Dictoya...

[carmelpi]

So. I was given a bunch of different types of algae a while back. One of them was described to me as "brown sea lettuce".
In my naivete i put it in my mantis tank in the hopes that it would grow and i could feed it to my fish in my fowlr.

Weeeeeeell...... It's dictoya. Pretty pretty blue/brown slightly irridescent dictoya.

My fish won't touch it (even my rabbit) and it has recently exploded in my mantis tank. Mind, i think it's VERY pretty but it's literally growing everywhere. I have some zoas, daisy polyps, and gorgonians that i'm afraid it will grow over. Will it be okay if i just pull it out on occasion or will it just smother everything. I am trying to convince my boyfriend to let me throw it in our fowlr since that tank has always had no3/po4 issues, being a fowlr full of big messy fish. He thinks it's like aiptasia but i think it would help improve the water quality.

 

[FinzAquatics]

I have a dictoya that sounds similar to what you are describing. I think it looks very nice and keep it in both my tanks. Overall it's manageable to maintain, but has potential to spread easily if your messy when you trim back.

Like all macro algae it will help (to an extent) reduce nitrates and phosphates in the tank

 

[kylebeano]

It will grow on anything "exposed", so dead coral skeleton, or even other macro algae. I had a big outbreak in my tank this year, had a couple very large patches and many smaller pieces. I siphoned out as much as I could during water changes, its pretty well under control now, but still grows randomly on some other macros, the power head, rock, but not to the extent is was.
I wouldnt recommend it in any tank, fowler or not.

 

[Genera]

I'll take it, and I'd feed it to my mollies, mixed with potatoes and mysis. They'd love that. :rollface:

 

[Saltliquid]

I have the blue/green Dictyota as well and it is nice looking but invasive for sure, not killing invasive but smothering if you let it.
Same with hypnea, they both look great but get in and grab the extra out regularly!