macro algae (nuisance)

[johnqx4]

Hi All,

I got a piece of live rock from the LFS about a year ago. At the time it had several items on it that I wanted, but that has been replaced.

Now, growing on it (and everywhere else in the tank is a small "plant" it is about two inches tall, a little thicker than a pencil lead (1/8 th of an inch or so) and it looks like a green and white candy cane. it is green at the top (the "candy cane" curve) and white at the bottom. it is "crisp" and I don't know what it is. I brought some at the last meeting and showed a couple of folks and one said that it was probably a macro algae that consumed calcium (hence the stiff and crispness).

I can do pictures later, but based on what I have said: Any ideas? Does anything like to eat this? It has not spread to my sump or other tank, but it is thriving in this one.

Thanks,

johnny

 

[johnqx4]

bump

 

[humptrax]

banish the rock to the sump if you don't want it growing in your display.

sounds like halimeda. it's one of the best nutrient exporting macros. it's easy to control because it grows slow, and relatively hardy, as long as your calcium levels are right and you have decent lighting.

i don't see why you'd want to kill halimeda. before this huge cheato craze in the fuge, experts swore by the plant as one of the best macros for a fuge.

 

[humptrax]

could be a rooting, newly developing plant... there are 30 different species of halimeda.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/nftt/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-04/nftt/index.php</a>

i really don't know of any other calcareous macro algae outside of halimeda. a calcareous micro algae would be coralline but we know that's not it...

wet web media?

 

[reefknight]

I had a couple of rocks that sounds like the same type you are describing. I broke it off everytime it got about an inch long, eventually it stopped growing. I have seen a couple of threads that have stated that this became a problem for them, I don't know the exact details though. When you snap the top off it appears white, and under light the entire piece looks green right?

 

[humptrax]

reefknight;151031 wrote: I broke it off everytime it got about an inch long, eventually it stopped growing.

i wouldn't suggest doing this until you figure out what you have in hand. you could release thousands of spores into the water and have these things growing on every piece of rock...theoretically, of course. :tongue2:

just be careful. there are lots of cases of tank crashes due to macro algae spores.

 

[ralph atl]

also check this sight out:

 

[ralph atl]

just keep plucking

 

[johnqx4]

Thanks so much to everyone.

Looks like it is pretty harmless, just a bit of a pain. The bright side is that if it is doing well the tank is in good shape and calcium levels are good. Maybe I will slide some of the live rock in the sump and cut its light to control it. That and a little picking

Thanks all...