Algae covering Star Polyps

Hey guys,

I purchased some star polyps a few months back, and they were beautiful! There was a small area which was covered with this dark green/black algae, but it did not effect the polyps from extending, so I left it alone. They have been wonderful up until a couple of days ago. I did a water change, as I always do, everything was fine as usual, except all the sudden I noticed, while the polyps were retracted, that the algae has spread all over the rock, with a few places unaffected. Those areas which do not have the algae extend without a problem, but now the areas that do have it will not extend.

Does anyone know what it is, and what I can do to somehow remove it? Ill try to get a pic when I get home today, but I wanted to ask now just incase anyone had any ideas...

I have not purchased any new livestock recently, and doing regular maintenance, all perimeters are fine.....everything else is free of algae.

Any suggestions? Can it be saved?

 

What kind of algae is it? Can you blow it off?

J

 

I kinda had the same crap growing on my pipe organ. It was a black type of film growin over them and it caused the affected polyps to retract and stay in. I tried blowing it off with the baster but a bunch remained. Fearing that this thing would spread and possibly kill off my colony, I decided to take the frag out and scrub it gently (as pipe organ is rather delicate) and brush it off and dip it in clean water. I successfully scrubbed it off and they started coming out in about a week.

If you do resort to using the toothbrush method, the polyps will get scared and might not come out the next day. They may take 2-5 days to fully come out again as I'm pretty sure they get scared to death while you brush them.

 

Yes, I have this on my sunburst star polyps...ugh the whole colony got it at once...i have brushed it off but...not that much becasue it is attatched to the rockwork...looser now so im going to try and frag some. I supose its a lose win situation...i lost most of the coral...bad...but it wasnt the nicest coral. I have another colony of green star polyps that are very nice...these were more brown :S

 

I tried to blow it off, but it didnt work....so I brush it off with a toothbrush in fresh SW? Gently of course....okay, Ill try that. Thanks guys, Ill let cha know how it goes...thanks!