Remove nuisance algae from Dragons Tongue

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This thread will document a case study of cleaning Halymenia dilatata of epiphyte growth using hydrogen peroxide.

I use hydrogen peroxide to kill all algae on coral plugs: 10 minute dip at 10% hydrogen peroxide (store bought at 3%). I use 35% H2O2 so I tone it down to 1% mixture. This dip is indiscriminate. It will oxidize everything it touches, including pods, micro stars, bristle worms and the list goes on. Coral mucus protects coral. This dip will not eradicate Aptasia because of slime coat.

Dragon’s Tongue is the Pacific version of Gulf of Mexico Dragon’s Breath cultivars which are easily torn.
https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookhalyfloresia.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookhalyfloridana.htm

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookhalymeniaelongata.htm

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/3551/dragons-tongue-algae?pcatid=3551&c=497+3752+3551

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I will attemp to find the highest dosage/duration that does not kill desirable macro. To accomplish this I will gradually increase duration of soak in one minute increments until desirable shows damage. Shows damage will be evaluated on red macro by color change after being put back in tumble culture tank. Once upper safe limit to macro is determined, I will use this duration to kill less resistive epiphytes, I hope they are less resistive to hydrogen peroxide.

Three samples were selected and soaked for one minute with zero damage observed. Second test was completed with 2 minute soak and treated samples were put back into tank, to be evaluated in a couple of hours.

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Slight color change noted on tips of treated Dragons Tongue over night. I will observe to see how it survives effects of disinfecting/oxidizing hydrogen peroxide.
 
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Twelve hours after 2 minute dip in 5% solution of hydrogen peroxide. I don’t expect desirable macro to survive.
 
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So, I found the hydrogen peroxide maximum dosage for Halymenia dilatata to be less than 2 minutes and more than 1 min. While not being able to identify nuisance algae, I can tell it looks unharmed. I will wait 24/hours and re-evaluate.
 
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As I further think on this, it seems as if nuisance algae is more resistive to hydrogen peroxide than desirable macro.

I intend to change enviromental parameters to favor desirable macro over nuisance algae. I will assume temperature preference of a Pacific variety of macro would be colder than normal reef temperature. So, I will install pancake fans to increase evaporation to lower water temperature. I will also decrease intensity of light as prescribed by ORA for this aquacultured macro. This will also further assist in lower water temperature.
 
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While I can’t identify all of the nuisance algae on Dragon’s Tongue, I can identify the green tubular string. In Latin it means hollow tube just as intestines, Enteromorphy.

PSS. The green macro tubular string took a serious hit. Look at bottom right of picture. It is the best picture I could do in this current. After five minutes in tank, I saw white bleaching on fringes of algae. This macro is a cousin to Ulva, which prefers cooler water. The other hair algae is a more serious problem. It is my hope that lower temperature will favor Dragon’s Tongue over nuisance gha.


https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookenteromorpha.htm
 
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After 10 hours with extra cooling fans, lowered water temperature from 84 to 76 degrees. While I saw a little increase in new green strings on a few bushes, I will maintain this lower temperature. Will treat the few contaimi bushes with a 90 second dip in hydrogen peroxide 5% solution.

Because I don’t have an unlimited supply of this highly prized macro, I am cautious to protect desirable culture. Thus only 90 second dip with just a few bushes at this dosage duration.

I have only one bush in a seperate tank to be able to continue this cultivar of Halymenia dilatata.
 
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http://nsgl.gso.uri.edu/nhu/nhuh14001.pdf

Because I read a manual from a certifiable large scale Seaweed Mariculture facility, I focused on sterilizing.

In my 55G tumble culture tank water is running hot from UV sterilizer. Sterilization of water did not stop opportunistic algae.

At this point, I am going natural. Meaning, I am going to find janitors to help me out. I have > 25,000 copepods in the mail. Along with an infusion of large amphipods from outside mariculture. For me, predator prey relationships makes this part of my reefkeeping experience interesting.
 
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While it took three days to show damage, the 90 second dip is effecting macro and not nuisance algae. I put a few 5 th generation marine mollies in tank. Awaiting many copepods.
 

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Keep us posted
 
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I expect at best 15% survival of Dragons Tongue culture. At this point in time, this tank will document this crash. As I just added 10K cultured copepods into my faux intank sump and left pumps off all night to assist pod acclimation with air bubbles left on. Also added was four fifth generation marine black mollies.

From the pictures, you can see brown film algae everywhere. Note the cyno growth on pump jets in a very high flow area, so much for that sacred cow. IMO, cyno grows best when redox is low.
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So as algae disintegrates into tank, nutrients abound and opportunistic algae’s will start growing.

While my method may seem crazy, I have a goal with my madness. I want to grow a coculture of ornamental macro heavily seeded with copepods. In my outside mariculture, my end goal is Ulva and pods (big amphipods & at least three cultivated copepod species). When I am satisfied with quality control, I will sell two seperate live food kits: one for refugiums and one for display.
 
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Musings from the lazy boy chair.

Even if all of this ornamental dna is lost in this tank, I have a safe culture elsewhere. With this crash, we shall see if the seaweed goes sexual and clones itself as Red Grapes did in a 55G macro lagoon growout tank tw9 years earlier.

I see a differrent forecast here. For certain two young growth bushes are unaffected by nuisance algae. I did not subject then to peroxide. Now, I need to study up on the differrent growth phases of the complex phylum of red seaweed. As a Gardner I have already addressed the tedious process of excessive pruning to remove bad algae dna. As a Marine Engineer and an addicted reefer for 47 years, inquiring minds want to know.

Laissez les bonne temps roulee,
Patrick
 
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To complete “a la natural”, I turned off 35W UV sterilizer, which will remove much heat into tank water by not being on.
 
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Musings from Lazy Boy

Just transferred infant fifth generation mollies from outside culture to #1 macro growout lagoon. These are very mixed colors but lean more toward silver mollies. Hopefully, herbivores will perform janitor service, for certain they are nutritious live food for marine predators.

As I ponder my problem with this species of Halymenia, I come back to growth phases. In my experiences with several differrent Halymenia, the common characteristic was slippery flesh. The Dragon Tongue that is suffering is not slippery. In mariculture of this cultivar, ORA says to tumble culture to promote slippery flesh. While I always use tumble culture to aggressive rub seaweed surfaces clean of biofilms, I am at somewhat of a loss to understand why my Dragons Tongue is not slippery.

To further analyze the healthy growth phase of Dragons Tongue, let’s study on the family, Rhodophyla.

https://www.marineplantbook.com/marinebookhalyfloresia.htm

[One of the most popular and easily obtainable species of Halymenia for the aquarium. It features striking flame shaped blades and pinkish/red coloration. Like all species of Halymenia, it is gelatinous and smooth in texture and very delicate. It is most often collected as free floating specimens or attached to harvested live rock as it grows quite ]

RED MACROALGAE (RHODOPHYTA)

redalgae.bmp
The genus Rhodophyta is the largest and most diverse group of tropical and temperate marine algae with more than 2,000 species worldwide. Their dominant pigment is phycoerythrin, which gives off rich shades of red, orange and blue. 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 in some species, such as Gracilaria.
 
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I transferred small pieces of slippery dragons tongue to #2 tumble culture. UV sterilizer off on both 55G tumble culture tanks to promote copepod population and food source. I transferred half of the muffin fans to #1 55G tumble culture of Gracilaria Hayi.
 
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For the particular nuisance algae that grew on ornamental macro, I could not harm it without killing desirable macro.

The few bushes that resisted nuisance algae growth represented new growth phase of Rhodophyla were removed to growout tank.

In this particular case, #2 tumble culture tank will consist of the wild bunch. Both Gracilaria Hayi & Ulva are growing attached. I have added pods to this tank and will sell as live food / refugium kit.

The top tank, to the best of my ability, will be a tumble culture of Gracilaria and pods. I am repeatedly removing macro with Ulva from this tank.

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