Valonia or bubble algae is certainly rated high on the nuisance scale to the knowledgeable aquarist. Yet commonly found to be attractive to the novice. Valonia is said to be the largest single cell organism in the world. Unfortunately with the right conditions this species will multiply at an alarming rate and quickly overrun an aquarium. A critical aspect of controlling Valonia in a system is controlling the amount of free nutrients in the system (proper skimming). Valonia under normal circumstances should remain under control with the occasional bubble here and there. In high nutrient systems this algae will take advantage of the opportunity to reproduce. Removal of the algae is quite simple if you wait for it to grow to a large size with a simple twist and a pull.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Sea Grapes?
Valonia or bubble algae is certainly rated high on the nuisance scale to the knowledgeable aquarist. Yet commonly found to be attractive to the novice. Valonia is said to be the largest single cell organism in the world. Unfortunately with the right conditions this species will multiply at an alarming rate and quickly overrun an aquarium. A critical aspect of controlling Valonia in a system is controlling the amount of free nutrients in the system (proper skimming). Valonia under normal circumstances should remain under control with the occasional bubble here and there. In high nutrient systems this algae will take advantage of the opportunity to reproduce. Removal of the algae is quite simple if you wait for it to grow to a large size with a simple twist and a pull.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Sky Blue Echinopora
This sky blue Echinopora came from Steve Robinson and my visit to ASAP, Hayward, CA. The echinopora is commonly collected in shallow turbulant current, under bright light. Although they are quite abundant in the wild, the echinopora is somewhat unseen in the hobby. Fragmentation of a mother colony is beginning in captivity with successful results.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
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