Does anyone knows what kind of macro algae is this caulerpa specie?

[Maucior]

Hello! I'm new in the hobby and I have several concerns about my plant. My levels are fine. Just a little hi in NO3. I will like to know if it's bad that my plant is starting to show some white dots on its branches and is turning green in some other parts. The green parts at the end turn transparent. Please give me your knowledge. Thanks!

 

[tektite]

Couple clarifications - caulerpa is a type of macroalgae, what you have is not that. You do have a kind of macroalgae there, technically its not a plant though a lot of saltwater macroalgae look like them. Not sure on exact ID for your macro at this time. Can you post a close up pic of one of the branches?

If you look at the macro, are there a lot of pods on it? Some larger amphipods can actually eat macros like that to the point of doing serious damage.

Turning green is not a good sign. Do you know what your phosphate levels are? Have there been any temperature or alkalinity swings recently in your tank?

On more stiff macroalgae like that, the white dots are most likely spirorbid worms or similar. They won't cause problems directly, just annoying and don't look the best.

 

[Maucior]

Thanks for the answer.
First, my levels are:
Nitrato (NO3) 20
Nitrito (NO2) 0
PH 8
Hardness 180
Cabonate H 240
Do I need to measure any other level?

My macro has a lot of white dots on its branches. I can't discriminate if they have a spiral form or not for their size. I tried to touch it and it feels like a grain of sand and it fell from it. Now macro has two white feathery branches growing. They are hard, not malleable. I just saw a white little creature on the macro too.
I'm attaching a closer pic of the macro... Thanks again tektite!

Hope you can help.

 

[tektite]

The white dots sound exactly like spirorbid worms I've found on mine that look and act just like that. In stiff macroalgae like yours, a lot of hitchhikers tend to make it their home. I can see a couple pineapple sponges growing in it. Neither should cause any real problems for the macro.

 

[Maucior]

Thanks for your interest to help.
Any tips to stop the macro of changing color to green, and afterwards the green becoming transparent. The tank is 5.6 gallons and has a 7500k led lightning for 10 hrs. Still don't know the phosphate levels. Are they important to know? I have diatom bloom in two knew live rocks. The third one, the oldest, has green algae. Hope you can help.

 

[tektite]

It could be a lot of factors making the algae die off unfortunately. It might be your phosphate levels are too low for it.

 

[Maucior]

What are The phosphate appropriate levels?

 

[tektite]

Definitely no more than 0.1 ppm.

 

[Maucior]

Thanks tekyite! I'll try it.