my forever nuisance algae

[MarineTeng]

i found an article on it randomly but they couldn't identify it, so i thought someone here might be able to

something i just thought of is, it might go more red when in lower salinity, i keep mine as far as i know on the higher side like 1.027-1.029 but this stuff when fw is dumped on it goes bright red, a lot of things nibble at it, nothing really eats it, i might try an urchin next. I figure if i can possibly identify it i can then perhaps find a natural predator
thanks for your help,
Andrew

 

[wrightme43]

pg 58 of j. sprungs algae book. This is a possibility.
Halymenia is slippery
or
Cryptonemia if its not slippery
attached at a central holdfast? is a identifing mark.
Surgeon fish or diadema urchin are supposed controls.

 

[wrightme43]

I did a google search for it, and none of them match perfect the branching structure, but it pretty close. Sorry.

 

[MarineTeng]

ya, thanks for the thought, i don't think that this is it, unless they won't grow to be thicker in my size of aquarium, as for slipperyness i can't tell since the branches stay round and don't become flat like either of the genus's above i don't know how to identify things scientifically though
i'm going to check the center holdfast, i think it is though, it doesn't matter if it spreads in my tank anymore it won't affect much now
o another note, it needs high light, only grows on the top of things, won't grow in fuge with a 13w compact fluorescent and a 20w standard aquarium bulb, also i dies underneath rocks i put in, a possible kill method? unforunately taking out light will probably kill corals too

 

[wrightme43]

If its round then thats not it. Sorry. Thought it was worth a shot though. LOL Wish I could of been more help.

 

[MarineTeng]

i looked, it does only attach at one point, but they grow really really close together

 

[MarineTeng]

anyone else have any thoughts or knowledge about this algae

 

[fishcrazee]

It's sort of pretty, can you just prune it to keep it back or does it grow that fast?

 

[MarineTeng]

it grows fast, and everywhere, between zoos that are right next to each other, but pruning it only spreads it more, though you're not the first one to say that, someone on rc wanted it for their seahorse tank since they have no corals, i think it maybe high light only though.... well not standard FO lights anyways, i still want to figure out what it's name is then perhaps a method will come that's biological

 

[gman0526]

Google rhodophytes and dictyota, surely looks like that. If in fact it is R or D this algae thrives in low nutrient environment also, kinda of a hard algae to kill off.

 

[MarineTeng]

kinda looks like both of them, but the second one has a flat part whereas this one stays round in it's branches, the rhodophyties is really flat and i don't think that's it thanks for the thought though, it's a really mysterious algae

 

[NaH2O]

MarineTeng - any chance of you taking a big piece of this out and taking a closer pic of it, in a container or on a white paper towel? I'd like to look at its branching and get a closer look at the ends and edges of it.

 

[MarineTeng]

better late then never, i'll try and get a pick

 

[MarineTeng]

alright here's the pics i got tonight

here they are, got several close ups in and out of tank

 

[MarineTeng]

they do kinda root into the rocks a bit but it's really hard to get them out of the rocks with the roots, so i can't tell if i got them or not really

 

[MarineTeng]

here's a bump on this thread, it's still around though emerald crabs seem to help keep it at bay a little, or maybe it's the 50 blue leg hermits i added, i've heard mention of a tang or angel perhaps that eats this stuff

 

[NaH2O]

Hmmm - I'm glad you bumped this thread. I completely spaced trying to ID this algae. Well, what I was able to find so far...my first guess would be a Lomentaria sp. most specifically Lomentaria corallicola, which I couldn't find an image online. It looks similar to Lomentaria hakodatensis, but its tips are much more rounded, like in your photo. The key characteristics listed are: Branches creeping and erect, extremely arched; Tips bluntly rounded. Maybe someone else will have some other ideas, too.

 

[Skimmy]

it looks like it would be good for a refugium

 

[Boomer]

Nikki

Every book seems to lead me to Laurencia sp, decumbens, filiformis. To me the closest is L decumbens. See what you get.

Marine

Those are really good pics, to bad you did not put in a scale, like a dime or nickle.

edit Nikki;
Just saw your post, can't be those, not structured growing right

 

[MarineTeng]

i'll go do that right now, the scale picture