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FAQs on Marine Algae Identification 18

Related Articles: Avoiding Algae Problems in Marine System, Algae Control, Marine Maintenance, Nutrient Control and Export, Marine Scavengers, Snails, Hermit Crabs, Mithrax/Emerald Green Crabs, Sea Urchins, Blennies, Algae Filters, Ctenochaetus/Bristle Mouth Tangs, Zebrasoma/Sailfin Tangs, Skimmers, Skimmer Selection, Marine Algae, Coralline Algae, Green Algae, Brown Algae, Blue-Green "Algae"/(Cyanobacteria)Diatoms, Brown Algae

Related FAQs: FAQ ID Visual Guide, Marine Algae ID 1, Marine Algae ID 2, Marine Algae ID 3, Marine Algae ID 4, Marine Algae ID 5, Marine Algae ID 6Marine Algae ID 7, Marine Algae ID 8, Marine Algae ID 9, Marine Algae ID 10, Marine Algae ID 11, Marine Algae ID 12, Marine Algae ID 13, Marine Algae ID 14, Marine Algae ID 15, Marine Algae ID 16, Marine Algae ID 17, Marine Algae ID 19, Marine Algae ID 20, Marine Algae ID 21, Marine Algae ID 22, Marine Algae ID 23, Marine Algae ID 24, Marine Algae ID, 25, SW Algae ID 26, SW Algae ID 27, SW Algae ID 29, SW Algae ID 30, SW Algae ID 31, SW Algae ID 32SW Algae ID 33SW Algae ID 34SW Algae ID 35SW Algae ID 36SW Algae ID 37SW Algae ID 38SW Algae ID 39& Marine Algae Control FAQs 2, Marine Algaecide Use, Nutrient Limitation, Marine Algae Eaters, Culturing Macro-Algae; Controlling: BGA/Cyano, Red/Encrusting Algae, Green Algae, Brown/Diatom Algae   

New Print and eBook on Amazon

Marine Aquarium Algae Control

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Do I have GBA??? http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeasfriend.htm 10/17/07 Thanks for you help ahead of time!!! So, I have had my tank for about a month now and I have noticed some things on my live rock that don't seem 'normal'. I have attached pictures of what I think is the problem, I hope their good enough to determine the problem. In the first picture, I have noticed red ( in the middle of the picture) like stuff growing (doesn't look furry, looks like coralline, but red). It's growing rather fast, and I'm not sure what to do about it. And in the second picture, there are purple like spots on the rocks, and also bright green algae of some sort, in some areas, there are dots of turquoise on the rocks. Is this normal algae (it doesn't seem like it would be)? If this is not normal, what can I do to remove or treat this? Will this directly affect any of my animals in the tank (black clown, hermits, astrea and Nassarius snails)? What do you suggest I do? Thanks for ALL your help! <... all looks like it's progressing, settling... into a mix of algal types/Divisions... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeasfriend.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Do I have GBA??? -- 10/18/07 Great Article! Very reassuring...but in your opinion, does the algae I show/explain seem harmful for my tank inhabitants? I am starting to see it grow more rapidly, is this okay? <... keep reading. BobF>

Identification Please... :) Nuisance algae -- 09/14/07 Hello Amazing Crew! Hello there everyone. <Hello Mynd, The often-amazing Mich here, though usually meant in a more bewildering, bemusing, stupefying sense of the word.> Can you possibly identify the really dark stuff on my rocks? Some type of really dark coralline? <Nope. Not coralline. Looks like nuisance algae to me but can make out the kind specifically. I would remove it.> Also, can you tell me maybe what that cap looking thing is on the top of the rock and off to the right? <Yep. This is Lobophora variegata. And I would remove this as well. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brnalgae.htm > Please mind the dust I had just blown off the rocks with a turkey baster to clean up a little. J http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o46/mynd/id_please/whatisit.jpg I appreciate your help and your time as always. <You're welcome!> You people are the best. <Thank you for the kind words.> Kind Mynd J
<Cheers, Mich>

Question On Unknown Mould/Algae... Forget The BGA, Holy Moly! Look At All The Aiptasia!!!! -- 09/14/07 Hi guys, <One of the gals tonight.> I'm trying to identify the black growth on my rock in the picture below. The growth is black in colour with filamentous edges, it is isolated to one piece of rock. I bought my reef tank as an existing setup so although I have only had it two weeks, it has been running with the current livestock, corals fish and inverts for the last 2 1/2 years, no new livestock or corals have been added. <My advise to you would be take things very slowly and do plenty of research on any potential purchases. Research first, more research second, consider if you can actually appropriately care for potential purchase third, do more research fourth and last make appropriate purchases.> Tank parameters are pH 8, salinity 1.025, ammonia and nitrite - 0, nitrate 10ppm, alkalinity 8, calcium 380. <The last two could be a bit higher.> Livestock is 2 cleaner shrimps, mandarin fish, yellow tang, <Not sure of your tank size but should be in nothing smaller than 75 gallons.> 2 clowns, lawnmower blenny. Could you please advise what you think the growth is and what the likely cause for it is. <Looks like Cyanobacteria, a nuisance algae to me, likely caused by excess nutrient and slipping tank maintenance.> Is it something to be concerned about and if so what action should I take? <I wouldn't be nearly as concerned about the algae as I would be concerned about all the Aiptasia the algae is growing over! YIKES!!! I would try to remove the algae. But most importantly you need to remove/destroy the Aiptasia before it spreads even more! A good bit of reading for you here. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/Aiptasia/aiptasia.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/aiptasia_impressions/aiptaisia_impressions.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/scottsh2ochgart.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/marineMaint.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/watchgantart.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm > Thanks
<Welcome! Mich>

Diatoms? Dinoflagellates?  9/5/07 My aquarium is 4 months old. The regular diatom bloom during cycling is under control on the rocks, sand & glass, thanks to time, snails and hermits. However, I have a rusty brown algae covering the water surface. <This sounds like Dinoflagellates.> <<Mmm, and/or Diatoms. RMF>> What is it and how do I get rid of it? <If this is D. then keeping the tank in the dark for a few days should just about wipe them out. Of course, being able to treat the tank this way is a luxury you have for being patient and waiting before adding any corals. :-) If this doesn't work, your best chance is to just keep manually removing the stuff. Running carbon (and maybe even a diatom filter) might help some. But with any luck, the few days in darkness should do it. Do a big water change after these few days to help remove whatever nastiness the D. may have left behind.> I don't have fish or corals in this tank yet, and didn't know if this would be dangerous for these critters. <It shouldn't be too dangerous for the fish, but D. can be quite toxic to corals and other inverts.> Thank you for all of your help, past, present and future. <De nada, Sara M.>

Lots and Lots of Algae -- 08/31/07 You guys did such a great job identifying our peanut worm, would you mind taking a look at our algae? I've been trying to identify it in the invertebrates book with mixed success. I've included four photographs of the ones I'm having trouble figuring out: <Ahh, I see them> 1) In the first picture, algae1, there is something I think is red bubble algae, but to the right, there is also something purple and furry that I have no idea what it is. <Mmm, might be a Red/Rhodophyte of some sort, but likely a BGA> 2) In algae2, our LFS told us the salmon-colored thing is an encrusting coral, but there are also two weird algaes there: one that you can see trailing from the left side of the rock on the empty spaces the coral hasn't covered yet, like wet purple yarn. The other, it's not very clear in the picture but the bulbous green thing in the foreground isn't just green algae sitting on a rock, it's almost like a balloon of algae floating around anchored to the rock. What on earth could that be? <Maybe Valonia...> 3) In algae3, I *think* the pink stuff in the upper left hand corner looks more like a sponge than algae when I look it up in the book, because it's covered with a film with holes in it. But what is that weird pink and green growth in the foreground? <Too blurry... maybe a sponge> 4) Sorry about the picture quality in algae4. They are magenta colored and shaped sort of like flower petals. <Yes...> 5) It didn't show up in the pictures but we also have these weird *long* string like things attached to our rock, looking like green fishing line. My husband thinks they're spaghetti worms but they don't look like the ones in the book. Any ideas? <... many possibilities> Thanks in advance for any light you can shed. I hope none of this stuff is toxic or anything. We also have that rusty brown crud that keeps growing back on our live sand, which I'm pretty sure is diatoms. <That and/or maybe more Cyanobacteria> It's kind of confusing though because we've had the aquarium for a couple of months now, and reading through the diatoms FAQ it seems like diatom blooms are supposed to be something that happen when you're just establishing your tank and then fade away. <Generally so, yes> Our brown crud has only just started growing recently. Is this a warning sign? <Mmm, perhaps... but not necessarily... could be just transient opportunistic species...> Our water quality is excellent, but lately I've noticed that our protein skimmer doesn't seem to be skimming as much stuff out. <Mmm, do give this a scrub and rinse...> Laura <And do keep learning, enjoying the process! What a planet eh? I'm not leaving! Bob Fenner>

Coralline Algae Growth, ID ?? 8/29/07 Hi! Hopefully you can help me. <I'll give it my best.> I have a 55 gallon tank with approx 45 lbs of LR. It has been running for almost 2 yrs. and recently I noticed a growth on the underside of one of my rocks. It appears to be a very hard substance, textured with ridges and lines, and dark brownish-green in color. (The texture reminds me of a brain coral.) It has grown in size over the past few months but has not yet moved to any other LR. The condition of my water has been great with no changes in nitrites, nitrates, etc. I know it is difficult to guess what this is without a picture (couldn't take a picture due to location of the growth), but I was hoping you could give me some suggestions of things it could be. That way I could research on my own and hopefully figure this out! <Well, as you mention, it is difficult to give you an accurate ID of the growth without a pic, but I'm guessing it probably is a Peyssonnelia sp. of coralline. Do look at the picture here and see if it is similar to what you describe. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/corallinealg.htm James (Salty Dog)>

Hairy and Slimy... alg. ID 8/28/07 Hello crew, hope all is well. <thank you> I have this small patch of read stringy hair like stuff on one of my rocks. I thought that it may be some type of algae so I reached in to pinch it off of the rock. When I did so it "slimed" me much the same as a mushroom or Ricordea might when grabbed. It has been there for about a month and does not seem to be spreading out on the rock. It is attached at one central point with the "hairs" coming out from that point. Is this some sort of algae or maybe some type of coral that I do not recognize? Thank you for any help - identification you are able to provide. <The photo is a bit too blurry for an exact species ID. But my best guess would be Gracilaria verrucosa or some other type of Gracilaria. And yes, algae can be slimy. If it's slow growing, I wouldn't worry about it. At last it's pretty. :-) > Henry G. Mello
<Best,
Sara M.>

New Print and eBook on Amazon

Marine Aquarium Algae Control

by Robert (Bob) Fenner

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