halimeda plant

[ty_05_f]

How hard is it to control the plant. Is it anything like caulpera??? The reason I ask is b/c i bought a tree coral that had the stuff on a couple of months ago. I thought the halimeda died but now its starting to grow. It looks pretty nice.

 

[dburr]

It's a calcifing algae. Slow grower for the most part. Easy to control.

 

[ty_05_f]

ok great. Does it take in phosphates like most other plants???

 

[ty_05_f]

nevermind I don't think it does mostly nitrogen and calcium i think

 

[jonthefb]

yep...make sure you have plenty of calcium in the water or else the halimeda wont grow well, and would probably end up dead!
good luck
jon

 

[bigmac]

I have read that there are beaches made up of this stuff. When it dies it pretty much turns to sand. I had it in my tank pretty much the whole time, since I ran a Ca reactor and Kalk reactor calcium wasn't a problem. Its also supposed to use up nitrates just like most other algaes. Mine went A sexual (or is it sexual, I can never remember this stuff) a few times. When it does the tank clouded up big time. The stuff just died off, turned white then into sand. Other then a cloudy tank it never bothered the corals or fish.

 

[jonthefb]

it actually probably fed the corals quite a bit!
good luck
jon

 

[overanalyzer]

I have it in one specified place and one place as a hitchhiker. I gorw about a leaf every 2 days ... my calcium is @ the 480 range in my 20 ... so I just prune it occasionally!
They can choke out some of hte soft corals so I prune it regualrly where it hitch hiked in.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by SquishyFish
can someone post a pic of it?
Yeah when I get home I will try and post some different pictures for you

 

[bang guy]

Yes, all algae consume Phosphate.

 

[ty_05_f]

Thanks guys. Yeah this is a hitchhiker on a tree coral rock that i thought died but it's growing quite well now.

 

[attml]

Here is a shot of some Halimeda Macro algae surrounding my one of My Tri-Color Acros. The Halimeda came in on my LR as a hitchhiker. IMO I don't like it at all! It sucks your calcium right out of the water robbing your corals of it (which is bad in a SPS Tank!) It seems to be spreading in my tank despite efforts to pull it frequently. Get some Spaghetti Macro and you'll be much happier!!!

 

[phil1964]

Mine has since turned to white dust but it was nice while it lasted.
Still some small ones growing here and there but this mass was 6 or 7 inches across

 

[ty_05_f]

cool. Thanks for the pictures

 

[mebigloser]

Here is mine.

 

[cindyski]

i have these same plants and some are turning white, could that be the white particles i see floating and attaching to the glass? or is this something else all together?
thanks

 

[cindyski]

bump
dont want to take over the thread, but would love to know what the white specks are
thanks

 

[joemack]

white specks? I hear when it turns white you are low on calcium. But specks? I dono

 

[cindyski]

nope, my calcium is off the chart, maybe its the opposite way?

 

[ty_05_f]

Mine sometimes goes white then it gets green again I'm not sure about this stuff. It's strange