FAQs on Marine Algae Identification
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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 6, Marine 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 32, SW Algae ID 33, SW Algae ID 34, SW Algae ID 35, SW
Algae ID 36, SW Algae ID 37, SW
Algae ID 38, SW 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,
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Marine Aquarium Algae Control
by Robert (Bob) Fenner
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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>
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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> |
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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> |
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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> |
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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.> |
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New Print and
eBook on Amazon
Marine Aquarium Algae Control
by Robert (Bob) Fenner
|
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