Algae ID Please

[Integral9]

Can anyone tell me what the white tubular structures w/ the green tips are in this pic? Also, know anything that eats it or how best to get rid of it? Some people call them gonzo noses, but nobody I have talked to knows what that is. My tank is literally being overrun by them. I have a blue tux and a medium spine urchin in there now trying to tackle it and so far I cannot tell if they are eating it or not.

 

[Origami]

Found this great site: http://marineplantbook.com/

 

Looking under green macroalgae...

Could it be Neomeris annulata, finger algae?

http://marineplantbook.com/marinebookneomeris.htm

[Integral9]

That's it! Thank you.

 

Anyone know how to get rid of it?

 

my tank looks like this image.

[Origami]

I've only had singlets show up in an old nano that I had stood up. Eventually, it just disappeared. I've never had it in the quantity that you do, though. And, I've never seen them in my large tank which houses several tangs. I was wondering if tangs would make a short lunch of it, but WetWebMedia doesn't have much to say about it except that it will normally go away of its own accord, and that many herbivorous fish (like tangs) won't eat it.

 

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/NeomerisContF.htm

 

Here's another discussion about it:

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=517934

[Integral9]

I've been watching it grow for about 6 months now and it's not showing any signs of going away either.

 

I found this thread on RC: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1703443

i'm trolling it for answers, but if anyone else has $0.02 to add, please do.

[RicSG]

I think too much calcium and very less flow encourages the growth of this. Also depends on what you have in your tank you can reduce the temp as they like temp over 78 and reduce calcium and increase flow in the tank. This is the most annoying Algae you can ever have. I had this issue but for me I was lucky that the tank had nothing and i was able to just not worry about it until all disappeared. Sorry this Algae is from H-E-double hockey sticks.

[Integral9]

After reading several threads on RC about this stuff I have to the conclusion that nothing eats this stuff and I need to try the following:

 

Increase nutrients and flow and decrease temp and lighting. Hopefully once i get more fish in the tank it won't be a problem anymore.

 

I'd decrease calc, but I stopped dosing kalk several months ago. I think my levels were more than "a tad" elevated.... ph is 8.2 - 8.4

 

So I am going to shut off my skimmer, carbon reactor and fuge light for the weekend. To decrease the temp, I am going to shut off the white lights over the tank. I don't have a chiller and I only have 4 submersed pumps (2 power heads alternating and 1 skimmer and 1 carbon reactor).

 

btw. While I share RicSG's sentiments on this stuff, I understand it is desirable to some people so if anyone wants this stuff PM me. I can get plenty of it off my substrate and I have a small rock covered with it I'd be willing to trade for a clean rock or small frag of something SPS or LPS.

[Integral9]

After discussing this with my wife, we decided to leave the fuge light on, if only to prevent a massive algae die off. To increase the flow, I shut off my alternating cycle for my power heads and have both 1400s going full time now. There should be about 30x turnover in the tank now. To increase nutrients and to (somewhat) decrease temperatures I also left the skimmer and carbon reactor off for the weekend starting Friday night. I also turned off 2 banks (4 bulbs) of my actinic lights, now I am running 10x36" T5s. Unfortunately, the tank is still running at 80 durring the day so I'm going to see about getting a fan to help out with that.

 

On Sunday I could see a huge improvement in my corals color, WOW. I guess low nutrients are why my corals were bleached out a bit. However the jury is still out on the finger algae. I might be seeing the begining stages of some degredation of it in some areas, but I am not completely convinced. When I see it in my filter socks, I will be happy. I am going to continue w/out the skimmer and carbon reactor and lights for a few more days and see what happens.

[Integral9]

Update: (smashing stuff and then unleashing the horde)

 

After a week of seeing little more in the way of decreased finger algae, I decided to go ahead and unleash the horde on the tank and I ordered a Hippo, Powder Brown and Yellow tangs and I also nabbed a CBB. Thanks for the Hippo BRK, what a great example of the species. To setup my QT I used my DT water as I typically have done. So guess, what? I did a water change on my DT. After finishing that I was about to put in the power heads and HOB PS and heater, but then I smelled pinesol and realized I had grabbed the wrong bucket (mop / waste water bucket) to transfer water from my DT to the QT and I had to dump all the water out of my QT and start over again. So guess what? I did another water change on my DT. OK, finally got the QT filled and ready to go except for the HOB PS+fuge. Thats when I decided to really set things off and drop my HOB PS+Fuge on the pavers outside while I was cleaning it and it spider cracked nicely on the corner it landed on. I hope to repair it with some acyllic weld I ordered from Avast. We'll see. Anyways, got the fish in QT and doing daily water changes to keep the chemistry in check.

 

A week later the fish were all eating well in the QT (except the CBB, but no live food either). However, against my better judgement but without seeing any obvious parasite or disease indications and getting very concerned about the CBB needing some food, I decided to put them in the DT. The horde was unleashed. Things were looking up too. The macro I had let get into my tank from the fuge was taking over and the tangs immediately just began devouring it. The CBB also began picking at all my rocks. I got an aiptasia job for him. I hope he has plans for that as well. Also, I caught the Hippo (which is about 4-5") tasting the green tips of the finger algae. You're my boy Blue!

 

A week later the cheato is suffering greatly (win), but the finger algea looks the same as it did before I had to do all those water changes to get the QT setup (arg). Well, I am going to let the tangs eat all the cheato up in the DT (they should be done soon actually) and see if the eat the Finger. If not, I will start reducing the lighting hours on my fuge and try to remove as much of it by hand as possible.

[Integral9]

Update: (winning & losing)

 

The cholerpa is all but gone. Tangs ate that up like it was going out of style. The finger algea is retreating too, so Yeah!

 

But my hippo and powder brown have ich now. Boooo. I really hate that parasite.