identification help

[brcolli2]

Can anyone tell me what this is that is growing on my rock. It looks like round green leaves. Are they good or bad? Thank you.

[Coral Hind]

It looks like an ulva species of algae. Sometimes called lettuce algae.

[brcolli2]

It looks like an ulva species of algae. Sometimes called lettuce algae.

 

Thank you. Any way to get rid of it?

[Coral Hind]

All herbivores like tangs should eat it. Manually remove and the large parts and bigger hermits might keep it in check. How big is the tank and what all is in it now?

[brcolli2]

All herbivores like tangs should eat it. Manually remove and the large parts and bigger hermits might keep it in check. How big is the tank and what all is in it now?

The tank is 80 gallons. I have a yellow eye kole tang, 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 mandarins, and an anthias ignitus. For clean up crew I have dwarf ceriths, florida ceriths, nerites, and nassarius. The clean up crew was just added this week, but are showing no interest. The kole tang hasn't touched it.

[netpez]

The tank is 80 gallons. I have a yellow eye kole tang, 2 ocellaris clowns, 2 mandarins, and an anthias ignitus. For clean up crew I have dwarf ceriths, florida ceriths, nerites, and nassarius. The clean up crew was just added this week, but are showing no interest. The kole tang hasn't touched it.

 

Strange... I would think the kole tang would love the stuff

Edited March 20, 2013 by netpez

[Coral Hind]

I would let it be unless you just don't like the look of it. To me it adds to the natural look of the tank and it is pretty harmless. The kole tang should start to feed on it as the tank matures and other available algae food sources get used up. Make sure not to over feed the tang so it will graze on the tank algae. Manually removing the leaves as they get big is a good way to export nutrients from the tank.

 

How are your phosphate and nitrate levels?

[brcolli2]

I would let it be unless you just don't like the look of it. To me it adds to the natural look of the tank and it is pretty harmless. The kole tang should start to feed on it as the tank matures and other available algae food sources get used up. Make sure not to over feed the tang so it will graze on the tank algae. Manually removing the leaves as they get big is a good way to export nutrients from the tank.

 

How are your phosphate and nitrate levels?

 

Both phosphate and nitrate is at zero. coral hind, thank you for all your help.