Macro Algae Issue

[rcracer20071]

Macro algae is growing like a weed in my main tank. Can I get something to eat it?

 

[Donya]

What kind of macroalgae? Some are more readily eaten than others. Generally large Gastropods (like a very large Turbinid or a sea hare, as well as tiger cowries) will eat most softer types of macroalgae, but they may not eat much of some varieties of Caulerpa. Some sea urchins are also very good macro sinks, but they are the larger collector types that are not well-suited to all tanks. 

 

[rcracer20071]

Hi,
sorry for the delay, I have found a pic most resembing my macro algae, please help as its driving me mad, as much as I pull it out, it just comes back again in a few weeks.
 

 

[rcracer20071]

Hi guys any ideas on this tis driving me mad

 

[rcracer20071]

Would a mithrax crab help or a sea urchin?

 

[Donya]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this. I would do two things: prune manually to get it down to a reasonable level and then add an herbivore. From how large the stems are in the picture, I would recommend that when you prune it, you don't just go in and rip it. Find a stem that will break off a decent chunk and pinch it hard for 30sec or so and then tear off (to try to get the macro to close its vascular system off before you break it). 
 
Mithrax crabs are a good place to start herbivore-wise on stuff with thick stems like this, but you'd probably only want one (they can be territorial), hence why I recommend going at it by hand at first. Just make sure you don't force a Mithrax into exclusively eating the stuff or they will exhibit their more omnivorous tendencies on tankmates. They need some meat every now and then to be healthy. Urchins are also great grazers, but the common species in the trade that are good for that also carry stuff - so that's something to keep in mind if you have any little things that you want to remain in place. Also, Mespillia globulus (tuxedo), which stay smallest, may not eat this species. I'm pretty sure Tripneustes gratilla (sometimes also called tuxedo, but also other common names) would chow down on it, but they get quite a lot bigger than M. globulus.

 

[rcracer20071]

Unfortunately I have had bad experience with Mithrax crabs as I had one that started eating my fish. I lost 4 fish in a month, I started losing fish as soon as I added it and stopped when I took it out. In the end I have trimmed it down as far as I could and tried blacking out the tank for a week which nearly killed my coral. It helped and killed off some of it but not all and then it started growing back.
 
This issue has been such a pain as it has ruined this hobby for me recently, I had the tank looking so great before this issue started and took 3 years to get it to this point.
 
I have now removed all live rock and placed into dark plastic containers and plan to remove water to dry it out. As far as I know the macro algae has not gone sexual, I know this will kill my live rock but I cannot see any other alternative. I have taken all my coral off the rocks and will leave in my tank. Do you think this will finally kill the macro algae or do you think that when I add the rock back in two months time that it will simply find a way to grow back?
 
Below is a picture of my tank before I removed the rock.