Strange plant grew out of live rock?????

[mattwils71]

This plant has suddenly grown out of my rock at the same time I have had a diatoms or cyano or whatever algea bloom I have. Is it bad for my tank ?? What is it?? What does it do?? How fast does it grow?? Why do I have it?? And any general thoughts

 

[smtank]

Looks like the beginnings of dictyota algae to me.

 

[mattwils71]

Gd or bad??

 

[tektite]

Haven't seen a leafy green form like that except for caulerpa prolifera but the growth structure doesn't match there. Most definitely NOT dictyota.

 

[mattwils71]

I'm leaving it be as my nitrates are a little high

 

[Biotopes]

It's definitely not dictyota, it is some sort of macroalgae. It doesn't look like any caulerpa I've seen, except caulerpa prolifera. I would say it's C. prolifera though Is it bad? Probably not. What does it do? Exports excess nutrients, looks great, makes the tank more natural (and easier to keep!) How fast does it grow? Not sure, if we can't positive ID then that'll be up to you to wait and find out. Why do you have it? Hitchhikers!

I wouldn't worry about it, plus, if you have any tangs or herbivorous fish it'll be gone pretty quickly.

 

[mattwils71]

Its in a pico reef so no tangs there ahaha it is a hitchuker and grows about a cm a week idm it, it will probs die off when my diy hob refugiym is complete

 

[mattwils71]

Shall I take another pic??

 

[Biotopes]

Yeah another pic would be good

 

[mattwils71]