ID some Algae for me?

[GaryZ]

I've been trying to ID this algae for days now. They all look the same online and in books. I have 4 different plant forms in my sump/fuge. The pictures aren't the best but hopefully someone can narrow it down. I'm not sure what I want to keep. It would be nice it were all beneficial in some way. They give my fuge alot of character.


On a sidenote:

I noticed an oily sheen on the top of my water in my sump. It was easily removed. I've been running carbon since last night. Any connection?

[Reefland]

Well I can make out some Grape Caulerpa and Chaeto but not sure about the other green and the red. The good thing here is all algaeis beneficial in a refugium as a means of nutrient export. Some are better than others due to growth rates but they all uptake nutrients.

[BubbaWPB]

Other than the grape caulerpa (C. racemosa) it looks like a feather caulerpa (C. serularioides)... and the red one looks like Gracilaria parvispora... but that's only an amateur opinion, and I could be very wrong

[GaryZ]

Here's a couple close-up shots of the stuff you didn't ID, maybe these will help.

[Reefland]

The first one might be Halimeda and the second is definitely Feather Caulerpa.

[GaryZ]

It's like a friggin' salad bar!!!!!!

[Reefland]

Thats a good thing to have lots of variety. Just make sure to prune it occassionally to actually export the nutrients.

[GaryZ]

Thats what I figured, I just wish I could narrow down what that red stuff is. BTW, I looked up Halimeda, your right.

[GaryZ]

I looked up Gracilaria parvispora like Bubba suggested, I can't find anything conclusive.

[Reefland]

I can't help out with the red algae, and frankly prefer to stay far, very far, away from any of it.

[Reefland]

Try this link:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...ia&sa=N&tab=wi

[GaryZ]

Looks pretty close to me. Brown Fucus.

[Reefland]

Here are some links that explain why I stay far away from any red algae:
uuugggghhhh red algae update
ughhh, red algae

[GaryZ]

I actually followed you there via "Who's Online"....


It's not the same stuff, at all. But are you saying it could lead to that?

[Reefland]

I guess it depends on the particular algae. What I experienced would have been fine inside a vegetable filter vessel but it happened to be in the display.

[BubbaWPB]

I got a macroalgae pack from Indopacific sea farms www.ipsf.com and it called the red stuff Gracilaria parvispora. I can't find a picture of it on the web either... even looked on The Algae Page http://www.saltcorner.com/sections/g.../algaepage.htm

[BubbaWPB]

By the way, it's not overtaken my refugium, in fact, it has a hard time competing with the caulerpa. My purple tang LOVES the red stuff (the alleged gracilaria parvispora). I wish it would grow better.