Strange new addition to my tank

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pauldel

New Fish
#1
Jul 16, 2010
3
0
0
#1
I have a new "freebie" in my reef tank. It's about the size of a bloated dog tick; dark purple with orange spots. It's growing on a stalk with multiple "ticks" per stalk. Since we spotted the first one we've seen a proliferation of them around the tank.

It's really pretty, but I need to know if it's dangerous to the other life in a reef tank, and is it going to take over.

Thanks!
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#4
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#4
oh, ok that does look different from what i suggested.

that could either be some sort of sponge or some very rare form of bubble algae lol.
did you try to squish it? does it burst?(then bubble algae) or if it squishes its probably a sponge. does it have any holes? if it has two distinct openings it may be a tunicate.

if not bubble algae it may be some macro algae. nice find!
 

M

Mixicano

Small Fish
#7
Aug 7, 2009
29
0
0
Milwaukee
#7
I have the same thing in my tank, best i can tell is that is a form of caulerpa... google red grape caulerpa and you will find more pictures of all kinds of shapes that this stuff comes in... its not "harmful" but it will grow and spread quite quickly. as far as control goes you wont find too many fish that will eat this stuff but tridachiella slugs are reported to work best, dont know about the orange stuff. For me it just dissapeared after a while.
 

quaddity

quaddity

Large Fish
#11
Feb 25, 2007
641
0
0
Mesa, AZ
www.myspace.com
#11
That is red bubble algae not a macro algae like culerpa. It can be a nuisance, you can carefully just pick it up off the rocks. Don't break the bubbles that's how it spreads. My old 90 gal reef had some but a yellow tang I had loved it and kept it under control.

Here's a pic:
 

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