Algae ID? I'm at a loss...

[Odd Ball]

Hi,

Hope your weekend is going well. I have somewhat of a problem. I have this brown algae growing on my rocks. At first I thought it was just a diatom bloom. Then maybe sargassium, but no. It is brown in color, covers the rocks. Sort of lifts up in little frills - and so I can pull it off. I should say peel.

Sorry, they are not good images. I'm using my Sony digital camera. The images are only 640x480. Sorry

Anyway - I'm trying to figure out what type of algae it is, what controls it (if anything), or maybe how to get rid of it. My Kole Tang and Purple tang want nothing to do with it. Same applies to my hermits.

The tank is 100 gallons, live sand, rock, etc. Maybe 20 gallons in my sump worth of water. Skimmer is a yucky ETSS RD3...

Thanks for your help.

 

[horge]

Lobophora variegata.

And the only commonly sold reef organism I know of that can keep it in check most of the time is a Diadema sp. urchin. Of course, it'll deep-six just about every other algal growth on the rock, except maybe some of he chalkier corallines (like maybe Porolithon and some Hydrolithons...)

Manual removal, maybe?

hth,
horge

 

[horge]

Wait, here's another and/or a parallel solution:

Lobophora is more of a light-hog than true coralline algae, so you can shade it out with heads of overtopping coral, like Acropora or Pocillopora.

Of course, such corals present their own problems regarding water-quality.

Starving 'Lobo' out, via depletion of dissolved nutrients (commonly by precipitating organics out with kalk dosing), can have only limited effect, as they can draw enough from whatever they smother on the rock. Kalk does give slower-growing Corallinales algae some boost in fighting back.

Rememeber that 'Lobo' itself is not the problem, it is tank conditions that excessively favor it over other algae.
So-- shrink the dissolved nutrient load by adjusting food import type and quantity (better live than dead foods), by exporting nutrients (kalk precipitation, foamfractionation/skimming, possibly algal harvest), and by shading the growths.

hth again
horge

 

[Odd Ball]

Thank you.

It's a tough one and it is starting to spread. I do not have a lot of coral in the tank. 1 rather large Elegance on the bottom and 1 rather large Frog spawn on the top. Other than that, a few mushrooms and small polyps that came with the rock.

Fish are kole and purple tanks, a few green chromis, six line wrasse, and a pair of clowns.

I probably over feed. Lots of nori and either a cube of mysis shrimp or krill before I go to bed.

You mentioned export of nutrients. I'd rather not feed less - I'd fear the fish would starve. They are rather happy at the moment.

Skimmer, well, maybe that is it. I'd wager it could be better. It is a RD3 from ETSS. A rather touch beast. I'm currently looking into buying another (lifereef). I'm afraid of another poor purchase...

Clean up crew. Probably weak. No urchins as I'd agree with you. I have mostly micro hermits from www.ipsf.com - a few assorted nars and astrea snails, and tons of small strumbos (sp, sorry) snails. Oh, and 4 queen conchs. I've thought about buying a red serpent star (maybe they are better than the green ones)to help clean up.

Anyway - thank you for your id and help. I'll work on the skimmer. As for food, I'll check and make sure they are eating it all. If not, I'll cut it back too.

I don't think I can shade it, but I'll see what I can do.

I do not think I can keep acropora or that type of coral as my lights are:

2 VHO 110W Super Actinics
2 175W MH 10k's powered by icecap ballast.

Regards,