Please help ID, becoming invasive

[40yreefer]

Have a new algae ? in my 200 gal that is growing very fast. Can someone help with identifying this so I can have a better Idea how to eliminate it.

Thanks
Dave

 

[Copingwithpods]

From the first picture alone I was going to say clove polyps but from the second Pic now I'm not sure.

 

[Dolelo96]

Looks like clove polyps

 

[Dolelo96]

 

[40yreefer]

Thanks for the reply. After looking some more, I agree it is probably some type of clove but with very small polyps. The second pic was 400 magnification.

 

[Dolelo96]

They can take over

 

[Copingwithpods]

Ah OK, I have some isolated on a rock and did a test kill run using a tooth brush and it totally wiped them out were I scrubbed.

 

[40yreefer]

Yes, I'm afraid they may take over too. I had to completely tear the tank down 6 months ago to manually remove a Briareum outbreak that had completely taken over the tank. Don't want to that again. May have to try Fenbendazole this time.

 

[brandon429]

Has to have eight lobes to be an octocoral - see the clavularia pic above. Im not counting eight lobes on the invader pic

if the intact specimens are eight lobed agreed it’s a clove or octo unidentified but if not-dictyota macro

 

[brandon429]

In fact I’m certain it’s a plant. If you teased out clavularia or a cousin on a slide for a pic like that, it would never fragment like it does in the bottom portions


that isn’t even showing correct polyp morphology like oral opening or digestive tracts, bi pinnate fronds missing i can see meristem growth pattern at the tips


ive never seen a low growing morph like that, rest assured someone who does marine planted tanks will buy it

 

[40yreefer]

Thanks Brandon429

Definitely need to investigate further. Question is: Is it plant or animal? Need to know for proper treatment.

Got the big camera with macro out and took some more pictures. Also got another sample for the cell phone microscope. ( best $20 we've spent in awhile)
The 2 pictures from the camera seem to show an octocoral kind of structure. They appear to show a mouth with a white area emanating from the center. This area just falls apart when sandwiched between 2 slides for the microscope. The darker photo is interesting in that it shows a polyp? emerging from what looks similar to a tube worm but is putting a foot down in the rock structure. These things are so small I cant see them at all with my old eyes.
It's a new one for me, but I really don;t want it to take over my tank. Any

help is appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

 

[brandon429]

That first one has eight and the right morphology, it’s octocoral for sure

just so stumped at the bottom one it seems so diff, what a neat Id challenge