Halimeda problem-Algae-3reef Forums

UMdmd · 12-16-2006, 01:23 PM

As you may have guessed I have a halimeda problem. They seem to be popping up everywhere. Some of my rocks are so crowded that you can barely see the rock underneith. Do any of you have any suggestions on how to get rid of this stuff. They are even starting to crowd my xenia and other corals. I will have to start doing some pruning today. But how do I prevent them from popping up again. They also seem to be sucking up my calcium.

inwall75 · 12-16-2006, 01:58 PM

Try to pull as many holdfasts as possible when you pull them from the base. Some macro's reproduce via fragmentation so pulling while in the tank is a bad idea. This is not one of them. Yank away.

Can you attach a pic though. What you are describing sounds more like Caulerpa than Halimeda.

amcarrig · 12-16-2006, 07:54 PM

I agree with inwall. Halmeida is a very difficult algae to keep alive so I'm not sure that that's the problem you're having

UMdmd · 12-18-2006, 08:30 AM

I know that halimeda is supposed to be hard to keep but the guy at the lfs said that it was halimeda. Since I have had this problem I can't seem to keep my calcium up.

inwall75 · 12-18-2006, 08:46 AM

Halimeda: The Cactus Algae by Kirby Adams - Reefkeeping.com

On the rocks that have Halimeda but no other corals, you can pull them out of your tank and scrub off the holdfasts with a toothbrush. On the rocks that have corals, you can still do this but it's a good idea to have a squirt bottle filled with saltwater to periodically spritz the corals with.