My macro just died!
 

After being away for a few days this past weekend I finally had some time tonight to check out my tank tonight. Everything was fine with the exception of my macro algea. I have a 10 gallon shallow rubbermaid bin for a refugium and it was about half full of calurpa, until this past weekend I guess. I had noticed in recent weeks that it's growth had slowed, probably due to my new PO4 and NO3 reactor, but looked healthy otherwise. Tonight all but a few thin strands of the calurpa had literally liquified! It had the consistancy of brown slime, and fell apart in my hands when trying to remove it.

I had recently started feeding my corals more, a lot more, since the acquisition of a sea fan. So I thought the macro would have plenty of nutrients. Does this sould like a nutrient issue though? Or does it sound more like a disease, infection or even competition?

What color was the Caulerpa when you looked at it?

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It was brown and slimey. Normally it was vibrant green.

Hmm, sounds more like a disease than anything, though I've never heard of anything like this.

Wow, thats strange man.......guess I can't buy any from you now..lol

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I've never heard of anything like this either. There are only a couple of strands of it left that appear to be clinging to life. Hopefully they will re-grow the patch. Incidently, there was a little bit of chaeto in the fuge as well that didn''t seam to be affected at all.

Hmm, that's interesting, so it was only the Caulerpa... just a single species? If you have more than one species and only one was affected, I'd say most definitely a disease of some kind. I'm leaning that way anyhow, if all other things are equal and because your Chaeto is fine... try checking out the forums at http://www.marineplantedtanks.com, they may have some insight for you there.

This happened to me as well. It never happens to cheato and that is why some people never keep caulerpa

I found this :

Caulerpa spread almost entirely by asexual growth from spores and by fragmentation. A spore producing Caulerpa can often times release such large numbers of spores that it turns the aquarium water a milkly-green color. If this occurs the spores will settle out, be removed by filtration, be eaten or die off in a short period of time. The water becomes clear again, but the spore producing alga can leave behind a white soft tissued husk that should be removed.

At this site:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/alg...a/aa112000.htm

Anthony calfo
 

HI Guys,
I had a book by Anthony Calfo, who is I guess some kind of reef Guru:lol:, and in there he warns about the nutrient levels getting too low and the macro algae going A sexual, at that point it realeases all of the nutrients that it has pulled from the water back into the tank at once. Which is not good considering many of us have used macroalgae for nutrient export. test your water for nitrates and phosphates and maybe do a nice water change to be sure. Good luck.:wink:

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Judging by what I've found in my skimmer cup since this event, I'd say that a whole lot of nutrients were let back into my system. My only hope is that what small bits that were left will eventually re-grow.

Thank you everyone for your help on this. I've learned something new today!