Plant/Maco/Seaweed ? ID

[Cutiewitbooty]

Anyone know what type of plant this is? It looks almost like some type of macro or something. Any ideas? I know it native to south florida lol

 

[hawkfish21]

It looks like Graciliaria. Tangs love it.

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

bump for the moring people, anyone else know?

 

[dhoch]

Looks like "red Gracillaria"... a little color loss in it thought (has it been out of water or through some shipping or temp changes?

Dave

 

[dhoch]

I've alos seen Gracillaria in a "yellow" form that is what that might be.

Dave

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

do you know what their lighting requirements are, do they eat up nutriants like macro algae does? I did seem some red stuff like the one i have, so thats probally what it is. It wasn't shipped or anything, i got it on this island aroud where i live.

 

[Anemonebuff]

I do believe that they eat nutrients. And tangs love it!

 

[dhoch]

Yes it will eat up nutriants like other macro algaes...

Should be fine under most lighting (allthough like most algaes it will probably prefer a 6000K to the higher 20000K range).

Dave

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

So why don't people use it insted of calupra or chaeto? Maybe i'll just pack my fuge full of the stuff, do you think it would work or does chaeto work better?

 

[Anemonebuff]

Probably not as readily available as the others.

 

[dhoch]

Good question amber...

Chaeto is a much stabeler macro the others (caulpra, and gracilera ) tend to deteriorate quicker especially when competing for nutrients (at least that's my experience)...

Also Calupra will attach to things which chaeto will not (which makes chaeto more desirable, because it's easier to maintain).

Dave

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

I don't think the gracilera attaches to anything wither, i just kinda stuck it in the sand. In the water/ocean it was just kinda floating around with the current along with the red kind.

 

[dhoch]

Correct,

But in my experience it's a little more finicky than caluperla or chaeto. (read more likely to go sexual, or not thrive).

Dave

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

I was reading up on it a little and found that it is finicky about light and is lee likly to thrive (like you said) but from what i read it doesn't go "sexual" like caulerpa. I guess i'll just see what happens

 

[dhoch]

Good luck with it...

Dave

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

wow, the gracilera has really turned red. From what i have read, the more light it gets, the lighter the color. Where i got it, the water was shallow so it got tons of light. Since I have only 4watts per gal right now it's turning more reddish, it's kinda cool

 

[hookdonreefs]

Gracillia likes lots of current. It is cultured in cages by the shore with the waves crashing through it. It also requires better lighting than chaeto. I have both in my fuge and the gracillia is growing faster. I have a powerhead in there blasting at it.

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

what color is yours? Did you notice how it gets lighter with the more light it has? I figured it would like high flow since all of it was growing near shore where it was geting knocked around by waves. There was so much of it, maybe i should get a bunch and bag it up to sell

 

[Cutiewitbooty]

Here is a pic of my tank with the gracilera in it. I still need to get the rest of the lighting equiptment and a new power strip for my refugium, then it will go into the fuge.

 

[sean48183]

Adds kind of a cool look to the tank. Definately different. It turned red kind of quickly. I don't know that anything that happens that quick can be a good thing. Just a hunch. Good luck.