red macro, how to trim and ID

[niva]

I've attached a photo-link of some macroalgae.

http://www.geocities.com/nivasea/macro.jpg

This photo was taken almost 2 months ago and it has since tripled in size. It is made up of branches with bubbles sprouting off the branches. I would like to trim some off to put in other tanks. What is the best way to trim and reposition/reattach? I have noticed that this plant loses some of it's 'bubbles' occasionally and they will start growing on other areas, rocks and there is also a branch starting on some fake coral.
Thanks.

 

[hmott]

I can't see the picture and I'm by far not the best at iding here. But your picture doesn't display or link correctly so I'm sure someone will need that for a good idea. But because you said "bubbles" try searches for racemosa and see if that matches yours. As for cuting it only cut in one place when you trim. Macro is one big cell and it looses its cellular material out the wound when you cut it. So you obviously don't want to be cutting it all over or it will lose all its cellular material into your water.

 

[niva]

For some reason the link doesn't work. If you cut and paste this address
http://www.geocities.com/nivasea/macro.jpg
it should show the photo.
Sorry about that.
I saw a photo of a similar plant and that person called it a red grape macro.
Thanks for the information

 

[beaslbob]

Yep you're right I did have to cut and paste to see it.

It looks like red grape to me. And is highly prized and desirable. Or at least I wish I had some.

Sounds like yours is spreading nicely.

I think that if you want more control over it spreading you can super glue peices on a rock then position them where you want it.

I would protect it. I lost some awesome fauchea because my fish finally decided it was food.

 

[cabin]

I have this same red grape algae. It was thriving in my tank, but I got worried about the spreading issue when I began to see green bubbles here and there on live rock (I have noticed that sometimes the red becomes green in places, so assumed this was the same plant) and removed it to the quarantine tank while I thought it over. Now I want to take down that tank, so I'm asking, should I put this algae in the main tank? Will a scopas tang be able to provide sufficient consumption to control it? (When it used to be in the main tank, I didn't have a tang, however when the tang was in quarantine with the red algae, he did seem to eat it somewhat).

 

[beaslbob]

the only real question is whether or not the tang will consume the red grape not whether or not the red grape would spread all over the tank.

If you have problems just send it to me. I will find a good place for it

gee wish I had your problem

 

[hmott]

I mentioned racemosa earlier and everyone seems to say no its red grape. Am I missing somethign or is red grape not racemosa? The picture looks like what I've been told Caulerpa racemosa is, which I also have in my tank now that I see the picture.

 

[cabin]

On another thread, my similar-looking red grape algae was identified as Botryocladia. I looked at pictures here at reefcentral and a picture that looked like mine was labeled Botryocladia (but spelled incorrectly with the y in front of the r), so that sounds like the correct ID. Tentatively, it is Botryocladia uvarioides, which I got from this website: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/
The picture here at reefcentral can be viewed from this link:
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5811&papass=&sort=1&thecat=561

 

[kmk2307]

niva, I think you can try just cutting a small piece off and gently rubber-banding it down in another tank. I'm glad its growing well for you. That is a cool algae.

Good luck,
Kevin

 

[david8956]

Niva - what you have is a good macro algae. I have grown it for about 6 months, it will NOT spread throughout your tank. Mine just continues to grow taller, until I cut it back. I take these cuttings & tie them to rubble making new clumps of this macro.

1 word of warning - I have not been able to grow this in any tank with a Tang, they will eat it as fast as it can grow, leaving only the "stalk".

 

[niva]

You all have been most helpful in this thread, thank you so much. I am updating because I had an accident with my beautiful macro. I was cleaning out my 29 and temporarily placed it into a tank that I had just finished cycling...a 54, unfortunately that day I added a ball vavle fitting to the sump area to reduce flow from the pump to the tank, the plumbing store only had a brass valve, bad move! Apparently this leeched copper into the tank and the next morning my macro was toast! It lost all of the bubbles and some of the stalks started turning brown at the base. I quickly removed it into another tank where it is sitting now, I removed the worst of the stalks but the stalks that are left still have no bubbles growing back on them. The stalks do look healthy, not brown, so I am hopeful with time it will come back.
The other good news is that some of the bubbles had come off the main plant a few months ago, attached to a fake coral and a piece of live rock and are now growing, so I'm not at a total loss if this main plant doesn't make it.
Thanks again for the help on ID and instructions on cutting. I am wondering though when you tie the newly cut piece to a new piece of rock do you do a combo of glueing and loosely tieing/rubber banding to keep in place?

 

[david8956]

I just tied mine to a small piece of rubble, then buried the rubble & thread under the sand. Looks like the macro is just growing from the sand bottom this way.

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

Also, all Caulerpas are green algae, so it most definitely is not any species of caulerpa. It looks like Botryocladia to me too.

Absolutely gorgeous macro.