Is my macroalgae dying? Could it be spiking my phosphates?

[hoochers]

Hello R2R,

I have had some of this red macroalgae in my display tank for a couple of months. I believe it is called both “sprung’s burning bush” and “atomic broccoli” depending on the seller.

The original piece I purchased (on the left in my photo) has slowly started fading in color, especially at the tips/edges. I thought this was great because it has orange fluorescent spots/highlights that stood out better like this.

However, I purchased another piece recently (right side in my photo), and its deep red color vs the piece I already had was very noticeable. So much so that I’m wondering if the original piece of this macroalgae may be being damaged (or even dying?) under my tanks light.

I also recently had a HUGE phosphate spike in my tank (from 0.05 to 0.90… yes 0.9 *not* 0.09) after spot feeding reefroids and ab+. Note that I’ve been using these two coral foods for months and never experienced as big of a spike as I did recently. Also noticed nitrates dropped from 8 to 1 & Alk dropped from 8.8 to 8.4. I did a big water change and added a packet of rinsed gfo, started adding neonitro daily to raise nitrates, and the phosphate levels have been brought down to 0.30 now, hoping this will continue to come down over the next few weeks.

After receiving the new dark red piece of this macroalgae, I’m now starting to wonder if my old piece of macroalgae may have been the source of the phosphate spike? I know macros can “go sexual” and release nitrates/phosohates into he water but this particular macroalgae was noted to *not* go sexual and be a good substitute for chaeto in a refugium (or as display macroalgae).

What do you think I should do?

It’s crazy because I thought adding this beautiful macroalgae would actually HELP keep my phosphates in check hahakillmehahaha!

Anyways… your comments/advice would be appreciated.

Tank specs:

- 6 month old 25 gallon AIO lagoon tank, caribsea life rock, and caribsea special grade sand.
- ATO
- AI Prime 16 HD light running mostly blue
- Recently added gfo packet to help with phosphate spike and also added carbon packet as a precaution because of new mushroom that was doing weird things.
- filter floss as mechanical filtration. No other filtration other than rocks and macroalgae in display.
- about a dozen various snails (mainly trochus and cerith, no fish.
- nitrates and phosphates had been relatively stable at around 8-10 & 0.03-0.05 until recently. All had been stable at 8.8 until recently when it has dipped to 8.4 at the same time as the phosphate spike.
- no dosing (other than neonitro right now to bring nitrates back up), just a weekly water change with redsea blue bucket at natural seawater salinity (35ppm)

 

[sixty_reefer]

The colour difference in this particular algae is to do with lighting.
More white light and the gametes become visible more blue and you will lose them.

It will not be connected to your phosphate rise

 

[hoochers]

The colour difference in this particular algae is to do with lighting.
More white light and the gametes become visible more blue and you will lose them.

It will not be connected to your phosphate rise

My lighting is mostly blue though, the white setting is at 10% (at its peak) or less throughout the photoperiod.

 

[GARRIGA]

If that’s gracileria than won’t go asexual.

Tried removing GHA from Pom Pom Pom Pom using 6% peroxide and apparently left it to long and started turning white and that part died. Have seen the same affects with GHA. I wouldn’t necessarily place too much concern on shading of red as there’s so many similar looking Macroalgae that identification can be often difficult plus as noted above how lit might affect how it reflects light.

Although Macroalgae can release nutrients what I’ve observed is remaining will take it up and likely not a concern until it all dies and nothing else able to resolve that released.

Perhaps check iron levels and correct that if necessary. As newly added will not consume more of it

 

[sixty_reefer]

My lighting is mostly blue though, the white setting is at 10% (at its peak) or less throughout the photoperiod.

It won’t kill the algae but eventually both will be just a red clump of normal algae.

 

[Subsea]

Differrent light intensity also manifest differrent color of macro algae. Also differrent spectrum lighting will look differrent.

Red Grape macro, Bortacladia is collected in 30’-120’, when I get it from the divers it is a dark burgundy when viewed with 10,000 Kevin color spectrum. If shocked with too much intensity, it will lose flotation berries and it will go sexual and disintegrate, releasing nutrients & gaments into the water.

When Bortacladia is left in low light intensity <100, it maintains rich burgundy color. When intensity at same spectrum is incresed to 150 PAR it turns fire engine red and is very attractive. When subjected to intense PAR, it turned yellow orange and disintegrate.

Hello R2R,

I have had some of this red macroalgae in my display tank for a couple of months. I believe it is called both “sprung’s burning bush” and “atomic broccoli” depending on the seller.

The original piece I purchased (on the left in my photo) has slowly started fading in color, especially at the tips/edges. I thought this was great because it has orange fluorescent spots/highlights that stood out better like this.

However, I purchased another piece recently (right side in my photo), and its deep red color vs the piece I already had was very noticeable. So much so that I’m wondering if the original piece of this macroalgae may be being damaged (or even dying?) under my tanks light.

I also recently had a HUGE phosphate spike in my tank (from 0.05 to 0.90… yes 0.9 *not* 0.09) after spot feeding reefroids and ab+. Note that I’ve been using these two coral foods for months and never experienced as big of a spike as I did recently. Also noticed nitrates dropped from 8 to 1 & Alk dropped from 8.8 to 8.4. I did a big water change and added a packet of rinsed gfo, started adding neonitro daily to raise nitrates, and the phosphate levels have been brought down to 0.30 now, hoping this will continue to come down over the next few weeks.

After receiving the new dark red piece of this macroalgae, I’m now starting to wonder if my old piece of macroalgae may have been the source of the phosphate spike? I know macros can “go sexual” and release nitrates/phosohates into he water but this particular macroalgae was noted to *not* go sexual and be a good substitute for chaeto in a refugium (or as display macroalgae).

What do you think I should do?

It’s crazy because I thought adding this beautiful macroalgae would actually HELP keep my phosphates in check hahakillmehahaha!

Anyways… your comments/advice would be appreciated.

Tank specs:

- 6 month old 25 gallon AIO lagoon tank, caribsea life rock, and caribsea special grade sand.
- ATO
- AI Prime 16 HD light running mostly blue
- Recently added gfo packet to help with phosphate spike and also added carbon packet as a precaution because of new mushroom that was doing weird things.
- filter floss as mechanical filtration. No other filtration other than rocks and macroalgae in display.
- about a dozen various snails (mainly trochus and cerith, no fish.
- nitrates and phosphates had been relatively stable at around 8-10 & 0.03-0.05 until recently. All had been stable at 8.8 until recently when it has dipped to 8.4 at the same time as the phosphate spike.
- no dosing (other than neonitro right now to bring nitrates back up), just a weekly water change with redsea blue bucket at natural seawater salinity (35ppm)

@hoochers

I am not familiar with those vendor names at marketing. What you have is Gracilaria Hayi. I would dose iron and feed your ornamental seaweed nutrients. When I grew Gracilaria Parvispora commercially, I sent it to a regional agriculture laboratory: ratio of N to P was 30 to 1.

I noticed your location as Miami. Russ Kronwetter is diver owner of GulfCoast EcoSystem. See what he says about red macros in Caribbean & GOM:

https://www.marineplantbook.com/Red Algae (Rhodophyta)​

The genus Rhodophyta is the largest and most diverse group of tropical and temperate marine algae with more than 2,000 species found worldwide. Their dominant pigment is phycoerythrin, which gives off rich shades of red, orange and blue. Species of red macro algae are some of the most varied and striking of all marine algae and are highly sought after as aquarium specimens. Identification can be difficult with some species, such as Gracilaria, while some collected specimens are not even documented at all.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookgrachayi.htm
While not a very attractive picture of Gracilaria Hayi, I find it grows in response to environmental conditions, when given what they like they make a tight bush. I grow them in a vertical loop tumble culture which makes for tight spheres.

 

[Subsea]

My lighting is mostly blue though, the white setting is at 10% (at its peak) or less throughout the photoperiod.

That much blue would coordinate with deepwater conditions of where Bortacladia is collected. I don’t find that blue grows ornamental seaweeds very well. For my display purposes to highlight reds & yellows I go with 10, 000 Kevin color spectrum. I find that the blue spectrum washes out the red color.