can someone ID this crab and this algae??
- Thread starter cyndipep
- Start date
LeslieH
Premium Member
The red bubble algae is Botryocladia. It's hard to tell what the crab is from that sideways shot. What looks like an eye is where the 1st leg with the big claw was broken off. Can't tell what the other algae is either, not enough focus in the shot. If you scrape it off & put it in a dish with just enough water for it to have its normal shape, then photograph it, you'll get a much better pic.
LeslieH
Premium Member
Uh oh, that looks like young green feather algae, Bryopsis. Reefers hate Bryopsis because it can rapidly overgrow the surfaces in a tank. Scrape it off & suck it up with siphon. Work slowly & be sure you get all of it. Any piece that stays in the tank can regrow.
People have mixed opinions on Botryocladia. Some think it's very pretty, others think it's as bad as green bubble algae, Valonia. Same problem - rapid growth taking over hard surfaces. If you don't want that scrape it off now. Try to get it off intact by scraping or chipping the rock under the attachment point so you don't leave any behind.
When algae's a problem reefers often get emerald crabs or sea hares to eat it. They then have another set of problems. The crabs may or may not eat the algae, they may eat more valuable critters like corals. Sea hares will starve to death once they eat all the algae they can reach but that usually leaves behind algae in cracks which will restart the population. It's best to be pro-active and just keep the algae from starting in the first place.
People have mixed opinions on Botryocladia. Some think it's very pretty, others think it's as bad as green bubble algae, Valonia. Same problem - rapid growth taking over hard surfaces. If you don't want that scrape it off now. Try to get it off intact by scraping or chipping the rock under the attachment point so you don't leave any behind.
When algae's a problem reefers often get emerald crabs or sea hares to eat it. They then have another set of problems. The crabs may or may not eat the algae, they may eat more valuable critters like corals. Sea hares will starve to death once they eat all the algae they can reach but that usually leaves behind algae in cracks which will restart the population. It's best to be pro-active and just keep the algae from starting in the first place.
velvetelvis
Active member
Agree with the above...also, the crab looks like potential trouble. I'd remove it, just to be safe.
