What is this algae?

gajake

Cleaner Shrimp
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
I have a tank that had high nitrates. I got the nitrates down to a low level and with the exception of my back glass, just about all of the green algae is gone. This just popped out of one rock that has been in tank for 5 years. Just that one rock has it growing. It is now about 3" long and, honestly, very colorful and looks nice waving in the current.

I'm just wondering what it is and am I looking at any problem by leaving it continue to grow. View attachment 14179
 

gajake

Cleaner Shrimp
M.A.S.C Club Member
#3
I've never had it in the tank before. Is it a problem to leave it? Could it help starve out other algaes (That would be good). This is a 55 gallon tank that has been running for about 6 years. At this point it has 4 fish, two small anemones, a large banded shrimp and a single sps coral - plus of course the usual snails and crabs
 

halmus

Registered Users
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#4
Kind of looks like “dragons breath” algae I’ve seen in the hobby.

https://www.livealgae.co.uk/macroal...macroalgae-halymenia-durvillei-dragons-breath

I wouldn’t worry about it in the tank unless you consider it a nuisance. It might help starve out other unwanted algaes as it grows. But I never consider any algae to be fully “gone”. It’s in the system just waiting for optimal conditions to reappear.
 

DyM

Sting ray
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
It does look like dragon's breath, but odd how the tips are so pointy. Put a Tang in there, if he eats it all, it's dragon's breath or good algae. If he doesn't, it's bad and you should pull it out. Just kidding. Dragon's breath will grow in a clump, and not spread like other algae. Do some googling.
 

SynDen

Administrator
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#7
that looks like something from Dr Suess. It's not dragoons breath, it doesn't grow in threads
haha ya does kind of look like the tops of the trees from the Lorax
 
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