Unresolved Macros popping up all over the place

Idk what's going on in my tank but over the past couple weeks but I've had an outbreak of various macro algaes growing everywhere so I need a few IDs.

#1


#2


#3 (almost looks like mini lily pads and growing like crazy)

 

#2 looks like purple bubble algae. It is thought that if you pop them, the algae spores will spread even more. But marines biologists also input on this issue and they think it's the tank has more chances to get rid of them if you pop them all. Proceed at your own risk, kind of deal there. Kole tangs will also eat this one in one gulp if big enough.

I've seen #3 at my LFS for sale, but I don't know the name. It grows fast and can take over if you don't keep an eye on it.
Edit: Bingo on #3!! Looks like Caulerpa racemosa. The tip can be spherical or flat, like in your case.

 

Red Grape Algae... type of Caulerpa. Tangs eat it.

The first one looks like Red Gracilaria.

Really, John would be the best one to figure these out.

 

I agree with jonjonwells. Go to the supporter group and find Reafcleaners.org. Ask John about these. I'm not quite sure about my attempted ID's even.

John will be able to help

 

1. looks like sebdenia flabelatta I butchered the spelling but the Smithsonian institute has a picture of it with the right spelling google may get you there...AWESOME find. Globular algae almost need to come attached to rock or they are near impossible to keep.
2. hard to tell which botryocladia species that is. some are annoying, some are cool. it maybe an potentially annoying botryocladia pyriformis. if that is a mature plant that is likely the case. if it isn't mature, then it may be the awesome to have botryocladia occidentalis that grows to a nice size. Let it grow some more and see where it goes.
3. looks like that variation of caulerpa racemosa mentioned above or caulerpa nummularia - I am sure I butchered the spelling there too... Definitely a caulerpa species though and one of those two, one is convex and the other concave if I remember correctly...invasive.

 

Thanks a ton John! So you're saying to let the first grow, wait for the second one to grow some more to get a better idea, and to keep trimming back the second one?

 

#1 Dunno
#2 Red Grape Caulerpa
#3 Disk Caulerpa

 

yep, except that you meant keep trimming/killing the 3rd one. It is a species that is likely to reproduce by sending out spores too, so trimming it every so often might not be enough. Aggressively trim it back every time you feed until it dies and you will be in good shape. For #1 the sebdenia, keep an eye out for pods taking it over, they can decimate globular algae if they manage to get inside..they eat them from the inside out then. (which is why it is so crucial to get it on a rock like that). Awesome finds. If you google "nemastoma" you will get a lot of hobby info on that species and others that look like it, but it isn't in the nemastoma genus, just the larger classification nemastomacae. Again with the spelling and grammar....

 

Man, you really are an endless wealth of knowledge. Thanks again.

P.S. I just got my order of snails and filter feeder food in yesterday and everything is doing great. All of the snails are already out and about and the corals love the food.

 

glad it helped! i try to be a full time nerd