Need an ID

[antonsemrad]

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Anyone have an idea what this is? Should it be eliminated from a reef?

 

[Lugonn[71]]

It looks like sargassum. Usually goes away when tank matures.

 

[skeeter-doc]

i 2nd the Sargassum sp. macro, but it is green, and Sargassum is a brown algae, ...

 

[Samala]

May be the lights. Has the structural appearance of Sargassum though.

>Sarah

 

[antonsemrad]

Well, the light is a 13k giesemann. Would this make an algae green? I think that it looks lovely, and that it would be easy to pluck out. Do you guys & gals think that it would be a nuisance? (overrun the tank)

 

[piercho]

The structures are not distinct in the photo but I'd also bet Sargassum. IMO, a great plant that tends to grow upward from it's holdfast, forming long fronds that can reach all the way to the tank's surface. Fronds are very easy to harvest and can be floated in brightly lit refugia/vegetative filters. Sargassum can grow fast and is capable of significant export under strong lighting, especially in younger tanks. It does like moderate nutrients. It eventually stopped growing for me as my tank leaned up and other algae became dominant.

 

[piercho]

the light is a 13k giesemann. Would this make an algae green?

Well, at least make it appear green when viewed in the tank. Another factor is dissolved organics are in the water, which also adds a green tint to the tank. Under 6500K at 90+ CRI, Sargassum was always the typical brown in my tank. Pull a frond out and shoot a detailed pic of it under sunlight and post that for ID.:thumbsup:

 

[piercho]

Or compare yours to this Sargassum frond from my tank under sunlight.

 

[antonsemrad]

piercho this is my friends tank, so when I looked at it again today it look exactly like your pic. Thanks for the info. I will tell my friend not to worry. It is interesting to see a tank cycle with out herbivores. There is some red stuff in there too and halimeda thats growing. Cool stuff.:smokin:

 

[antonsemrad]

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Just more pics.

 

[antonsemrad]

I thought that I would share another pic of this sargassum.

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Kinda cool. Are these air sacs? I am assuming, that the plant is useing them for buoyancy. They are more prevalent at the top of the plant.

Anton

 

[piercho]

I am assuming, that the plant is useing them for buoyancy.

As far as I know, the purpose of the little balls is to make the plant bouyant.