Green algae in tank - does it pose a problem?

[Jenny_RS]

one of my friends who is also starting a sw aquarium said she has green algae (dots) on the glass from her previous fw setup. does she need to get rid of it? or is it okay to leave it be? i noticed some of those also in my tank as mine also was previously a fw setup and i never noticed the algae before. suggestions?

 

[ckmn101]

I would definately clean it off just in case it may cause a problem.

 

[roka64]

I agree, better safe than sorry. I bough a FW tank and cleaned it out for my SW, just to be safe.

 

[tundar]

Depending on what type of green algae it is. Bubble algae is attractive but may overtake your tank. As long as it doesn't spread too much you could leave it there and just remove lumps at a time. Hair algae will spread quite fast and is a real pain. This type will overtake your tank in weeks. Removing it quickly is recommended but keeping good water quality will control it.
The simplest rule for algae is if it's hard in texture, you shouldn't worry too much but if it is stringy and slimy then you should take some action.

Hope this helps.