Help identifying algae taking over my tank!

[cadugauch]

I went for a trip to Brazil for 10 days and when i got back my tank had been dominated by weird stuff! Can anyone help me identify and possibly fix this issue?

See pictures attached

 

[cadugauch]

a couple more pictures

 

[cadugauch]

an its not bubble algae...its more like a macroalgae

 

[worm5406]

Does look like macro algae... Looks like some of what I have in my sump.

 

[cadugauch]

one of them i know it is GRAPE CALEURPA...have no idea how to get rid of it...it's starting to spread everywhere!

 

[worm5406]

one of them i know it is GRAPE CALEURPA...have no idea how to get rid of it...it's starting to spread everywhere!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5922131&highlight=grape+caleurpa#post5922131

 

[NeilFox]

For the grape caleurpa try and manually remove it and throw it out getting rid of the nutrients with it. It can be bad news if it dies off as it releases a form dinoflagattes. This can be unpredictable since it can spontaniously die off at the same time as the parent colony thousands of miles away, similiar to some bamboo trees. The other is hard to tell. Back in the late eighties I actually planted some of that stuff that I bought at the LFS. Thought it looked cool! When I found out wahat it was I pulled it out over the course of a week. I bought three baby Yellow Tangs and they finished the job. It was OK to keep them in a 160 back then.

I just saw a post here yesterday that had a link identifying one of these. I tried a quick search but I lost it. Basically it was a manual removal effort also. Once you get it cropped down some herbivors should take care of it. Hopefully someone will repost here.

 

[tektite]

You have grape caulerpa (caulerpa racemosa), caulerpa racemosa var. peltata, bryopsis, derbesia, and another type of hair algae that I'm blanking on the name at the moment.

 

[cadugauch]

You have grape caulerpa (caulerpa racemosa), caulerpa racemosa var. peltata, bryopsis, derbesia, and another type of hair algae that I'm blanking on the name at the moment.

WOW...i got the whole collection...

any idea how to get rid of these various types?

 

[tektite]

First you need to identify the reason why they all started to grow. Did someone feed your tank when you were gone and possibly overfeed? What are your nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[thebkramer]

I had the grape smh

I thought it was awesome.. and even let it grow like crazy! I would cut back every week or so. My Starry Blenny loved to perch in it.. as did my Green Clown Goby. but....

I woke up one morning to my whole tank in a green fog!!! I was so freaked out! once I really looked in the tank.. I noticed the grape was clear! I then realized.. it went asexual! (or however its phrased) I immediately did a w/c and added a butt load of carbon. Thankfully no harm was done.. but it scared the bejesus out of me!!!

It was a sure PITA to get rid of it fully!! took months to get to get every little piece! the roots of this plant dig deep into the rocks! When you pull it out.. be careful not to rip it out.. try to gently remove. If any of the root is left behind.. it will grow back. but with patience and diligence.. I finally got it all out.

this is just my experience with it. hopefully someone has an easier way of getting rid of it all!!!

Good Luck!!!

 

[Sk8r]

A foxface rabbit is about the only fish that will happily eat it...and then you're stuck with him.