Algae ID

[fishtank]

at least I think it is Algae. Some of it looks slime like and some is tree or grass like. Tank has been up and running for 2 months. Went out of town for a week and came back to a huge outbreak. Anything I can do to help control this?

Tank mates are
1 yellow watchmen goby
pistol shrimp
cleaner shrimp
5 Tongan Nassarius snails and
2 Bumble bee snails

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[mikesmith34]

Really hard to tell in those pics. Maybe some hair algea. Are you nutrients in line

 

[shanepike]

Definitely looks like hair algae. If it's not bryopsis, I have always had excellent success with removing as much as I could manually, and then letting a turbo snail (or multiple turbo snails) go to town on the rest of it.

 

[jennm]

What Shane said. Remove as much as you can.

If it's not too troublesome to remove the hairy rocks, when you do a water change, take out the rocks, and brush them with a toothbrush (use one only for fish tank use, not a recycled one - fluoride is toxic), and give them a rinse in the waste water from your water change, and replace.

If you must leave the rock in the tank, take a tooth brush and try to catch the algae on the brush as you scrub it off. Use a net to scoop up any that gets loose - if it is let go in the tank it will just settle someplace else and/or clog up your intakes.

Keep an eye on your phosphate/nitrate levels, they are likely feeding it. Even if you don't see significant phosphate/nitrate in the water (via test), the algae are taking it up so it's there.

Jenn

 

[fishtank]

thanks for the feedback. I can only check for nitrates with my current kit though and they are right around 1ppm.

 

[heathlindner25]

fishtank;954644 wrote: thanks for the feedback. I can only check for nitrates with my current kit though and they are right around 1ppm.

Might I suggest salifert for nitrates and phosphates....nice kits...super easy