Green algae on front glass

[gear-head]

Tank is 5 weeks old, cycle is all but over, and I'm seeing this algae growing on the front glass. It looks like little ferns with very fine fronds, waving in the current. Anyone know what it is?

 

[Atari]

It's just your basic hair algae.. my snails and hermits love the stuff.

 

[gear-head]

Cool, so now they have someting to eat!

 

[steve-s]

AFAIK, hair algae does not "branch" as the ones in the pic indicate. I could be way off base but it looks to me like a species of bryopsis

Cheers
Steve

 

[loganj]

Bryopsis would be my guess as well.

 

[Atari]

Maybe the pics aren't of the same algae then because the one on the top is definitely what my snails eat everyday and I'm sure they wouldn't eat bryopsis.

 

[gear-head]

OK, well ... all the algae I took pics of are the same, perhaps the first pic just wasn't as good as it could have been.

And ... the few Nassarius snails and micro hermits I put in a week ago cruise right past the stuff and don't touch it.

So, bryopsis ... if that's what it is ... does anything eat it, will it become a nuisance, is it a nuisance, and should I do anything about it?

 

[Atari]

It could become a nuisance.. AFAIK, there's only one particular species of nudibranch that eats it.

It still looks just like what I have on my glass and the Astrea's chow it down. I can't seem to find any pics of bryopsis growing on glass to compare it to.

 

[Atari]

I just had a good look at the stuff I have and it's the exact same branching fern looking algae as your pics. My advice is to get some proper snails if you only have the Nassarius since they seem to be more of a detrivore than algae eater.

 

[Hara]

start yanking it out by hand. try to make sure you dont let pieces break off and float away when you do. Bryopsis can become a MAJOR nuisance if the conditions are right for it.

 

[gear-head]

get some proper snails if you only have the Nassarius

Proper snails?

 

[Atari]

I meant the kind that eat algae.. Turbo or Astrea would be a good start. As Hara suggested it's probably a good idea to start yanking the stuff out anyway just incase.