Long Stringy Algae

[joeyprice]

Its dinos, right? its only on 2 frags right now, that are glued to a rock with a bunch of other frags. I can't get the frags off, can/should I just dip the entire rock? If so, in what?
I'm working on the pic now. Keep in mind this is after it was blown/scraped off a little. It was much thicker to begin with, less like individual strings.

 

[jmcdona6]

Could be anything based off that video, especially if you have scraped at it altering its natural formation. I would assume the worst and say dinos. As long as they are on smaller rocks, you could just dip the entire thing in an hydrogen peroxide solution. It will kill most things on the rock, but if its new/smaller it won't matter much.

You could also just do manual removal with a brush to get as much off as possible. In a mature/balanced tank they shouldn't take off if removed thoroughly and quite frankly, similar to noticing ich after introducing a fish, the damage is done. If you didn't already have whatever it is in the tank already, you do now. Removing as much as you can and letting your tank handle it is probably as good as a treatment as any at this point.

 

[John Bowers]

If it is just a couple frags that have been in your aquarium for at least a few days, your tank is probably already infected with that species of algae, and that is only a problem if you have the conditions in that tank for it to multiply. Dipping a rock or frag probably will not get 100% of the algae, so the only real cure is to keep your tank conditions such that it does not grow to undesirable levels. The best approach is to either have a highly efficient filter system that exports nitrate/phosphate to levels that are too low for algae. Probably a better approach is to grow algae where you want it in a refugium, which is best done by putting optimal light spectrum for algae growth in the refugium and keep the main tank under light that is sub-optimal for algae growth.

 

[timeconsumer]

If you want a microscope ID of it you can drop off a sample at my house in Acworth and I can take a look at it

 

[joeyprice]

I was afraid it was too late to do anything therapeutic. I was thinking about a peroxide dip, but I really don't want to kill the zoas on it. I am also considering pulling the rock and blacking it out in isolation. Its weird whatever it is, doesn't really seem to be getting any worse, or at least its growing slowly. Sadly, the only thing that actually seems to grow in my sump/fuge is GHA and or turf algae. I'm going to reboot it I think, and try with some chaeto instead of the ogo that was down there.

 

[jmcdona6]

I was afraid it was too late to do anything therapeutic. I was thinking about a peroxide dip, but I really don't want to kill the zoas on it. I am also considering pulling the rock and blacking it out in isolation. Its weird whatever it is, doesn't really seem to be getting any worse, or at least its growing slowly. Sadly, the only thing that actually seems to grow in my sump/fuge is GHA and or turf algae. I'm going to reboot it I think, and try with some chaeto instead of the ogo that was down there.

Same experience with my fuge. GHA and Xenia grow like weeds. Put in some chaeto and it withers in a month or less.

 

[lmm1967]

H2O2 doesn't kill zoas - it'll annoy them and they will close up for a day or so.

I've taken a toothbrush dipped in normal household Hydrogen Peroxide (the plain old brown bottle - 3% maybe?) and scrape away at the algae on the plug. Then I swished it around in the peroxide - all algae gone, zoas just fine after a day or 2.

 

[Steve Burton]

+1 on Leo's comments. I'd dip the whole rock in 1/2 tank water 1/2 hydrogen peroxide for several minutes and brush off as much as you can in a bucket of salt water, maybe repeat in a few days if necessary.

 

[joeyprice]

I have removed as much algae from the fuge as possible and turned the light off, so I suppose all those nutrients are currently making their way back into the water. I'm changing it ever couple days until the sump has cleared up. Once I get there I'll dip the entire rock in 50/50. Thanks guys