macro algea in main tank

[MakoMan36]

all of a sudden i got sea grapes and some other macro algea growing out from one of my LR ,and now its out of control . i can see a massive growing in 1 day so im worry about its taking over the tank . so my question is if i remove those algea are my tank gonna crash or water quality change?

[tinyreef]

i'd doubt it would crash or even bother things alot. the algae may release some cytoplasm (or whatever they call it) as they break but other than that addition of bio-matter (eliminte with a skimmer or carbon) it shouldn't be an issue.

 

you should always keep algae in-check as they can inhibit coral growth (chemically and physically). overgrowth by some caulerpas may result in sporation(sp?), i.e. going sexual. some corals do this too by bailing out or pinching themselves off the mother colony and drifting to better pastures. hth

[SDMike]

Originally posted by GOT REEF. AI

all of a sudden i got  sea grapes and some other macro algea growing out from one of my LR ,and now its out of control . i can see a massive growing in 1 day so im worry about its taking over the tank . so my question is if i remove those algea are my tank gonna crash or water quality change?

 

There's people out there LOOKING for this kind of stuff. You can always bag it and give it away. People will usually pay for shipping. There's probably new reef addicts that need an algae fix somewhere local too.

 

Mike

[MakoMan36]

thanks for the reply .yea i notice the xenia was running away from these algea.i have another question ,is this a sign of too much nutrients ?

[Aiptasia]

Possibly. Caulerpa algaes will dissolve DOC before it has a chance to make it to the nitrogen cycle, as well as utilize ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphates.

 

I keep DOC algaes in my tanks and my corals do fine with them in there. The main one I have to pinch back each week is Caulerpa prolifera, but I also keep penecillium (paintbrush) algae, Ulva sea lettuce, Halimeda, Gracillus red algae and red mangroves (hardly an algae) in my reef tanks.

 

With that much macroalgae, microalgaes (problematic algaes) have a really hard time competing for nutrients as long as I keep the algaes pruned back. I also like to run a little carbon and purigen in my tanks for a few days each week to absorb anything the algaes may have secreted into the water.

 

On the whole, DOC algaes are a reefkeeper's godsend. They can rapildy help you control nitrate, and if you keep the caulerpa pruned back, it won't go sexual on you. Just pinch it back to a 12" length once a week.