Interesting growth on rocks

[Paul B]

I love it when something new grows in my tank, even if it is something that many people think is a plague. I just find it interesting. This is the stuff that stirs my interest in this lifelong hobby.
This stuff started growing on my rocks a few months ago and at first I thought it was some type of coral. It turns out it is some sort of invasive bubble algae but for some reason it is not that invasive.
It only seems to grow in certain places and I think it makes the rock much more facinating. I really don't like the look of new, clean, sterilized rock and know that if my rock ever gets like that I know something is wrong.
This is a DIY, hollow cement "rock"

Here is another piece with a little tuft of hair algae growing on a frayed string. It is the only hair algae in the tank and I also find that interesting so I leave it alone.

There is very little algae in the rest of the tank but I do have a nice growth of short turf algae in some places. This comes from where I collect rocks and water in the Long Island Sound.

 

[Krish]

So Paul, would you be mad at me if you came home one day and saw that I cleaned up your tank real good removing any algae I could find? . That algae does look like a coral of some sort. Pretty cool! Any idea why it only grows in that one spot (as in do you have less light or flow there or vice versa)? I'm sure a lot of what you find in your tank makes it's way in there through your collecting possibly as little spores or in the tummy's of some of the animals you put in your tank that may poop them out. I know I never had bubble algae in my tank until I added a small colony of zoanthids (wild caught ones). Didn't realize bubble algae was caught up in it and boy did it spread!

 

[estanoche]

hehe I have that bubble algae too!! its sooo pretty

I always tell everyone its the "pretty psychedellic bubble algae"

the bubbles are nice and big, and it doesnt encroach on corals as much as normal bubble algae - which has always been a plus IMO

 

[TJL]

Hey Paul, I have that same algae in my sump/fuge its pretty cool looking red with a iridescent touch on larger/older pieces. I just removed a large piece of it today doing some maintenance and was suprised to find that it is very slimy like a LPS coral. How has everything been doing with the switch to LED's ???

Cheers, Todd

 

[Paul B]

would you be mad at me if you came home one day and saw that I cleaned up your tank real good removing any algae I could find?

No, but I would have to kill you.
It seems I am not the only one with this cool algae. :dance:

 

[Krish]

LOL!! I'll just drop some hungry tangs in there then and run!! :bolt: