lowfi Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Hey everyone, I've got some Gelidium sp. (some sort of really tough, red brushlike algae) that is creeping via runners on my live rock. It's very nasty and hard to get off. Ive had to pull rocks out and scrub with a metal brush or scrape at the rock with a knife. My hermits and snails wont seem to touch the stuff. Ive read online that emerald crabs might eat this type of algae? Do you think it's worth putting an emerald in the tank? Or do you think the crab will start messing with corals etc.? The types of corals i have in my tank are mainly softies (zoas) and few LPS and a trachy. Ive heard horror stories about crabs so Im worried. Thanks for any tips on this annoying algae! Cheers, Sean Link to comment
snowqueen1974 Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Hey everyone, I've got some Gelidium sp. (some sort of really tough, red brushlike algae) that is creeping via runners on my live rock. It's very nasty and hard to get off. Ive had to pull rocks out and scrub with a metal brush or scrape at the rock with a knife. My hermits and snails wont seem to touch the stuff. Ive read online that emerald crabs might eat this type of algae? Do you think it's worth putting an emerald in the tank? Or do you think the crab will start messing with corals etc.? The types of corals i have in my tank are mainly softies (zoas) and few LPS and a trachy. Ive heard horror stories about crabs so Im worried. Thanks for any tips on this annoying algae! Cheers, Sean Im NO expert, but from what Ive read they are coral munchers. But then I am anti crabs at the moment if u see my post below Link to comment
Arkayology Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Emerald crabs are usually reef safe from what I have read. I am not sure if they will eat that particular algea, but its worth a try. They are cool crabs. My .02cents. Link to comment
lowfi Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 this is what the stuff looks like! wow i thought I had more than 8 posts..i guess ill have to start a journal LOL seems like everyone is really 50-50 on the whole crab thing...makes me worried. my whole tank is basically softies and LPS, i feel like they could do some serious damage. Link to comment
seabass Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Emerald crabs are relatively reef safe (especially when smaller). I'm not sure if they will control that variety of algae or not, but you could try. All crabs are opportunistic feeders, but I wouldn't worry too much. I find that algae can spread as it is grazed upon. You might consider removing the rock and breaking off the piece with the pest algae. The algae can really take hold of the rock, and can be hard to manually remove. Link to comment
Beachbum Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I've had my battles with Gelidium sp. as well, nearly impossible to manually remove. I found the only thing that would control it was a mexican turbo. Link to comment
lowfi Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 ahhh not mexican turbos! they are bulldozers in nanos and they dont do well in tropical temperature waters Link to comment
SaltFish Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 ahhh not mexican turbos! they are bulldozers in nanos and they dont do well in tropical temperature waters So, what happened with your Gelidium? It is spreading in my tank too. Ug! Link to comment
Crazy Tiki Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 +1 I also have gelidium. have read similar reviews on emerald crabs, turbos aren't that bad but the are huge and I worry they will get stuck somewhere and die. Feedback please Link to comment
doctaq Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 i wonder how an urchin would do. i have this as well =(, i wish it were a little bit easier to pick off so that i could seed my turf scrubber with it a little better. i hope that will help, i couldnt get much off so i ended up picking of those little tube worm shells to seed with. this is mainly the last micro algae in my tank so i would really like to get rid of it as well Link to comment
lohitha Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Damn.. I also started seeing Gelidium in my tank and spreading on some rocks. I even had 2 day blackout session last week which wiped out a tiny patch of green hair algae. But, Gelidium was growing on ambient light. I am interested in suggestions as well. I dont want to trade one problem for another. I think Gelidium is sucking nutrients well and starving my Chaeto which used to grow like mad in the past. Link to comment
theatrus Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I've seen emeralds try to pick at mine, but with very minimal impact. Unfortunately its in multiple places in my 90G, so I've just made peace with it. Certain rabbit fish (Siganus virgatus) will eat just about any algae, but none would work in a nano. Link to comment
glazer Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Probably the best luck for ridding it via munching and still be relatively nano friendly would be trochus snails and/or longspine or tuxedo urchins... of course the urchins can get pretty large. You could move them to the sump if you have one or just start pimpin' them. Otherwise it's pretty much the same routine for trying to starve out any other algaes... do everything you can to export nutrients, water changes, a very efficient skimmer, cut back on feeding, etc., etc. I've heard of some having good luck ridding the tank of it by getting the pH up... like 8.5, 8.6 and holding it there for several days. Just be careful to not make any changes quickly...up or down. Steve Link to comment
lohitha Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 I introduced a mexican turbo today. After acclimation, I kept it on the gelidium patch and it doesnt want to eat that stuff. Instead, it is cleaning the rest of the rock. Looks like it doesnt want to eat that stuff yet. Link to comment
skimlessinseattle Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 I've recently annihilated this stuff from my 55g using 3 mexican turbos and 1 blue tuxedo urchin. This particular algae is becomimg way too common on frags advertised in the classified forum here, so look out for it because it is a PITA to get rid of once it takes hold. Once I put the turbos and urchin in the tank, the several large patches I had were gone in a week. Not really sure how well this will work in a traditional nano due to size constraints, but it does work. I can't imagine trying to manually remove that crap. Link to comment
brandon429 Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Thats the #1 nemesis of all time in my opinion. there's nothing more virulent I have ever seen interms of single celled organism death from the rocks rhodophyta growth. started burning my reef growths with blue jet flame cig lighters about 6 years ago as the only way to kill this stuff. now I burn anything during a full water change when the rock is emersed. aiptasias, gone. valonias, gone. hair algae, etc, bad xenia, those who don't burn are taking the long indirect way to population control in the pico or nano. Link to comment
theatrus Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Thats the #1 nemesis of all time in my opinion. there's nothing more virulent I have ever seen interms of single celled organism death from the rocks rhodophyta growth. started burning my reef growths with blue jet flame cig lighters about 6 years ago as the only way to kill this stuff. now I burn anything during a full water change when the rock is emersed. aiptasias, gone. valonias, gone. hair algae, etc, bad xenia, those who don't burn are taking the long indirect way to population control in the pico or nano. That sounds fun Too bad its hard to do in my 90g. Link to comment
goose240 Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 anyone have suggestions if the Gelidium is in a picotope and all over the main rock? Link to comment
brandon429 Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 burn it like mentioned above and it will immediately stop. even if its in a 90 gallon, just drain the tank down to the needed levels or take out the rocks and zap them emersed. either way it will crash a tank normally because you'll want to take it down so these measures are lesser troubles. any infestation of any nuisance organism can be burned when it is first noticed and not after reaching plague proportions. If you will burn it now using one of the jet flame lighters in your 'tope, it will be gone by tomorrow. You don't even have to manually remove it, just zap it hardcore with a few pulses and wait for it to die off it will fully retreat. I can see a retreatment needed if you let it build up bad and the initial zap couldn't get the holdfasts burned from the rock. zapping or burning live rock isn't as detrimental as you'd think...on the space I just zapped last month in my vase, its alreay becoming purple again and two feather dusters landed on the spot..ie recalcification. it was only white for a few weeks and in another month you'd never know I zapped that spot. burning is perfect for pest removal because it works every time without delay or fail. especially when caught early and you are burning a thimble sized growth!!!!! Link to comment
brandon429 Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 need an update hope you tried a smaller flame > Link to comment
Packer Backer Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Thats the #1 nemesis of all time in my opinion. there's nothing more virulent I have ever seen interms of single celled organism death from the rocks rhodophyta growth. started burning my reef growths with blue jet flame cig lighters about 6 years ago as the only way to kill this stuff. now I burn anything during a full water change when the rock is emersed. aiptasias, gone. valonias, gone. hair algae, etc, bad xenia, those who don't burn are taking the long indirect way to population control in the pico or nano. I am considering this option. My emeralds do eat this stuff. They are sloppy eaters though. It floats around all over the place and is now taking hold in my substrate. Did you notice any ammonia/nitrite spikes? Link to comment
brandon429 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 no absolutely none. I also didn't notice any ammonia spikes when a shrimp died in my bowl back in 2003 and I couldn't get it out, just let it rot in the system and get consumed by the eunice worm and the pods. any algae you burn pales in comparison to that loading of protein left to degrade within. plants aren't high in protein...roast away. I will never change from flame removal, its the best Ive seen. zero animals can beat it for being quick and thorough and 100% removal effective in just a couple minutes of singed ends. a little spot is coming back where I burned it in my video on youtube, no big deal will touch up again tonite. all tanks produce algaes both red and green, even in the face of low to no nitrates and phosphates, its natural and this is an unnatural means of cheating that cyclic event on the captive reef way overstocked like we keep em. the only thing that will get me to move away from fire is when I get around to perfecting the laser removal technique...focusing a green or red or violet (not sure which is best) dj fixed laser on an algae spot to bleach it...for now the flame is so fast and so thorough I just stick w that. as you drain the tank to get to the low spots of algae the nice water change accompanying the refill is a nice one/two punch for algae anyway...post pics if you can we like before and after shots! my before and after thread w pics and video of the burning: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=259381 Link to comment
Packer Backer Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 That's good to see you did not get any spikes. I did take out some pieces and burn them the other night. It works amazingly! I was not sure how long I needed to burn the algae. Have you done any experimenting with time of burning? Link to comment
brandon429 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I just did short blips like in the vid. Found that you won't get a huge color change on the colony, be it red or green, until about day 5 when its falling off, thats a nice color Link to comment
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