9x Algae ID - Any ideas :)

[mastou]

I have been playing with my digital camera and saw the pictures as a great opportunity for getting a precise ID of the algae in my aquarium. I know there are many but if you could help me with just some of them I would be grateful, as I am not (yet? ) experienced in the algae field.

The first I am fairly confident is Caulerpa taxifolia, but I have also seen some pict's of Caulerpa mexicana which may look similar.

The second must be some sort of Valonia, I don't know which but in algaebase.org I found a pict of "Valonia macrophysa Kützing", could this be it?

The third might be a Neomeris of some sort, but I really don't know.

The fourth I think is Caulerpa nummularia, but I have seen some pict's of "Caulerpa Racemosa var. Peltata" on this site
and are therefore in doubt.

The fifth I think is some sort of Caulerpa but I don't know which (it is the tall lightgreen).

The sixth may be some sort of Bryopsis.

The seventh I have no idea what is, but it grows all over my aquarium, luckily it seems like my snails eats it.

The eight I don't know, a wild guess could be Cladophora?

The last I also don't know again a guess could be Botryocladia of some sort?

 

[graveyardworm]

#1 most likely mexicana I think because the way the ends come in on eachother see here as opposed to taxifolia here

#2 Valonia see here

#3 you're probably right see here

#4 C. peltata see here

#5 Halimeda not sure on species, see here , and here

#6 bryopsis see here , and here

#7 Gracillaria see here

#8 More likely hair algae see here

#9 Botryocladia see here

 

[The_Nexis_One]

Great reply GYW!

On the #9 aka Botryocladia. It seems there are several different forms of this, I have something similiar, but it forms individual bubbles on very short stems which form in colonies. Overall color, stem and bubble forms appear to have a wide range.

Just wanted to add that note since the image linked doesn't appear very similiar.

Mine has gone from small deep red oval/'tear drop' shaped bubbles, to gold/irradescent irregularly shaped bubbles with the addition of Iron dosing and doubling the light in that area.

Best of luck - looks like a great collection of Macro's.

John.

 

[mastou]

That was quick, thank you very much, and nice with the links (an image says more than 1000 words )

I was a bit surprised when I saw how many different algae I have in my aquarium it is only 128L and all the algae have appeared by them self. I find both algae and invertebrates very interesting but don't really have much experience with identifying either one so I am most grateful for the help
If you know some webpageââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s that could help me ID algae another time you are most welcome to link to them

I think you are right about C. mexicana and the valonia (super link btw) I was sure was Valonia ventricosa (now corrected to Ventricaria ventricosa) but in the link it is said that V. ventricosa only bears single bladders every thing else seems to fit and most others don't have spherical bladders, any ideas?

In the link I saw a picture of Botryocladia skottsbergii, and think this one also is present in my small aquarium (see pict)
Magnus

Magnus

 

[The_Nexis_One]

I think it's all the same species - different variations (speaking of the tall stalk w/ bubbles vs. the colonial bubbles like I think all three of us have).

Here's some pix of mine.

This was taken inadvertantly in Feb 2003 while I was snapping some pix of my leaf fish while he was hunting at night. You can see the colonies of this red Bubble macro.

It grew very slowly with colonies coming and going over the course of a few years. The main colony turned out to be about a dozen bubbles on the SFE's vase, this is how it looked about 3 months ago when I snapped a pic of some pods.

But once I started dosing Iron and upgraded the lights to two LOA 65w CF's ... I got this in about a month!

It's hard to count them becuase they are no longer nice round bubbles, but rather look like some kind of odd fungus you'd see in the woods! They have turned irridescent gold on top (probably in reaction to the added light as this is a lower light macro IME). From color alone, I would say they didn't like the light upgrade, but they have at LEAST TRIPLED the colony bubble count. I estimate around 35-40 bubbles as of today.

In addition, I now have a couple more popping up around the tank.

This is a pair of new bubbles on the mouth of the vase.

Here's a staring colony with 3 bubbles on the top/back of the vase:

I haven't found anything that will eat this - but then again I haven't tried... and the Mithrax crab only had a short stay in this tank until the SFE found him and was stalking in for the kill when I caught him... LOL... the Emerald was saved within inches of his life (literally) and moved to the display (no evidence of this macro growing in the display, even though I see the occasional bubble floating around in there).

...and yes... my camera sucks like there's no tomorrow!.. it's only a temp

John.

 

[mastou]

You are probably right, John, there just were huge difference in the colour of the two Botryocladia, but from what you saw with your colonies I guess the colour difference probably just is the result of one growing under 150W HQI (and high in the water) and the other growing upside down under a rock.

What about the Valonia? I was sure it was Valonia ventricosa (now corrected to Ventricaria ventricosa) but in the link it is said that V. ventricosa only bears single bladders every thing else seems to fit and most others I have seen don't have spherical bladders, any ideas?


Magnus

 

[graveyardworm]

I would be looking at the valonia species. As the growth becomes more compact with more bubbles fighting for space they become more elongate and hot dog shaped. I have seen at least three species of bubble algae in my tank. The Ventricaria remains single and gets large like the size of a large gumball. The valonia are so similar in appearance thatit would take a much more trained eye than mine to distinguish. Mine start out like your picture the bubbles attached to the side become more numerous and elongate. Then I have a variety not pictured which remain extremely small no more than a couple mm long they grow in tight bunches, and are a real pain to remove, fortunatly this smaller species is either not as invasive, or is being outcompeted by the larger ones for nutrients.

The ones you pictured if given the right conditions are a nightmare and eradication can take years (at least for me) if ever. Unfortunately I have no idea what they persist on. I have no other nuisance algae aside from the bubbles. I have spent countless hours and every method of removal to no avail. If I could go back and start over I would've tossed the rock they first appeared on in the trash. Once they become established it's all over.

 

[mastou]

Thanks very much for your answer, David, sad to hear that they are such a pain
As I understood the best way to get rid of them are manual removal, but one has to be very careful not to puncture them since they are filled with spores. Have you found a better way to get rid of them or is it just "arms in the aquarium"?


Magnus

 

[The_Nexis_One]

I'm not sure about the larger valonia, etc. but I've had some success with Kalk paste injections. ...it uses the bubble against the algae by containing the Kalk mix inside until it's completely dead. Luckily, these bubbles are not like balloons, but rather like thin walled beads and therefore IME don't burst if punctured.

Before I knew the growing rates of this red Macro, I had included it in my Kalk injection regiment for Aptasia and Xenia (the ones that left the parent colony and established elsewhere in the tank). It certainly killed the bubbles and I didn't notice any spreading from potentially released spores.

...again, this was on the red macro above - not valonia... your mileage may vary.

John.

 

[graveyardworm]

When they first appeared I removed the rock to a seperate container removed the bubbles rinsed well and put the rock back. Then they were everwhere. Since then I've tried emerald crabs, yellow tang, and rabbitfish. My first rabbit fish ate them. Once they were almost all gone I couldnt feed him enough and I think he starved . Now I have another foxface which eats well but doesnt eat the BA. Now it's just arms in the tank with tweezers and a siphon hose. As far as removal without popping them if they're attached to rock "mission impossible". I'm trying to outcompete them with macro and more aggressive removal. Unfortunately there's only so much time in the day, and I have to work. Yesterday I spent 3 or 4 hours removing bubbles, and saturday a couple hours, and it hardly looks like I did anything.

It definately seems to prefer my homemade rock.

 

[mastou]

In the Danish saltwater forum, saltvandsforum.dk , I have been confirmed in my first thought that picture 1 is C. taxifolia and not C. mexicana, do you have any ideas how to be sure?
Above I have linked to some pictures from algaebase.org where picture 1 in my original thread looks most as C. taxifolia.
- Magnus