Ice Algae Growth Instead of Hair?

[Aeros]

I've finally gotten my screen going. Took much longer than my first build by months. Perhaps I didn't rough up the canvas enough. Either way the hair algae in my DT is on it's way out.

I've read it here before that algae is algae and will work, but hair is optimal.

I have what I've heard called "ice" algae growing pretty damn thick the last two cleanings.

I've followed the recommended "scrape off everything" to the canvas while leaving only GHA bits.

Two things: it's odd that this algae should dominate (I'm talking two inches a side) in so short of time, I have none in my DT, just GHA. Also, it's easier to clean than GHA.

Any comments, conjecture would help ease my mind.

Set-up is DIY acrylic, 4 CFL floods. 8x10 screen with ~800gph.

[salty joe]

What K temp CFLs are you using?

[Floyd R Turbo]

What is Ice algae?

[SantaMonica]

Must be "iceberg" algae, named after iceberg lettuce. It's like easter basket stuffing, and is even better than hair algae because of the large spaces for flow. That's why it's 2" thick. I get it too sometimes.

[Floyd R Turbo]

Oh yeah, I've gotten that stuff before too. I didn't know what to call it. It does grow thick.

[Aeros]

Yeah, this stuff is def kicking ass. There's is a noticeable drop off in GHA in DT since this stuff took over the screen.

I have 4 CFLs rated at 23w @ 2.3k temp.

Flow is insane over most of the screen. But on half of a side just trickles along. Still grows ice, but not as much. I'll post a pic when I clean tomorrow.

Also, until recently I've had to let the screen go past 7 days to clean. More like 10 +. Maybe a factor.

Thanks for the input and assurance 8)

[Aeros]

I think I ID it as Valonia aegagropila

"forms small, densely packed, single-cell bladders with a tendency towards a long, distorted, curved-sausage shape. The dark- to olive green, clear vesicles, grow to about ½ inch length and maybe 1/6 inch width. The vesicles are NOT singular, branching off into successive tiers of bladders, up to five sprouting from the top of each. This branching can be difficult to detect visually, given the often very tight clustering of the vesicles. This alga is found widespread in the Western Pacific from Australia up to Japan, throughout the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, about the Canary Islands in the Atlantic and into the Mediterranean The dense packing of vesicles can make careful manual removal of them difficult, though the anchorage to substrate is only moderate on strength."

Source: http://vegasreefers.com/forums/showthre ... ..../page4 (http://vegasreefers.com/forums/showthread.php?768-macro-algae-index....../page4)

[SantaMonica]

Not what I was thinking of at all.

[Rumpy Pumpy]

Source: http://vegasreefers.com/forums/showthre ... ..../page4 (http://vegasreefers.com/forums/showthread.php?768-macro-algae-index....../page4)


That's an interesting "index of macro algae"

Perhaps we could have something similar for algae types found growing on scubbers?

[Aeros]

Yeah, I couldn't find a pic or reference to ice. I read a post here that long ago that called this ice so naturally...

Anyway, this stuff is great. Better for cleaning IMO. And it's a fast, thick grower.

@ rumpy:

I have a macro algae in my DT that I can't ID, there are two "fronds" that look like sprouts of some kind.

Anyway, a macro algae ID sticky would be helpful and interesting. I'd contribute 8)

No pics today, too damn nice out. Taking the dog swimming!

[Floyd R Turbo]

I think that's the stuff that srusso is getting on his screen. I'll have to point him to this thread