Please help identify this

[Cblightfoot]

I have this mushroom looking stuff growing all over my rock. Started with one little piece and now is all over the large rock in my tank. Is it bad? What is it? How do I get rid of it?

 

[aadair22]

Possibly bubble algae and aiptasia

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Looks like bubble algae. To remove it take the rock out put it in a bucket of tank water and pick them off. Don't do it in the tank if you bust them it spreads rapidly. Then put the rock back in but not the water. Do it during a wc.

 

[Cblightfoot]

Is there any creature or fish that eats it? The rock is a very large rock in my tank and its a little difficult to get out.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Emerald crabs do if you can pick it off without breaking them that will be ok.

 

[Cblightfoot]

Thanks. Is 1 alright or should I get a couple? I have a 55 gallon tank.

 

[mr_X]

i think that algae looks awesome. I don't think you should get anything to eat it. People die for coralline covered rocks, and this is even nicer to look at.

 

[Cblightfoot]

Mr_x I think it looks cool too. But is it bad to have? Will it over run or harm my corals?

 

[saltcreep1025]

Is it more like a bubble, or a petal? Kind of hard to tell from the picture. I have some similar looking stuff in my tank that grows in small petal formations.

 

[54seaweed]

That looks like red grape starting to grow looks like this

my coral beauty loves munching on it , I heard tangs love it too
I would let it grow out , I trim mine almost every other week just so it fills out more
I like how it looks adds to the coral-scape

 

[Cblightfoot]

Looks more like a petal than a bubble. Reminded me of a mushroom you would see in the ground

 

[saltcreep1025]

I can't figure out exactly what it is. Some of the pics of fauchea sp. look like what I have and some of the pics of rhodophyta look like it too. Not sure! If its the same thing as mine though, it hasn't been invasive at all.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Red grape will have a stalk this is spreading on the rocks. Zoom in at the pic and you will see a lot more with a few aspistas. Google red bubble algae and read up on it, it's considered a nuisance because it spreads rapidly when it releases spores.

 

[mr_X]

I would be more concerned about the aptasia anemones.

 

[paul87]

I would be more concerned about the aptasia anemones.

+1 Aptasia stinks. That algae helps cleab the water and looks pretty neat. I have a very small patch that looks like that and mine has red spots within the bubbles that glow under the atinics...very cool. I just dont let it get out of hand and take over my prime real estate. Its one if the easier algaes to get rid of.

 

[Cblightfoot]

Yes I am trying to get rid of the aiptasia. I have a wrasse in my tank that I'm trying to get rid of. Hard to catch. And then I'm getting some nudibranch for the aiptasia.

So this stuff is algae and I don't have to worry about it? Pick off pieces whenever I do a water change.

 

[mr_X]

You want peppermint shrimp for the aptasia, not nudibranches. I wouldn't be worried. It looks nice.

 

[MINItron]

I have never had a huge problem with bubble algae spreading, particularly the red stuff. I think it is kind of pretty myself.

 

[Badgers reef]

Looks like red grape i have a small bit in my fuge