120 tank? I couldn't imagine that many fish in a 4' tank.

[cmor1701d]

It's time to replace the HQIs. Are they 150w or 250w?

Is all the food eaten within a few minutes? If not, then feed less per feeding. Also, cut your feedings to every other day at most. I feed the fish every 2-3 days and the corals 2x/week. I think I'm at capacity with 9 fish in a 125 (Sailfin Tang, FoxFace Lo, Blue Tang, Coral Beauty, pair of A. Percula Clowns, a pair of PJ cardinals, Green Mandarin). You have 16 in a 120!

Cut your photo period in half for the actinics and to 1-2 hours for the HQIs. Get some turbo snails (did wonders for my hair algae problem).
What is your source water?
Have you tested it for phosphates?
How often are you doing PWC's?

Please test your water and post the results.

[melosu58]

Definitely Hair algea. Read this for a good battle plan.


FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"