Macro ID help

Dracx

Dracx

Cleaner Shrimp
#1
#1
Back in November I purchased a mushroom on a plug that also had on it a tangle of what I thought was some kind of macro algae, pictured here:


I never saw any kind of growth but I was hoping to see something eventually. Well, today I noticed that all of the green color has extended itself off of the main structure into little tree-like growths pictured here:


In this last picture, you can see the border where the green is still encrusted and the tree-structures are expanding:


Any idea what this is and what is going on here?
 
Dracx

Dracx

Cleaner Shrimp
#4
#4
djkms;131571 said:
The macro is Halimeda Opuntia. Picture 2 is the macro going sexual. Pretty common with that type of Halimeda to be honest.

http://marineplantbook.com/marinebookopuntia.htm

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-01/sl/index.php
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Thanks for the references. I've known about caring for caulerpa but I've never had a halimeda or bothered to look them up. Since it's a small patch and I've only had it for a month, I don't think I should worry about it fouling my 55-gallon tank, right? I'm running a Red Sea Prizm Pro skimmer with a full carbon basket and a Marineland HOT Magnum with a full load of carbon in there as well. They're due for replacement at the end of the month, but I think that should be plenty of filtration to handle this small amount of algae from going sexual. Any thoughts about my assumption?
 
Dracx

Dracx

Cleaner Shrimp
#6
#6
Wicked Demon;131591 said:
Drops Ca pretty quickly.
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I saw that in the linked references. Not really an issue in a softies setup, but I'll make sure it doesn't grow too large. Maybe it's better suited to an SPS tank?
 
Dracx

Dracx

Cleaner Shrimp
#8
#8
Wicked Demon;131600 said:
Even softies need Ca, and just be aware it could lead to some additional dosing.
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Very true. What I should have said is that I test for Ca regularly and perform monthly water changes. So, it shouldn't be an issue for MY setup. Thanks for the advice.
 
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