Dictyota is it bad????

prow · 09-19-2006, 12:10 AM

hi. well i have a 2 patches of Dictyota. never really thought about it. kinda thought my tang would eat it. tried to feed him some, he is in QT eats almost everything, tasted it a couple times but does not like it. started looking into it and only found lots of the same info. i have one patch at the top midish of the rock and one on the bottom side. they grow super fast. faster than the cheato in my sump. anyway aside from just growing fast and taking up space are they bad in anyother way. chemicals warefare or anything like that?
from what i understand they have to grow on corals to choke them. other than that i dont know if they can harm anything in any other way. anyone know anything???

i know some see them as a nuisance but i like them in there. want to keep them if they dont harm anything.

mps9506 · 09-19-2006, 12:19 AM

It grows fast and thick, like my Uncles back hair...

Becareful because sediment/detrius accumilates very easily in the areas that stuff grows. Yank the stuff out, use a turkey baster to blow the detrius off the rocks where the stuff is growing. You might want to see about adjusting the flow patterns or adding more current to prevent detrius accumilation where the algae is growing.
Usually this stuff grows fast in higher nutrient conditions, the best control for it is to keep the nutrients low

. Some species are pretty attractive and since it is IMO not too difficult to physically remove, maybe it's not a bad thing it is growing in your tank.

prow · 09-19-2006, 12:42 AM

na its not nutrients everything that should be 0 is . phos, silicate, nitrate. flow wise the patch at the top is about 6" in the direct path of my tunze, at times set max 1850gph. that patch is growing faster than the other. i checked up on it and most the resources i found say it does better in low nutrient tanks. form lack of competition i think. by coincidence i found this to be ture. awhile back i put a rock with a huge patch in heavy nutrient tank. that has reduced down to nothing. while in the low nutreint tank it does well. i know this is just my experiacne with it and lighting tank flow all that counts but...

i do like it. its pretty easy to control so far. but..,, i can not find any info on its secretions. i have not seen any harmfull effect as of yet. i would like to let it grow a little more if its only harmful when overgrowing.

sasquatch · 09-19-2006, 12:46 AM

Thanks Prow, I love to search=what he talkin bout?? so now I know.Had that on new rock but it all went away. Karma fairy Incoming!!

mps9506 · 09-19-2006, 01:16 AM

I guess a term like high nutrients is a relative term. Dictyota is generally found associated with shallow coastal reef. However it isn't as prevalant in what is considered lower nutrient offshore reefs associated with lower nutrients. Not that either has to be considred "high nutrient" conditions.

Regardless I wouldn't be to worried about any chemicals released from Dictyota sp. I believe they are rich in terpenes, but I don't believe they are released from the algae, but are more of a deterant for herbivorus fish.

prow · 09-19-2006, 03:29 AM

sweet thanks.
i was hoping to hear that. guess i will just have watch it and see what happens. i think it makes things look more natural.

09-19-2006, 12:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
prow Tridacna maxima Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 4,728 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Dictyota is it bad???? hi. well i have a 2 patches of Dictyota. never really thought about it. kinda thought my tang would eat it. tried to feed him some, he is in QT eats almost everything, tasted it a couple times but does not like it. started looking into it and only found lots of the same info. i have one patch at the top midish of the rock and one on the bottom side. they grow super fast. faster than the cheato in my sump. anyway aside from just growing fast and taking up space are they bad in anyother way. chemicals warefare or anything like that? from what i understand they have to grow on corals to choke them. other than that i dont know if they can harm anything in any other way. anyone know anything??? i know some see them as a nuisance but i like them in there. want to keep them if they dont harm anything.

09-19-2006, 12:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
mps9506 Totally back Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 8,525 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Dictyota is it bad???? It grows fast and thick, like my Uncles back hair... Becareful because sediment/detrius accumilates very easily in the areas that stuff grows. Yank the stuff out, use a turkey baster to blow the detrius off the rocks where the stuff is growing. You might want to see about adjusting the flow patterns or adding more current to prevent detrius accumilation where the algae is growing. Usually this stuff grows fast in higher nutrient conditions, the best control for it is to keep the nutrients low . Some species are pretty attractive and since it is IMO not too difficult to physically remove, maybe it's not a bad thing it is growing in your tank. __________________ Mike Reefkeeping Since '99 Help Build Reefpedia Premium Memberships Available! Support Reef Sanctuary Sponsors

09-19-2006, 12:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
prow Tridacna maxima Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 4,728 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Dictyota is it bad???? na its not nutrients everything that should be 0 is . phos, silicate, nitrate. flow wise the patch at the top is about 6" in the direct path of my tunze, at times set max 1850gph. that patch is growing faster than the other. i checked up on it and most the resources i found say it does better in low nutrient tanks. form lack of competition i think. by coincidence i found this to be ture. awhile back i put a rock with a huge patch in heavy nutrient tank. that has reduced down to nothing. while in the low nutreint tank it does well. i know this is just my experiacne with it and lighting tank flow all that counts but... i do like it. its pretty easy to control so far. but..,, i can not find any info on its secretions. i have not seen any harmfull effect as of yet. i would like to let it grow a little more if its only harmful when overgrowing.

09-19-2006, 12:46 AM	#4 (permalink)
sasquatch Brunt of all Jokes~ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: the very farthest west coast of canada Posts: 8,982 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Dictyota is it bad???? Thanks Prow, I love to search=what he talkin bout?? so now I know.Had that on new rock but it all went away. Karma fairy Incoming!!

09-19-2006, 01:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
mps9506 Totally back Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 8,525 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Dictyota is it bad???? I guess a term like high nutrients is a relative term. Dictyota is generally found associated with shallow coastal reef. However it isn't as prevalant in what is considered lower nutrient offshore reefs associated with lower nutrients. Not that either has to be considred "high nutrient" conditions. Regardless I wouldn't be to worried about any chemicals released from Dictyota sp. I believe they are rich in terpenes, but I don't believe they are released from the algae, but are more of a deterant for herbivorus fish. __________________ Mike Reefkeeping Since '99 Help Build Reefpedia Premium Memberships Available! Support Reef Sanctuary Sponsors

09-19-2006, 03:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
prow Tridacna maxima Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 4,728 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Dictyota is it bad???? sweet thanks. i was hoping to hear that. guess i will just have watch it and see what happens. i think it makes things look more natural.

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