Popped up out of nowhere! ID anyone?

[hallzy21]

This little guy just started growing on a rock that i got from my uncle. It started as just a small red spec and I've been watching it everyday and I am finally ready to confirm that it is some kind of coral. It's still pretty small now so its hard to get a good pic and may be hard to ID just yet, but I figured I'd try to figure it out. It would be nice to know what I'm watching grow everyday! Lol its the little red guy in the pic. Thanks in advance for any help!!!

 

[hallzy21]

Here's a little better picture..

 

[flower]

Hi,

If it's soft and not crusty hard....It's still a little early to tell for certain, but it looks like a macroalgae called Halymenia...kind of a red rose petal looking macro.

 

[hallzy21]

I looked it up and it does look like it could be Halymenia. Now since that is an algae, is it good or bad? I personally think they look really cool, and it's the perfect splash of color, but if it's bad then I could nip it in the butt now. Lol

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397703/popped-up-out-of-nowhere-id-anyone#post_3545820
I looked it up and it does look like it could be Halymenia. Now since that is an algae, is it good or bad? I personally think they look really cool, and it's the perfect splash of color, but if it's bad then I could nip it in the butt now. Lol

Hi,

It's a decorative macroalgae, I paid $10.00 a pint for mine. Macros are really good, and helps your water quality stay pristine, since it feeds on all the stuff you want out of your tank (nitrates, phosphates, nitrites and ammonia) You let it grow to a certain size, then cut it back (called harvesting) as you remove that extra growth, you are also removing the nasty stuff from your system.

If you keep corals you may not want macros in your display tank, for FOWLR...it's a real plus, and it is a beautiful red macro.

 

[hallzy21]

Ok. I am going to keep coral, but I would also like to keep this micro algae as well, what is the reason that they shouldn't be kept together? The only coral I have right now is some pulsing xenias but I plan on adding more as soon as tomorrow.

 

[hallzy21]

Hi,
It's a decorative macroalgae, I paid $10.00 a pint for mine. Macros are really good, and helps your water quality stay pristine, since it feeds on all the stuff you want out of your tank (nitrates, phosphates, nitrites and ammonia) You let it grow to a certain size, then cut it back (called harvesting) as you remove that extra growth, you are also removing the nasty stuff from your system.
If you keep corals you may not want macros in your display tank, for FOWLR...it's a real plus, and it is a beautiful red macro.
I would like to keep a small amount in my display part, but if enough grows I may even replace the bio balls in my biocube with some of it. I've heard bad things about the bio balls anyways. Do u think that idea would work out ok? Like I said I would love to keep a small amount of it in the display part for a nice color splash, but if it is going to affect my coral I guess I won't be able to.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397703/popped-up-out-of-nowhere-id-anyone#post_3545854
I would like to keep a small amount in my display part, but if enough grows I may even replace the bio balls in my biocube with some of it. I've heard bad things about the bio balls anyways. Do u think that idea would work out ok? Like I said I would love to keep a small amount of it in the display part for a nice color splash, but if it is going to affect my coral I guess I won't be able to.

Hi,

Even a little bit will spawn and go all over, but not real fast like a nuisance algae. You can replace your bio balls as long as you have light in the refugium you are creating. The macros will help to keep the water quality up.

Macros doesn't hurt the corals, it rather keeps growing until it covers them over, to prevent that, you would have to always keep plucking it back, which becomes a bother.

 

[hallzy21]

Hi,
Even a little bit will spawn and go all over, but not real fast like a nuisance algae. You can replace your bio balls as long as you have light in the refugium you are creating. The macros will help to keep the water quality up.
Macros doesn't hurt the corals, it rather keeps growing until it covers them over, to prevent that, you would have to always keep plucking it back, which becomes a bother.
First off I want to thank you SO much for all the information! You have helped me tremendously on getting a jump on decided possible routes to take with this. I know it's still a little early to make a definite decision on what this little guy growing is, but from everything I have researched since getting your input, it seems to be this "dragons tounge" alge. I will just keep an eye on it and keep assessing the situation as it grows. If it does indeed end up being what we think it is, and I do decide to give containing it a shot, how do I go about trimming it? Since it is technically a seaweed, do u just simply go in and trim it back with scissors, or is it like most other things in this wonderful hobby, more complicated than that?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by hallzy21 http:///t/397703/popped-up-out-of-nowhere-id-anyone#post_3545880
First off I want to thank you SO much for all the information! You have helped me tremendously on getting a jump on decided possible routes to take with this. I know it's still a little early to make a definite decision on what this little guy growing is, but from everything I have researched since getting your input, it seems to be this "dragons tounge" alge. I will just keep an eye on it and keep assessing the situation as it grows. If it does indeed end up being what we think it is, and I do decide to give containing it a shot, how do I go about trimming it? Since it is technically a seaweed, do u just simply go in and trim it back with scissors, or is it like most other things in this wonderful hobby, more complicated than that?

Hi,

I just tear it off with my fingers and leave the portion I want, it tears really easy.

Cool little fact: I know it looks like it would be slimy but it isn't, if you dab it dry it with paper towel, it actually feels like plastic, and will even make that crinkling sound a plastic bag makes when you crush it...I think macros are really cool. Anyway, once you tear it off it, won't have a hold fast anymore, it will grow in your refuguim as free floating, but I would attach it to a small rock via crazy glue gel, just one small edge to hold it down, and it will grow off from there.