Grape Caulerpa Turning Black! What is it and what should I do?

FoolintheRain

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This has happened in the past 24 hours and noticed since lights just turned on in the refugium. Parts of the algae have a film growing around it and those parts are turning black. Any idea what this and should it be removed? Otherwise everything else looks healthy. Full ball of chaeto and ulva in the back chamber as well. Any advice is greatly appreciated!


IMG_20200712_211359.jpg

MVIMG_20200712_210700.jpg
 

Brokereefer603

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what kind of light are you using? 2 things come to mind. 1 too much light. 2 not enough flow. Those black parts are dead so trim it off and toss it. I'm going with 1 more than 2. The light is burning the plant and causing it to melt.
 
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FoolintheRain

FoolintheRain

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what kind of light are you using? 2 things come to mind. 1 too much light. 2 not enough flow. Those black parts are dead so trim it off and toss it. I'm going with 1 more than 2. The light is burning the plant and causing it to melt.

Using a Radion XR15 Freshwater Light. It got worse overnight and have since removed all but the roots which all looked healthy. There is a Koralia in there that provides a decent amount of flow so I will keep an eye on the lights and dial them back a bit. Is grape caulerpa more sensitive to light than other macros? Everything else seems to do well with the intense lighting.
 

ahiggins

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Is grape calurpa one of the ones that can turn brown/black and go sexual?
 

ahiggins

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Reading that...I know it sounds weird but look into macro algae reproducing sexually as opposed to budding.
 
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FoolintheRain

FoolintheRain

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I was aware of the possibility of it going sexual and melting but everything I have read says it turns white when it does that, not black. Only been growing in there for about a month so I have no experience with it.
 

Brokereefer603

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No its going black from melting. Its turns clear white sexual. I'm almost positive its too much light. So to take what we heard and read in freshwater planted tanks the thinner the leaves the more light it needs. In saltwater its reversed. The bigger the leaves the more light its needs alteast from my experience..
 

CoralClasher

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This has happened in the past 24 hours and noticed since lights just turned on in the refugium. Parts of the algae have a film growing around it and those parts are turning black. Any idea what this and should it be removed? Otherwise everything else looks healthy. Full ball of chaeto and ulva in the back chamber as well. Any advice is greatly appreciated!


IMG_20200712_211359.jpg

MVIMG_20200712_210700.jpg
Looks like Cyanobacteria to me. Do you have microscope?
 

Crabby48

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Ok so I’m probably crazy but it looks like Dino’s stuck on the macro. My eyes aren’t great and I’m on a phone but I see something that looks like Dinos or cyano
 

CoralClasher

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Ok so I’m probably crazy but it looks like Dino’s stuck on the macro. My eyes aren’t great and I’m on a phone but I see something that looks like Dinos or cyano
I’m trying to be optimistic without microscope ID it’s hard to tell. Ether way make sure you up the fresh air into the refugium.
 

Crabby48

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So no microscope but it is removed and gone at this point. Not sure if it helps with the ID but this is what it looked like the next morning before it all got removed.

IMG_20200713_050752.jpg
This picture looks more cyano then Dino. Couple months ago I got something looking the same and had to remove any macro that it touched to stop it.

I would post in a thread about cyano or dinos to help rule them out.
 
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FoolintheRain

FoolintheRain

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Well I hope it is neither of those but thanks for the insight. I will post and see if anyone can rule those out. I did have the lights turned to max for a few hours every day so hopefully that was the culprit.
 

CoralClasher

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Well I hope it is neither of those but thanks for the insight. I will post and see if anyone can rule those out. I did have the lights turned to max for a few hours every day so hopefully that was the culprit.
I have run my refugium lights 24/7 100% Maxspect recurve and never turn the macros black.
 

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