Why do reefers hate algae so much?

[Animal-Chin]

We spend our lives fighting algae (well some of us do) but really, the ocean has it, thats why it grows in our tanks. I have a little clump that is neatly grown at the base of a rock, I'm just gonna leave it I think it looks alright there. I have another rock with some deep red/burgundy stuff on it, at first my instinks were to find out what eats this and get it, but really it adds color.

Why do you hate algae so much? I bet a nice tuft of hair algae is good for the little echo system we create.

 

[darkmatter_3500]

I have a freshwater tank and I get alot of diatomes because I leave lights off while im at work , I work 7 days and home 7 , I stopped trying to fight it and now it actually makes my fake plants look real I only clean it on my glass. It actually consumes nitrates and so does algae, it is not bad for the fish.

 

[MacDracor]

I think the real issue is what kind of algae and where. Hair algae spreads quickly and can choke out coral life. In the reefs, there are hundreds of fish that eat it, keeping the corals clean of algae. Ever seen a school of convict tangs scour a reef?
I think some algae are ok, some are even desirable, but I still try to keep hair lgae and bryopsis under control.

 

[redsea]

For me it depends what kind of algae I am dealing with. Microalgae is the kind the aquarists generally don't like because it can be invasive, doesn't look good, and most of the time doesn't have many benefits. However, there are good types of algae called Macroalagae. This kind of algae looks pretty cool, and some types remove nitrates from the water.

 

[Wy Renegade]

+2 to both posts above. Invasive algaes that over grow and choke out corals are a definite no go. Those that look nice and help with nitrate issues are fine. I've got a nice looking small red algae that I let go in one of my tanks, and it now covers all the powerheads, much of the LR, and I have to manually remove it to keep it from overgrowing the corals. On the other hand, I have a nice large red algae in another tank (had it there for years), it sits backhind the LR in limited light and other than growing slowly has never caused any issues.