Getting rid of grassy stuff???

[Kevin]

Hello everyone,

I have recently come across a grassy weed-like thing growing into my star
polyps. It may have come from a piece of mushroom rock I recently added.
It has managed to attach itself to the polyp rock and is now spreading into
the polyps, smothering them. It appears to grow in patches and is very
fine, green 1/2 inch long 'bristles', like fine grass. It is not leafy, or
slimy. What remains of my cleaner crew does not appear to be eating it...
or not eating it fast enough.

What is this grassy thing and how do I get rid of it. I have spoken with
several local fish stores but everyone seems to have a different solution.

I have a 20 gallon tank with various mushrooms, various polyps, a leather, a
large feather duster, and a carnation coral. I beleive there are approx 4-6
astrea snails, 5-7 misc hermit crabs, one brittle star, and one CBS that
survived the late part of the cycling process a year ago (originally
purchased a cleaner crew package from an online vendor). There is also one
bicolor damsel that I can't catch (again from the early tank cycling
process). I have a CPR skimmer, 96 watts of PC lighting, and the temp is
usually 76-78F. I do a 20% water change every 2-3 weeks. bright pink
coraline algea is everywhere. I do not have a water chemistry kit as I
assume the 20% water change and skimmer should take care of most water
quality problems.

[Knowleman]

I have had the same grassy stuff and recently, it has started to get
worse - it is now growing on the sand bed too. The variety I have
appears to spread by just extending the lawn inch by inch and by
reaching out with what looks like tubular extensions.

I bought a phosphate kit which gives a reading of 0.5ppm. Is this high?
I use only RO water so not sure where the phosphate is coming from.

I was also considering a lawnmower or flymo blenny, but not sure if it
will co-exist with our dot-dash blenny as he is a bit "opinionated"
about anything new put into the tank.

Thoughts on the "grassy stuff" and blenny proposal would be welcome.

The
Kevin wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I have recently come across a grassy weed-like thing growing into my
star
> polyps. It may have come from a piece of mushroom rock I recently
added.
> It has managed to attach itself to the polyp rock and is now
spreading into
> the polyps, smothering them. It appears to grow in patches and is
very
> fine, green 1/2 inch long 'bristles', like fine grass. It is not
leafy, or
> slimy. What remains of my cleaner crew does not appear to be eating
it...
> or not eating it fast enough.
>
> What is this grassy thing and how do I get rid of it. I have spoken
with
> several local fish stores but everyone seems to have a different
solution.
>
> I have a 20 gallon tank with various mushrooms, various polyps, a
leather, a
> large feather duster, and a carnation coral. I beleive there are
approx 4-6
> astrea snails, 5-7 misc hermit crabs, one brittle star, and one CBS
that
> survived the late part of the cycling process a year ago (originally
> purchased a cleaner crew package from an online vendor). There is
also one
> bicolor damsel that I can't catch (again from the early tank cycling
> process). I have a CPR skimmer, 96 watts of PC lighting, and the
temp is
> usually 76-78F. I do a 20% water change every 2-3 weeks. bright
pink
> coraline algea is everywhere. I do not have a water chemistry kit as
I
> assume the 20% water change and skimmer should take care of most
water
> quality problems.

[kryppy]

On Mon, 6 Dec 2004 09:57:32 -0700, "Kevin"
> wrote:

>Hello everyone,
>
>I have recently come across a grassy weed-like thing growing into my star
>polyps. It may have come from a piece of mushroom rock I recently added.
>It has managed to attach itself to the polyp rock and is now spreading into
>the polyps, smothering them. It appears to grow in patches and is very
>fine, green 1/2 inch long 'bristles', like fine grass. It is not leafy, or
>slimy. What remains of my cleaner crew does not appear to be eating it...
>or not eating it fast enough.


Sounds like green hair algee to me. I caught my newly discovered
decorator crabs eating some of it last night. Maybe they were just
sticking on their bodies.

Lower your nitrates and phosphates and it should go away.

[DD]

Sounds like hair algae. The following should reduce phosphates which is a
limiting nutrient for their growth -

1. Keep doing water changes
2. Get some "Phosban" or similar phosphate removing compound
3. Reduce feeding
4. Reduce lighting temporarily while the problem persists




"Kevin" > wrote in message
...
> Hello everyone,
>
> I have recently come across a grassy weed-like thing growing into my star
> polyps. It may have come from a piece of mushroom rock I recently added.
> It has managed to attach itself to the polyp rock and is now spreading
> into
> the polyps, smothering them. It appears to grow in patches and is very
> fine, green 1/2 inch long 'bristles', like fine grass. It is not leafy,
> or
> slimy. What remains of my cleaner crew does not appear to be eating it...
> or not eating it fast enough.
>
> What is this grassy thing and how do I get rid of it. I have spoken with
> several local fish stores but everyone seems to have a different solution.
>
> I have a 20 gallon tank with various mushrooms, various polyps, a leather,
> a
> large feather duster, and a carnation coral. I beleive there are approx
> 4-6
> astrea snails, 5-7 misc hermit crabs, one brittle star, and one CBS that
> survived the late part of the cycling process a year ago (originally
> purchased a cleaner crew package from an online vendor). There is also one
> bicolor damsel that I can't catch (again from the early tank cycling
> process). I have a CPR skimmer, 96 watts of PC lighting, and the temp is
> usually 76-78F. I do a 20% water change every 2-3 weeks. bright pink
> coraline algea is everywhere. I do not have a water chemistry kit as I
> assume the 20% water change and skimmer should take care of most water
> quality problems.
>
>

[kryppy]

On Tue, 07 Dec 2004 08:29:13 -0500, kryppy > wrote:

>On Mon, 6 Dec 2004 09:57:32 -0700, "Kevin"
> wrote:
>
>>Hello everyone,
>>
>>I have recently come across a grassy weed-like thing growing into my star
>>polyps. It may have come from a piece of mushroom rock I recently added.
>>It has managed to attach itself to the polyp rock and is now spreading into
>>the polyps, smothering them. It appears to grow in patches and is very
>>fine, green 1/2 inch long 'bristles', like fine grass. It is not leafy, or
>>slimy. What remains of my cleaner crew does not appear to be eating it...
>>or not eating it fast enough.
>
>
>Sounds like green hair algee to me. I caught my newly discovered
>decorator crabs eating some of it last night. Maybe they were just
>sticking on their bodies.

UPDATE: They have cleared an entire rock of it. They seem to love it.


>Lower your nitrates and phosphates and it should go away.
>