reefkprz
Active Member
there are at least 38 different species of halimeda if not more.
so we shall cover Halimeda discoidea
the nickname coin plant is kind of obvious as it looks like a bunch of ancient beaten metal coins stacked end for end. it also looks like christmas cactus's rough around the edges cousin, leading to another nickname cactus algae
this is a fast growing macro algae in ideal conditions it can Easily add a new disk every day. it is a high consumer of calcium and is reputed as one of the largest reefbuiling organisms in the ocean even (debateably) more so that stony corals.
the calcium carbonate build up in its thallus (body) makes this plant inedible to most herbivorous fish. so if you want an algae in your display tank and your tang eats all of the ones you have tried so far it most likely wont eat this one. it is also reputed to be mildly toxic (the accuracy of this I cannot verify).
this algae loves light, often times if a bush of halimeda gets over large the internal parts will be white from lack of light the calcium content is quite apparant then. also at night when it stops photosyntesizing it will "bleach out" only to return to its green color after a few minutes of the lights being on.
Phosphates are atcually reputed to inhibit the growth of this plant but its origins are high nutrient waters, however it is dependant on calcium and phosphates are known to inhibit the growth or being deletorious to many calcium requiring organisms including corals and coraline algae.
WARNING: This plant will not handle excessive pruning, you can prune it a little at a time but if you go and rip it apart like you can do to caulerpa or cheato it WILL die back. prune gently.
so we shall cover Halimeda discoidea
the nickname coin plant is kind of obvious as it looks like a bunch of ancient beaten metal coins stacked end for end. it also looks like christmas cactus's rough around the edges cousin, leading to another nickname cactus algae
this is a fast growing macro algae in ideal conditions it can Easily add a new disk every day. it is a high consumer of calcium and is reputed as one of the largest reefbuiling organisms in the ocean even (debateably) more so that stony corals.
the calcium carbonate build up in its thallus (body) makes this plant inedible to most herbivorous fish. so if you want an algae in your display tank and your tang eats all of the ones you have tried so far it most likely wont eat this one. it is also reputed to be mildly toxic (the accuracy of this I cannot verify).
this algae loves light, often times if a bush of halimeda gets over large the internal parts will be white from lack of light the calcium content is quite apparant then. also at night when it stops photosyntesizing it will "bleach out" only to return to its green color after a few minutes of the lights being on.
Phosphates are atcually reputed to inhibit the growth of this plant but its origins are high nutrient waters, however it is dependant on calcium and phosphates are known to inhibit the growth or being deletorious to many calcium requiring organisms including corals and coraline algae.
WARNING: This plant will not handle excessive pruning, you can prune it a little at a time but if you go and rip it apart like you can do to caulerpa or cheato it WILL die back. prune gently.
