Epiphyte/Parasite on macroalgae

[Lotus99]

Is there some kind of epiphyte or parasitic plant or animal that lives on macroalgaes? I have something on my codium and on my caulerpa that looks like white roots, but I'm pretty sure it's not.

I'll try to get a pic tomorrow night. I just went rooting in my fuge, and it's a little cloudy to take a pic.

If you know what I'm talking about, what should I do about it?

 

[Lotus99]

OK, I got a really bad pic. I'll try for another later or tomorrow, unless this one makes the thing identifiable. It's the white stuff (two patches) shown here. One near the center at the top, one on the lower left side. It seems stuck onto the stems fairly firmly, by the way.

 

[graveyardworm]

Cant tell from the pic, when you take your picture get the lens right up to the tank glas and keep it as square to the glass as possible. Also if your camera has a macro mode, use it.

 

[ClamIAm]

It looks and sounds like foraminiferans. They're harmless, although I guess it could be possible that they block some light from the algae. In my experience they don't really grow fast enough to cause that problem though.

 

[graveyardworm]

I was actually thinking it looked like a bryozoan, but without a clearer pic am a little hesitant.

and Forams for alittle more info.

I can also see alittle caulerpa in the foreground, if the caulerpa has intermingled with the codium it could be a holdfast structure produced by the caulerpa.

 

[Lotus99]

Thanks for the replies. I'll try to get a better pic later. I know I'm horrible with this camera. Right now I can't access the area too well (water change bucket in front of the door).

I thought at first it was either dead matter from the caulerpas or their holdfast structures, but then I tried to remove it with a turkey baster, and realized it was stuck to the codium fairly strongly, and also much thicker than the holdfasts on the caulerpas.

Thanks for all the help so far I couldn't ID it from either of those links, but hopefully a better pic will help.

 

[Lotus99]

Here's what I hope is a better pic. I have a feeling the diatoms on the front of the glass may be causing problems with the camera focus.

 

[Lotus99]

I guess the new pic wasn't much help

 

[graveyardworm]

Sorry musta missed the new pic. i wish I was more of an expert. I'm gonna lean alittle more towards foram. Try posting in the invertebrate forum. You'll get more specialized attention there for you invert.

 

[Lotus99]

Thanks for the advice, I'll try the invert forum. I just wasn't sure what it was, or whether it was a problem. I did find a small scypha sponge on the codium, too. I guess I wasn't expecting this many inverts on my macros.

 

[graveyardworm]

Well it could also be a sponge, a closer clearer pic would really help.