printerdown01 Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 Well here is the deal... I have a red sinewy algae that has slowly taken over my tank. It was imported into my nano about a year and a half ago. It grew relatively slowly and was actually quite attractive. It looks very similar to this: It has however become a problem. This stuff firmly roots itself into the rock or coral base (the bane of my existence at this point). It is quite difficult to remove... It seems that once it is anchored it is nearly impossible to get rid of. If I clear a rock it simply seems to sprout from the holes where it had been anchored. As it grows it attaches in a multitude of locations, very similar to a strawberry plant (or any other terrestrial ground cover for that matter). I am hoping that someone out there has and idea of how to get rid of this stuff. Pulling this stuff manually does not seem to be effective. I have tried gowing it in my fuge, hoping that the growth in my fuge would be accelerated compaired to the growth in my main tank, starving out the algae in the main tank. However, it does not grow NEARLY fast enough in my refugium to starve out the algae in my main tank (this was attempted several months ago). Anyone out there ever had to rid their tanks of something similar? And a cuveball: I probably can't use a fish to clear it out, because I house a very agressive maroon clown X) . Link to comment
Spencerx Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 sorry but i have no idea about what to do, but i just wanted to see what it looks like in ur tank? u got a pic? i dont really understand that picture you posted, it kinda looks like someone shot a bb at a window to me . Link to comment
ross76053 Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 I have the same red algae (I venture to say I'm growing every algae known to man). I've also tried removal, to no avail. Just wanted to get in on the thread.... Link to comment
tinyreef Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 sheesh! i'm trying to grow the stuff and you're weeding it out. X) i thought at first it was the gracilleria(sp?) that mary middlebrook had but i'm thinking from your sketch it's more branchy. there's a couple of types i'm thinking of (gelidium and gelidiopsis). i thought the name's the same but sprung lists them separately. both are favored by tangs and such tho. rent a tang. mine are struggling underneath the hair and cyano. Link to comment
printerdown01 Posted January 26, 2003 Author Share Posted January 26, 2003 Tiny if you have the same stuff GET RID OF IT!! Seriously, take it out spray it with "Round up," let it dry in the sun, boil it, and then flush it!! GOOD LORD! This stuff looks pretty but it is AWEFUL! Ross, it looks like roots, so if you have it, get rid of it while it is still isolated!! The pic is actually not a sketch, it is a picture of the algae from a "red algae" site. LOL the stuff looks just like roots growing over rocks. -redish maroon in color. I just might try the tang... I just hope my maroon doesn't kill it. So far it has claimed a twin-spot, a yellow gumdrop goby, a peppermint shrimp (that walked over "his" fox coral) and a porcelain crab (that also walked over his host). I have decided to pretty much give up adding fish or anything else that might wander over his beloved host! BTW, keep the advice comming!! Even if you don't really know, but have an idea that "just might work..." I am pretty desperate! Link to comment
tinyreef Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 the two i mentioned are very beautiful outward branching algae. i used to have a true calcified branching red algae but it died off for some reason. it grew in thickets! i harvested fistfuls like brillo pads. the softer branching types were eaten back when i had a tang. : @#$%#! root-like? might be that gracilleria. mary's site says it's a good feeder algae. http://www.reefsource.com/Photo%20Gallery/...0Pics/grac1.JPG Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 TIny may be right on with the ID.. according to my experience and referances, Gelidium pusillum and Coelothrix Irregularis and gracillus, and Bostrychia montagnei are best bets. of course those are mostlu caribbean species, but are likely to be very similar indio pacific species. HTH Link to comment
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