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FAQs about Red Algae/Rhodophyte Identification 5
Related Articles: Red Algae in General, Coralline
Marine Algae, Avoiding
Algae Problems in Marine System,
Algae Control, Marine
Maintenance, Marine Scavengers, Snails,
Hermit Crabs,
Mithrax/Emerald
Green Crabs, Sea Urchins, Blennies,
Algae Filters, Ctenochaetus/Bristle
Mouth Tangs, Zebrasoma/Sailfin Tangs, Skimmers,
Skimmer Selection, Marine
Algae, Coralline
Algae, Green Algae, Brown
Algae, Blue-Green
"Algae"/(Cyanobacteria), Diatoms,
Brown Algae, Algae as Food,
Related FAQs: Red Algae ID 1, Red Algae ID 2,
Red Algae ID 3,
Red Algae ID 4, & Red Algae 1,
Red Algae 2, Red
Algae 3, Red
Algae in General,
Red Algae 2, Red
Algae 3, Red Algae Behavior,
Red
Algae Compatibility, Red Algae Selection,
Red Algae Systems,
Red
Algae Nutrition, Red Algae Disease,
Red Algae
Reproduction/Propagation,
Coralline Algae,
Marine Macro-Algae, Use in
Aquariums, Algae as Food, Marine Algae ID 1, Marine
Algae ID 2, Marine Algae Control FAQs II,
Marine Algaecide Use, Nutrient
Limitation, Marine Algae Eaters, Culturing
Macro-Algae; Controlling: BGA/Cyano,
Red/Encrusting Algae, Green
Algae, Brown/Diatom Algae,
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Red algae taking over 30g reef
4/27/08
Hi there,
This is my first time asking a question on this site although I've
referred to it many times...amazing resource!
<You are a stranger here but once. Welcome>
I have a 30g reef tank that has been running for just over a year. I
have about 50-60 lbs live rock, 1" aragonite sand base, a Bak Pak
skimmer, 2 MJ900 PHs, and the lighting is 4x39 watt T5HO. I have a
variety of corals, mostly softies (zoos, mushrooms, leathers, GSPs) plus
a Platygyra brain coral and a frogspawn. Most of the corals are doing
pretty well. Lots of coralline on the glass and starting to cover a good
portion of the rocks now. Critters include feather dusters, hermits, a
variety of snails (Nassarius, Astraea, Cerith and Nerite), a serpent
star, a cleaner shrimp and 2 fish, a Pygmy angelfish and a Falco
Hawkfish. Until just recently I also had a 6 line wrasse but he went
carpet surfing despite the egg-crate on the tank :-( I do biweekly 5
gallon water changes, my SW is made with DI water and Reef Crystals.
<Sounds/reads very nice>
My problem is a nuisance red macroalgae that is taking over my tank. I
can't seem to find any pictures online that resemble this stuff close
enough to make an ID. It's driving me nuts.....shading and bothering
some of the corals and catches lots of detritus. I yank out as much as I
can but it grows on everything, including the glass, the powerheads as
well as the rocks. Interestingly, some rocks in the tank seem to be more
affected by it, while others are relatively clean.
<A clue... what sorts of properties here would favor the algae? Or
disfavor it on the others?>
I have 4 rocks that came from Tampa Bay saltwater and they do not have
any of this stuff on them. I don't know what I can do to get this stuff
under control; my tank is too small for a tang, and none of my current
critters will touch it. Was thinking of Turbos or maybe an urchin but
I'd really like to get an ID on this stuff before I make any bad
decisions involving a critter.
Pic attached.....thank you for your help!
-Brooke
<Is almost certainly a "true" Rhodophyte... my guess is on the genus
Fauchea, or of its Order. Please see here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/redalgae.htm
and the linked files above re Control (Compatibility). Bob Fenner>
Brooke Longval
Marine Ecosystems Research Laboratory
Graduate School of Oceanography
University of Rhode Island
Narragansett, RI 02882 |
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mystery growth – 03/20/08
Hi,
<Mike>
I have searched in vain for something to help me ID this red growth. My
clowns seem to like it and it's off in a corner of my reef and growing
slowly. Any ideas?
Mike
<Is a Rhodophyte, a Red Algae... perhaps a Rhodymenia... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/redalgidfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> |
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Please help ID this:
Nemastoma - 2/24/08
Hi WWM crew,
<Good evening, Mitch!>
I noticed some type of growth from my live rock in the last few weeks,
and wanted to see if you had any thoughts as to what it may be. <Okay> I
first thought it was a macro algae,
<Heeee! First impressions are often correct!>
..but it looks more like an animal, with its sheen and what looks like
cell structure. Tank (180) is doing great, SPS growing well, all levels
good. I am thinking this is a good thing, just have no clue what the new
life is.
<It’s a red algae called Nemastoma, and I think very pretty! Please see
the FAQ/photo at this link under the title “Red Algae IDs 8/2/03” for
comparison:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/redalgfaqs.htm >
Thanks for your thoughts.......
Mitch
<You’re very welcome! Take care, -Lynn> |
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ID please:
Rhodophyta - 1/5/08
Hello Crew,
<Hi Kelsey!>
After much searching, I have not been able to figure out this "weed"
that has been growing rampantly in my tank. First, tank specs: The tank
is a 24"x24"x20"h lit with 250W HQI. I have a refugium, skimmer and
closed loop with an OM 4-way and carbon running in a reactor. The Live
Rock was ordered from Fiji in April uncured. I cured the rock in bins
and set up the tank in July. I have been manually removing as much as
possible but this stuff is everywhere.
<Yikes!>
Any help as to what it is good or bad, and what the proper control for
it would be greatly appreciated.
<It looks like a Rhodophyte of some variety. I saw a couple of photos of
Acanthophora spicifera that looked similar
(http://www.sms.si.edu/irLspec/Acanth_spicif.htm), but there are other
possibilities as well (Hypnea, Laurencia, Chondria). All are known to be
around Fiji. Bottom line is that in your case, this species is invasive
and you need to get the upper hand on it!>
Is there any biological control or just manual removal?
<Best thing to do is track down/eliminate the root cause of the rampant
growth. Make sure you’ve got your nutrient level under control and
employ aggressive manual removal. Please see this link, as well as,
related links at the top re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/avoidingalgaeproblesm.htm .>
As always, thanks for your insight and time.
<You’re very welcome! I know what it’s like to fight an invasive algae.
It can be frustrating and time consuming, but with enough determination
you’ll get through it!>
Kelsey Azar
Houston, TX
<Take care –Lynn> |
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Red / Purple/
Maroon Hair Algae? Nutrient Control 11/15/2007
Hi WWM crew.
<Hello Jurgen, Mich with you tonight.>
I've been reading and your site for a while now, and has given me tons
of information when I was setting up my first reef tank.
<Glad you have benefited.>
It's been almost a year now, and it seems to be doing great.
<Happy to hear!>
But now, I need some expert help and guidance myself.
<OK.>
I've got this annoying algae growing in a few spots. It started to
appear in some very high flow areas at first (sump return area, on the
rocks in front of my closed loop outlets)
but in the last couple of weeks I see it appear in some other random
spots on my rocks. It's not growing very fast, but it is slowly but
surely growing.
<Happens.>
so far, nothing seems to make it go away.
<Nutrient control is usually the key. Some suggestions here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/scottsh2ochgart.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/watchgantart.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/refugium.htm >
my water parameters seem to be all right.
<Vague.>
- 90-gallon tank, with 29g sump.
- EV180 skimmer
- plenty of random water movement using an oceans motions device and
some small MaxiJet placed inside the tank.
- 8 x 54W T5 lighting; 4 bulbs (two actinic, one aquablue, one actinic+)
on for 8 hours a day, all 8 (two more aquablue and two more actinic+) on
for 5 hours)
- do a "reasonable" water change every weekend, sometimes (depending on
my schedule) every other weekend.
- only use RO/DI water that tests at 0
- nitrates tested <5 mg/L (Hagen Nutrafin kit)
- phosphates tested undetectable (Salifert kit)
- SG is 1.025
- temp is steady at 78F 24/7
All my corals (LPS, SPS, zoas, mushrooms) seem to be doing just great.
<Good.>
I barely have any hair algae at all (lawnmower blenny starved to death
unfortunately)
<Very sad. I'm sorry for you both.>
The only algae that I seem to be able to grow is this nasty purple
stuff, and some bubble algae, which my emerald crabs won't eat either,
but that is not as annoying right now.
<Keep on top of the Valonia, it can become problematic.>
none of my herbivores seem to even look at it either;
<Not surprising.>
I have a few scarlet hermits, a few blue-legged hermits, Cerith and
Astraea snails (I believe one of the Astraea had this red hair on the
shell when I got them, getting it into my tank that way)
<Many possibilities.>
emerald crabs don't look at it, Tomini tang doesn't look at it...
<OK.>
I don't feed very much, and not very often. three to four times a week,
one cube of frozen food (nicely rinsed first) and some live brine every
now and then.
<The brine have little to no nutritional value.>
some pellet food every now and then, but more as a snack, nothing to
fill them up with.
<OK.>
I'm attaching two images, I hope you can help me out and point me in the
right direction to get rid of this stuff, before it takes over the tank.
<Looks like red hair algae, possibly Polysiphonia.>
PS: yesterday, I threw two things in my sump,
<Hmm, hopefully they were things that belonged there!>
just in case it might help, as I don't think that it will hurt at this
point.
- a bag of Kent Phosphate sponge (the ceramic type media) will replace
that one tonight with a new batch.
- a 100ml bag of Purigen (will leave that one in there until it starts
to discolor)
Best regards,
Jurgen.
<Please next time use proper capitalization, i.e. "I" not "I"
Cheers,
Mich> |
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Gracilaria Questions, species IDs
9/6/07
Hi Crew,
Let me start off with the obligatory "you guys rock" complement (because you
do).
<Haha thanks>
I've asked you a handful of questions since I started reefing and have always
been given solid advice. I always feel a bit intrusive about asking another
question, but I promise I looked high and low for the answer to this one. If I
never see another scientific paper again, it'll be too soon. I'm hoping others
will find this question useful to them. <:-)>
So here goes. What's the difference between Gracilaria parvispora and Gracilaria
Pacifica?
<Not much. They're very similar and both have the same common name "Ogo." They
branch a little differently and are each more common in different areas
(Gracilaria parvispora is from Hawaii).>
Is one better for tangs than the other?
<I highly doubt it.>
I'd like to switch the macro I use for nutrient export over to Gracilaria
<probably a bad idea>
(currently using Chaeto) but not sure which to go with (or if it even matters?)
I plan on feeding some of the extra growth to my tangs and blue-faced angel, who
all eat tons of Nori at the moment.
<Aquaculture of this stuff is difficult. The mariculture farms that grow it
float baskets of it in ocean water.>
I know Indo-Pacific Reef Farms is always highly recommended, and they seem to be
the only ones that carry G. parvispora, but it's really expensive!
<Hmm... G. parvispora is common. It's eaten by people too. Try looking for
"Ogo.">
Every other online dealer I've found carries G. Pacifica at reasonable prices
but no G. parvispora in sight except for at IPSF.
Should I save my money or is there a reason to splurge on G. parvispora?
<Unless you're going to eat it yourself, I see no reason to insist on G.
parvispora.>
Also, any quick tips on growing? I plan on putting it where my Chaeto currently
is, which sees about 1200gph tumbling in from the display above-very turbulent
and bubbly. For lighting I'm currently using a 32W 6500k fluorescent screw-in
about three inches from the water's surface.
It has a good reflector, and I run it on a 12 hour photo period. In case you
ask, I have a clear acrylic lid between the light and the water so it doesn't
splash up.
<See above. I wouldn't even bother trying to grow it in a home aquarium.>
Best to you all,
Wes Shive
<Best,
Sara M.>
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