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Detrimental Caulerpa/Alga?


giant squid

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I have been seeing this type of "purple caulerpa" around shops in town and for a pretty price, while i throw it away by the handfuls to stop it from taking over my tank. i cannot find information on this, including the Delbeek/Sprung series and Borneman books. I think this might be something bad that is finding it's way into the tanks of many aquarists, and i just want to make sure it doesn't continue if this is a bad thing.

 

Has anyone seen this stuff???

 

Purple branching macroalgae that "breaks" off by ripping it out...

 

if i had a camera i would post a pic.

 

Anyone?

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well ive got a type of red grape that as you know is in the rose tank is it the same? anyhow most algaes decretive or not if givin right conditions can take over some more evasive then others if its like mine or for that matter any of the red types ive kept in the past tangs, foxface species have made short order of it if your trying to rid the tank of it but honestly these types are usally hard to keep and are needing a specail requirements to do well some needing low nutrient levels to flourish ware others need high nutrient levels to do well but like i said ive found the red types are really favored by algae eating fish so hope this helped.

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Hey,

 

thanks for the ideas, but i don't think we've quite figured it out yet, it is not similar to Botryocladia in color or shape, it is more like a deep purple not reddish burgandy, and it "branches out" in it's shape.

 

Again my concern is that this is finding it's way into reef tanks without caution, and i can't seem to find it really anywhere at all, i guess hobbyists will find out the hard way if this cannot be Identified.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Any other ideas out there?

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It's neither the Botryocladia sp. or the Gracilaria sp. from what i can tell. I am expecting a digital camera in the mail in the next week so i will post a pic of it for all to see, but so far we have not figured out what it is, only that it grows insanely fast covering and sheltering light from coral, possibly having a deleterious effect on the coral.

 

People seem to be buying this stuff like crazy cuz of it's appeal, but no one seems to know what it is, at least around my neck of the woods.

 

It's tougher than Botryocladia sp. or the Gracilaria sp. and it "breaks" apart when you pull it out, it's a very firm and soft but solid macro alga/caulerpa that is intense purple.

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I have been seeing this type of "purple caulerpa" around shops in town and for a pretty price, while i throw it away by the handfuls to stop it from taking over my tank. i cannot find information on this, including the Delbeek/Sprung series and Borneman books. I think this might be something bad that is finding it's way into the tanks of many aquarists, and i just want to make sure it doesn't continue if this is a bad thing.

 

Has anyone seen this stuff???

 

Purple branching macroalgae that "breaks" off by ripping it out...

 

if i had a camera i would post a pic.

 

Anyone?

Is this getting any closer? I still don't have an ID. It is usually sold under the name "Red Kelp"

 

redmacro.jpg

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Eureka!!!

 

That last one was it, that's the stuff all right. What is it??? A friend of mine battled that stuff for several months, and said it took over his tank, sheltering corals from light, and had to deal with it about everyday or else his corals would be covered in the stuff.

 

What is it?

 

Thanks!

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The stuff doesn't grow that fast and I have only distributed it to 2 people in town. It is just like most macro algaes so if you don't keep it in check it will grow but tangs love the stuff so it could easily be eliminated from the tank. Has that digital camera of yours come in yet I would love to see some pictures of this in your friends tank.

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Sorry, didn't mean to sound like i was attacking anyone for potentially poisoning hobbyists reef tanks, i was just concerned for the sake of the hobbyist.

 

I work at Liquid Sunshine tropical fish and briefly battled this stuff when my buddy told me his horror story about it when he noticed it in our tanks. As the hobby is arbitrary, is sounds like we've had different experiences with it then some of you have.

 

Sean has a great retail storefront as well as a wonderful website that offer a myriad of high end corals for a great price, and i totally support what you are doing and think Cichlids and Salt is a rad place to shop.

 

Again my concern was for the hobbyist, and since there seems to be little information on this "alga" i wanted to be sure it was okay for reef aquaria.

 

If anyone does find out what this stuff is, i would love to know.

 

Thanks for all the great feedback and response to this topic...(rock2)

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Ochtodes secundiramea from Florida south to French Guinea. It is found in moderately turbulent areas 1-5 M deep. Described on page 176 of "Marine Plants of the Caribbean" by Littler and Littler. Can be invasive in some peoples tanks, others have a hard time growing it. Per pound it is one of the most expensive aquacultured macroalgae.

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