Bubble Algae

[kilgoretrout]

Okay, I got a frag in with some of this weird stuff. Its kind of like a micro bubble algae, however, it does not appear to be any sort of valonia.

I have it in a QT all on its own to experiment with it. This is what I know so far:

1. Water can be super clean to where nothing lives, and this algae does. I have huge quantities of GFO and nothing happens.
2. Emeralds will not touch it. I added about 5 to a tiny amount and they won't get near it.
3. Foxface ignores it.
4. The frag, I'm 99% sure, is a Vietnam zoanthid.
5. Cheato does not outcompete its requirements to live.
6. It does not smell weird; it almost does not have a smell.
7. It does not pop, per se.

Anyway, here are some images. If some pro's/biologist do not know what it is, I can ship you a sample.

Thanks!

#reefsquad

 

[reeferfoxx]

I want to say it looks like a bubble algae but is it growing in rings?

 

[kilgoretrout]

Exactly. It didn't notice until now, but it is growing in those rings. When I scrapped out a piece, it came off like little rings too. Its pretty small; you can see how tiny the bubbles are on those zoas. Those zoas are pretty small, like say a rasta.

 

[RyanCSGO]

Strange looking.
Wonder if @twilliard would have some interest in this

 

[reeferfoxx]

Yeah, sorry I'm stumped on this one.

 

[Sabellafella]

Wow very neat? What does it feel like

 

[kilgoretrout]

Strange looking.
Wonder if @twilliard would have some interest in this

It is odd and fascinating. Its pretty though but I don't want it. Haha. I can see it quickly taking over my QT. I plan on going fallow after I figure out how to kill this stuff.

Yeah, sorry I'm stumped on this one.

No worries! Keep following along. Hopefully someone will chime in.

Wow very neat? What does it feel like

Its rad looking, but a pain in the butt. It feels semi squishy. It is not as hard as say bubble algae. And its so tiny. Those images are zoomed in 5x.

 

[Dizzirn]

Following

 

[Tautog]

Is it a fast grower? If so it's invasive, watch it, and watch out. I'm glad it's in QT

 

[brandon429]

Farm that in anther tank macro collectors will want

Never seen

Consult marine algae id database online it's there certainly

 

[kilgoretrout]

Following

Welcome.

Is it a fast grower? If so it's invasive, watch it, and watch out. I'm glad it's in QT

Very fast grower. I can literally scrape that zoa clean and it'll be back in a day or two. Its locked up in QT and away from anything else. Its in a small QT but it came from a person with a very large system. I wonder what it'll do to their system.

Farm that in anther tank macro collectors will want

Never seen

Consult marine algae id database online it's there certainly

It is very pretty, however, it will smoother any coral.

I am going to hit the AlgaeBase again. I tried it before but since I don't know the name I searched for just "green" and "bubble" but those are not very scientific.

 

[Sabellafella]

It litterally looks like a tunicate, so cool. Maybe the guy you got it from, had some predators to keep it at bay. So possibly could be an algae

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@Hans-Werner here's a neat one.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It litterally looks like a tunicate, so cool. Maybe the guy you got it from, had some predators to keep it at bay. So possibly could be an algae

That was my guess as well.
http://tunicata.nukarumi.net/

 

[Tautog]

That was my guess as well.
http://tunicata.nukarumi.net/

Wow Salty, that link is great, and it really looks like it, great job!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Wow Salty, that link is great, and it really looks like it, great job!

Renee's site is fantastic.

It's defiantly a go to. Esp if it a hard thing to get a picture of.

 

[Sabellafella]

That was my guess as well.
http://tunicata.nukarumi.net/

Wow haha! Dude i had a feeling it was a tunicate just because of the colonial way its shaped. Because its green, just makes me look at it differently but Cant believe you found that, well done. They look exactly alike, i would keep them!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Wow haha! Dude i had a feeling it was a tunicate just because of the colonial way its shaped. Because its green, just makes me look at it differently but Cant believe you found that, well done. They look exactly alike, i would keep them!

Trip right? I got lucky, but the op says they spread like bubble algae. Could be too much of a good thing.

But yea , stinking cool if it were!

 

[mcarroll]

micro bubble algae, however, it does not appear to be any sort of valonia.

There are tons of "siphonous" green algae that this could be one of....and they do thrive in low nutrient situations....often via "roots" they use to tap into detritus that they trap under their bubble structure. To help them in this endeavor they usually have a range of microbial symbionts, very much like Bryopsis (in the same family) and not unlike corals!

Very cool....don't be mean to it! Aside from Bryopsis these kinds of algae tend to be some of the easier algae to control AND one of the nicest to look at!!

If your experimentation has room for more replicates, try a set of tanks where you keep high or adequate N and P (do not let either reach zero.....keep a cushion) and stock a lot of grazers, including crabs and snails – fish too if the tank-size allows. I want to know if the stuff is less palatable when starving vs when well-fed like other plants are known to be.

 

[kilgoretrout]

It litterally looks like a tunicate, so cool. Maybe the guy you got it from, had some predators to keep it at bay. So possibly could be an algae

I hope so! They are really pretty, but my QT is literally empty with a frag of it. It grows insanely fast so I want to eradicate it. Any ideas on predators ? I have all kinds of snails/hermits and they won't touch it. I am going to have to break down my whole QT after this. It is that nuts. I can literally clean the whole frag of it and the next morning it will be back.

That was my guess as well.
http://tunicata.nukarumi.net/

This looks a ton like it! I will try and get some images with my macro later today.

Wow Salty, that link is great, and it really looks like it, great job!

Its nuts that he found it. And fast too!

Wow haha! Dude i had a feeling it was a tunicate just because of the colonial way its shaped. Because its green, just makes me look at it differently but Cant believe you found that, well done. They look exactly alike, i would keep them!

I would love to keep them, but I can see how they would destroy a system in a matter of weeks. I is smothering the zoa so it is dying from lack of light. I could only image what it would do on a wide spread breakout. It is worse than GSP/xenia in terms of how fast it grows.

Trip right? I got lucky, but the op says they spread like bubble algae. Could be too much of a good thing.

But yea , stinking cool if it were!

Way too much of a goof thing. I would say this is bad.

There are tons of "siphonous" green algae that this could be one of....and they do thrive in low nutrient situations....often via "roots" they use to tap into detritus that they trap under their bubble structure. To help them in this endeavor they usually have a range of microbial symbionts, very much like Bryopsis (in the same family) and not unlike corals!

Very cool....don't be mean to it! Aside from Bryopsis these kinds of algae tend to be some of the easier algae to control AND one of the nicest to look at!!

If your experimentation has room for more replicates, try a set of tanks where you keep high or adequate N and P (do not let either reach zero.....keep a cushion) and stock a lot of grazers, including crabs and snails – fish too if the tank-size allows. I want to know if the stuff is less palatable when starving vs when well-fed like other plants are known to be.

I would love to experiment with this more, but I am afraid of it messing with my other systems. I am very careful to clean and only use tools in this tank with this algae, but I am paranoid of getting into anything else. I think I may get another QT going only for this.

In the meantime, know of any predators of this stuff?

Thanks!