Caulerpa help
 

Hi :)

Not sure if this is the appropriate thread but I have some macro algae sitting in my upgrade tank sump (cycling) which I just cannot seem to identify.

I really wanted chaeto but being in Australia it's freaking difficult to find any chaeto at all and I tried every LFS. They all seem to prefer selling caulerpa which I think is illegal to sell yet they ONLY sell that as far as macro algae goes. :debi:

Here's a photo of it. It looks like prolifera to me, as the leaves aren't feathery at all. Just short and oval-ish. It looks like it may be dying off. Bits of clear strands seem to be getting into the display. I've been netting them as much as possible.

http://i.imgur.com/9rpuJxeh.jpg

You are correct it is prolifera. Sometimes a few of the leaves die off. That's pretty normal.

Thanks buddy :)

The "leaves" are coming out of "vines" yes? Clip those vines so there are only 1 or 2 leaves per vine.

Prolifera acts like a single cell, so if part of it goes sexual, all of it can. However if there is only a leaf or two on a vine then the affects are much less.

It also seems to speed the growth.

HTH