Hair Algae

[SpyderDiver]

Any thoughts on how I can get rid of this hair (?) algae? I have a tang and added two emerald crabs . Neither of them show any interest in going after it. Currently it is only growing areound the hammers and on snail shells.

 

[Rickdareefa]

Just keep plucking it out as it grows and blow off any detritus that settles on it. Also add some atrea, trochus, and mexican turbo snails. If the rock is easy to pull out scrub with a toothbrush and drip a lil peroxide on it

 

[jcook54]

How hard is ti to pull off? I ask because I thought I had some hair algae and my favorite critter for dealing with it are blue leg hermits. They wouldn't touch the stuff, it was really hard to pull off and when I pulled some of it and looked under magnification it turned out to be bryopsis. In my case, it grew a lot like the picture in dark green, small rounded clumps. The green hair algae I usually deal with is much more spread out and less defined. If it is GHA, blue legs and various snails work really well. If it turns out to be bryopsis, you'll need to treat with fluconazole. If I had to bet on which on it was, my $ would be on bryopsis. There are quite a few different strains and the old "does it look like a fern" question didn't apply in my case. It was mostly just longer tough individual threads all clumped together.

 

[SpyderDiver]

It is very difficult to take off and a tooth brush does nothing. Also my blue leg hermits don’t touch it. I can get the rock out but would be very uneasy using peroxide. If it is bryopsis any other thoughts on removal or critters that will eat it?

 

[AWarnick]

Looks too short and bushy to me to be GHA

 

[SpyderDiver]

Here is a closer picture of it on my snail. I also agree that GHA is most likely not it, just didn’t know what else to call it.

 

[sharis100]

Looks like bryopsis to me. Take the frags and dip only the algae portion in 3% hydrogen peroxide to kill it off. Reefdudes uses a hydrogen peroxide spray bottle. Some folks on Reef2reef add the hydrogen peroxide to tanks directly with no ill effects. Google and see the threads.

 

[jcook54]

Bryopsis. The bit on the crab shell is a dead giveaway. I tried hydrogen peroxide but didn't care for the results at all. I ended up using Reef Flux capsules and it worked really, really well. Surprisingly well. The last time I dealt with bryopsis was 2008 and it was a nightmare inducing magnesium based treatment. You can try the hydrogen peroxide but the whole tank Reef Flux treatment was cheap, simple, safe and took all of 15 minutes to order, read and treat the tank. IF I were to treat again, I would go to @the fish store and buy the liquid Flux Rx drops by Blue Life that they had in stock a few weeks ago. I know, I know, I just got done saying how simple and easy the Reef Flux caps were but the powder was a bit annoying to mix up and dose so next time I'm going to try the liquid product.

In the past bryopsis was the most-feared algae you could get but now it's super easy to deal with. I'm sure in 2028 there will be some fluconazole resistant strains but as things are now, bryposis is a moderate threat that's simple enough to deal with.

 

[sharis100]

Bryopsis. The bit on the crab shell is a dead giveaway. I tried hydrogen peroxide but didn't care for the results at all. I ended up using Reef Flux capsules and it worked really, really well. Surprisingly well. The last time I dealt with bryopsis was 2008 and it was a nightmare inducing magnesium based treatment. You can try the hydrogen peroxide but the whole tank Reef Flux treatment was cheap, simple, safe and took all of 15 minutes to order, read and treat the tank. IF I were to treat again, I would go to @the fish store and buy the liquid Flux Rx drops by Blue Life that they had in stock a few weeks ago. I know, I know, I just got done saying how simple and easy the Reef Flux caps were but the powder was a bit annoying to mix up and dose so next time I'm going to try the liquid product.

In the past bryopsis was the most-feared algae you could get but now it's super easy to deal with. I'm sure in 2028 there will be some fluconazole resistant strains but as things are now, bryposis is a moderate threat that's simple enough to deal with.

Did not know there was a liquid version! Thanks for the information @jcook54 as reef flux capsule powder a pain. ️️️

 

[SpyderDiver]

This is so helpful, thank you so much. Sounds like I’m headed to the store to pick up some liquid Flux Rx drops by Blue Life....

Cheers